New MPR leader adds another Taylor atop Twin Cities media

The Twin Cities will soon see two of its largest news media organizations owned or operated by the same family.

Driving the news: St. Paul-based American Public Media Group announced Jean Taylor as its next CEO, starting Aug. 23.

State of play: The new chief executive of APMG is the daughter of printing mogul Glen Taylor, who owns the Star Tribune.

• APMG, in addition to being a national content producer and distributor, also owns Minnesota Public Radio.

What she's saying: When asked if her family would have too much influence over news coverage in the Twin Cities, Jean Taylor told Axios, "newsrooms are separate from the management of an organization so I don't control the newsroom."

• "And frankly, at the Star Tribune I didn't control the newsroom and neither did Glen," she added. "If you've got a good newsroom they're going to operate independently and objectively as good journalists, and that was the charge at Star Tribune, that has always been the charge here at APMG and that will continue."

Context: Jean Taylor was previously CEO of Taylor Corp, one of the 10 largest private companies in Minnesota with north of $3 billion in annual revenue.

• She had been chair of the Star Tribune board of directors since 2018, but stepped down when she was named CEO of APMG last week.

Between the lines: She told MPR News that it was never the plan for her to take over for her father as owner of the Star Tribune. But questions remain about the long-term future of the paper, as Glen Taylor is 80.

• "That's a better question for Glen but I have no indication that Glen's commitment to having quality journalism in Minnesota has changed at all. That is still very strong," she told Axios.