The post-election pruning begins in the local media. Minnesota Independent reporter Molly Priesmeyer was told today that her position and one other has been eliminated.

Priesmeyer, whose primary beats were the housing crisis and the broader economy, says MnIndy's parent, the D.C.-based Center for Independent Media (CIM), ordered the budget cuts, which apparently extend to six CIM's state-based sites.

Priesmeyer says editor Steve Perry and the local operation is in no way responsible for the changes; I have emails in to CIM officials for more details on what's going on.

Priesmeyer, who had worked for the site part-time, was promoted to full-time just a month ago. She turned down another offer to take the job, assured that MnIndy's funding would be there after Election Day.

"It's really disappointing because all of us on staff worked so hard during the election," Priesmeyer says. "Our traffic doubled in the past few months. We were working overtime because we really believed in it. To have us told one thing before the election, and then another thing afterward is disheatening."

During the campaign season, MnIndy's high points included on-the-ground coverage of RNC protests and policing, the Michele Bachmann saga, and Election Day shenanigans, including Priesmeyer's first-on-the-scene reportage from a Minneapolis polling place where Somalis were allegedly being influenced to vote for Norm Coleman.