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Mint Press News (MPN) is an American news website established in late January 2011, and launched in 2013, with an administrative office based in Minneapolis, MN; MPN journalists and several of its editors are "based across the nation in California, New York, Washington DC, Illinois, Tennessee, Mississippi, and other states, and in several countries across Europe, Africa & the Middle East. The About Us page for MPN says the news site is "an independent, nonpartisan journalism start up, providing issue-based reporting, in-depth investigations and thoughtful analysis of the most pressing topics facing our nation." MPN provides coverage of "national politics and policy, civil liberties, the war on drugs, foreign affairs, energy and the environment through the lens of social justice and human rights." In September 2013 it listed fourteen writers on its website, including correspondents, journalists, assistant editors and multimedia producers with ties to other world news outlets including the BBC, National Public Radio, the Associated Press, CounterPunch, Al Jazeera English, The Guardian, VICE, The Atlantic, Time, The Daily Beast, NPR,Truthout, AlterNet and others.

History

Mint Press News was founded in January 2011 by Mnar A. Muhawesh, a journalism graduate of St. Cloud State University and regular speaker on responsible journalism, sexism and media start ups. MPN said it was a for-profit “regular news organization,” with an initial three-year break-even business plan based on advertising. In January 2012 MPN's investors were said to be unnamed "retired businesspeople" MinnPost ". A business adviser of MPN is Odeh Muhawesh, a businessman who serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Stratika and is the Chief Executive Officer and President of RPM Intelligence, LLC., and has created and managed a number of businesses in the IT fields. Mr. Muhawesh founded Paragon Real Estate Equity & Investment Trust (formerly called as Stonehaven Realty Trust, NETLink International, Inc. and also RESoft, Inc.) and also served as its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Knowledge Officer. He has a proven experience in the mergers and acquisitions and money raising arenas and has lead both private and publicly traded companies, and more, according to Bloomberg.

Crisis Reporting And Pressure On Journalists

On 29 August 2013, an MPN article bylined to MPN correspondent Dale Gavlak and journalist Yahya Ababneh reported that Syrian rebels and local residents in Ghouta, Syria alleged in interviews that the Al-Nusra Front was responsible for the chemical weapons incidents in Ghouta; those interviewed claimed that weapons had been delivered to untrained fighters and "some of the fighters handled the weapons improperly and set off the explosions." Gavlak later told Brown Moses Blog that "Despite my repeated requests, made directly and through legal counsel, they have not been willing to issue a retraction stating that I was not the author. Yahya Ababneh is the sole reporter and author of the Mint Press News piece."

However, on September 21, it was revealed by MintPress editor in chief Mnar Muhawesh in a letter to MPN readers, that Gavlak pitched and "wrote up the article in it's entirety". It also revealed that Gavlak only asked her name to be removed "two days" after the article was published because Gavlak had shared through email to Ms. Muhawesh that a third party was demanding her to disassociate herself from the report or would end her career. Gavlak did admit to writing the article to the New York Time's Blog The Lede a day after she told Brown Moses blog that she played no role in producing the article. Gavalk also told the New York Times blog The Lede that Yahya was a "reputable journalist" and she did stand by the story.

On November 23rd, Global Research reported that Mint Press was working with Human Rights Watch to provide "protection to Yahya Ababneh," a co-author of the report, because he was receiving pressure and threats over the article by Saudi actors. Global Research's report and the letter to readers by Ms. Muhawesh reaffirmed that Dale was pressured to dissociate herself from the Syria article. It also stated that Dale Gavlak was demanded by the AP to remove her name from the article two days after the article was published as indicated through an email Gavlak sent to Muhawesh. The letter also reveals that Gavlak was paid for the Syria report on September 3, 2013.

Global Research reports that a smear took place by Buzz Feed's Rosie Gray and other bloggers that accused MPN to have an Iranian agenda after the Syria exclusive report was published, because Ms. Muhawesh was related to a Shiite: "A vulgar conspiracy crafted by the BuzzFeed “journalist” Rosie Gray – reminiscent of crass attempts to play on orientalist stereotypes of “Iranian deception” abundant in civilised US media and diplomacy-speak – attempted to portray the Mint Press as bias fabricators, on the grounds of the Editors father-in-law being a Shi’a Muslim. In effect casting him and Mint Press as Iranian stooges intent on subverting the western-promoted falsehood that the Assad government ordered the alleged chemical attacks."

The Syria article was used as evidence in talks between Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrof and has been cited as possibly derailing the US strike on Syria

MPN's coverage of Syria has been equally critical of Syria's Assad regime and the rebels associated with al-Qaeda, including al-Nusra Front.

The MPN report had been "widely circulated" and cited among others by Military.com, the Voice of Russia, Press TV, Spanish newspaper ABC, ConsortiumNews.com and InfoWars.

References

1. Mint Press News, About MPN, accessed 23 November 2013
2. ^ David Brauer, MinnPost, 18 January 2012, Who is MintPress and why are they doing all this hiring?
3. Mint Press News, "EXCLUSIVE: Syrians In Ghouta Claim Saudi-Supplied Rebels Behind Chemical Attack," Aug. 29, 2013. http://www.mintpressnews.com/witnesses-of-gas-attack-say-saudis-supplied-rebels-with-chemical-weapons/168135/
4. Brown Moses Blog, 20 September 2013,
5. Washington Post
6. Bryant Jordan, 10 September 2013, military.com, White House Mum on Rebel Chem Weapons Use
7. Voice of Russia, 30 August 2013, 'Syrian rebels take responsibility for the chemical attack admitting the weapons were provided by Saudis' - source
8. infowars.com, 30 August 2013, EXCLUSIVE: Syrians In Ghouta Claim Saudi-Supplied Rebels Behind Chemical Attack
9. Lisa Pease, ConsortiumNews.com, 4 September 2013, The Still-Sketchy Intel on Syria
10. Press TV, 1 September 2013, Saudi Prince Bandar behind chemical attack in Syria: Report
11. ABC, 2 September 2013, Una colaboradora de AP afirma que el ataque en Damasco fue obra de los rebeldes

External links

• Official website

• Digital newspapers published in the United States
• American websites
• Internet properties established in 2012