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Here's your list of local news apps

By David Brauer | 07/08/10

City Pages unveiled an iPhone app today. That made me realize I should compile a list of the local-media apps already out there.

I’m concentrating on outlets with a news component (though obviously listings and reviews are a huge part of the game here), so not everyone in town will be included. Feel free to add missing links in the comments and I’ll incorporate them into this piece.

By the way, I’m an iPhone guy so these are primarily iPhone apps. I've tried to include the Android universe, and some of the links will take you both. I don’t think any of the locals have an iPad app yet; I don’t have that device, either.

I should also note I’m not a heavy user of any of the apps, though the radio ones are good for listening since the iPhone doesn’t have an FM tuner. The daily papers don’t do apps, but I do use their mobile websites (listed at the end). They mostly complement my favorite RSS compiler, Google Reader, which I prefer to use it as a bookmark, not an app.

Here's the roster:

KSTP-TV (Android here)

WCCO-TV (also Android)

Fox9 (Android here)

KARE11 (Also Android)

MPR (Includes News, Classical and The Current)

KFAI-FM via the Public Radio Player app

1280 The Patriot

1500ESPN

KFAN, KSTP, KDWB, K102, Cities97, KTLK, KOOL108 via the iheart radio app

WCCO Radio via the CBS Radio app (link also includes Blackberry, iPad)

Mpls-St. Paul Business Journal

Twin Cities Daily Planet (Android here)

AP Minnesota via the AP Mobile app (link also includes Android, Blackberry and Palm Pre)

Bookmarks, not apps:

Star Tribune

Pioneer Press

WCCO’s “Wire”

Comments (3)

Submitted by Erica Mauter on July 8, 2010 - 4:05pm.

I'm happy to see news outlets at least have a presence in the mobile space, but I still maintain that a usable mobile website is as useful as an app. Because not everyone has a smartphone. And not everyone who does wants to dedicate screen real estate to a single news outlet (much less many of them).

That's more for readable stuff, though. Audio/radio is a bit different.

Submitted by Kevin Reichard on July 9, 2010 - 10:07am.

Hey David -- Nice listing. You probably should have tested some of the feeds in something other than Google Reader, though. On my iPad, the Pulse and Reeder newsreaders can't bring in the Star Tribune, MPLS.ST.PAUL and BrauBlog RSS feeds because they're noncompliant. RSS is such an easy way to keep the attention of readers, but it's amazing how many publishing houses treat it as an afterthought. Which is why apps are such a good idea for many users.

Submitted by David Stovall on October 8, 2010 - 4:08pm.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune now has an app for the iPad so you can read the print edition replica. It is a free app but a subscription service. It works by downloading the edition daily when published in the morning with a wifi connection. Then you can read offline, archive your copies, search, bookmark, etc. The nicest feature is you can tap on an article and bring it up in a readable window similar to the USA Today app. The print edition view in vertical orientation is actually readable but reading the individual articles as mentioned is much easier. My download times with my home DSL wifi service is about 6 minutes for a daily edition. When traveling reading an e-Edition print replica feels more connected with home than a browser edition. Reading offline is an added plus. The iPad is getting to be one heckuva reference tool.