Suspicions raised over Register’s promotion of Munson
So Kyle Munson was named the newest Des Moines Register columnist last week. Those of you who still read the Register may already know this, or at least you should after all the ink they gave it in the past week. The rest of you likely don’t care, but we think you should. In fact, we are calling for an all-out investigation on this matter. Why? Because something fishy is happening on Locust Street.
Yes, Munson is a talented writer, a good person and an Iowan through and through. Unlike many employees there, this guy actually knows the difference between Emmetsburg and Indianola. He has made his way around every corner of the state, being born, raised and educated here. Munson is not Chuck Offenburger or John Carlson, mind you, but he is smart enough to not let his political views cost him his job. Registered as an Independent, he should be safe — for now.
Munson also spends a lot of time on Facebook and Twitter, something now deemed important by Register brass.
Although placing a music critic in the role of columnist may be questioned by some, a few eyebrows were also raised when Mark Hansen moved from sports to being a columnist. That proved to be a very effective and popular change.
The hiring of Munson as a columnist still raises many questions, as it is not even remotely consistent with Gannett’s approaches today.
First, Munson is white. Very white. Ghost-like, actually. This guy’s skin color gives creamy a new definition. How a white person even made it to the interviewing process at today’s Des Moines Register is beyond us. This is a newspaper that not only has hiring quotas based on race, but has forced reporters to meet racial quotas on news coverage, too. It’s a nice idea, but try to accomplish that when your beat is in Clive.
Second, Munson will soon outlive the Juice-age requirement, which seems to be spreading throughout the daily, too. Let’s face it; this guy is no spring chi
cken. At 37, they can’t plan on hanging on to him much longer. Middle-aged white guys have been tossed out of that newspaper like green beer after St. Patrick’s Day.
Third, he is straight. Or at least we think so. His bio says that he is married to a woman and has a 7-year-old son, but others at the Register have masked these relationships before, and we hear some still do. Even so, we believe him when he says he prefers women. It is the French horn thing that is confusing us.
Fourth, Munson is male. Sure, he is not the most masculine dude. You won’t find him fighting in an MMA contest, but he is a guy, and seeing one promoted in a chain newsroom is a rarity.
Add all this up, and our concern is clear. Des Moines Register management promoted a white, middle-aged, straight male to a key newsroom position. Editor Carolyn Washburn surely forfeited a bonus over this one. Or maybe Munson has pictures of her that we don’t want to see. Either way, it’s creepy.
Once the investigation starts, those searching for details will learn that Munson is smart, conversational, well-connected and probably the best hire the Register has made in years, and all this makes us very suspicious. (Congratulations, Kyle). CV
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