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Last update: January 31, 2008 - 6:21 PM

"It is such a relief to see that so many ... paragons of journalism are thinking not only about Britney [Spear's] best interests and the needs of their readers and viewers, but also about the long-term interests of American society, and also the world at large. If our best institutions of journalism started to cynically sell human suffering as entertainment, reasoning that people had proved with their pocketbooks that's what they wanted, what a fix we'd be in! It would be like in ancient Rome when people enjoyed seeing social outcasts -- and the occasional fallen celebrity -- thrown to the lions."

Rochester-based journalist DOUG MCGILL, "The McGill Report," Jan. 16.

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New ideas for the public sector

THERE'S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME to create a more efficient Minnesota. Facing large budget deficits at the state, county and local levels, Minnesotans are seeing with new clarity that the public sector must adapt to new economic realities. Only the smartest, most strategic reinvention will ensure that our tax dollars are spent on the best programs and services. Read more

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Opinion Exchange is produced by the Editorial Department, which is dedicated to hosting the discussion on a range of issues of interest to Star Tribune readers online and in print. In its new format, it's our hope that Opinion Exhange will create a more dynamic dialogue between Star Tribune readers and the Editorial Board. Many individual posts will be written and signed by members of the Editorial Board and will reflect their own opinions. Daily editorials will continue to represent the institutional voice of the newspaper and be researched and written by the Editorial Department, which is independent of the newsroom.

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