Aaron J. Brown

About Brown Communications

In 2005, I founded Brown Communications to keep all my freelance work in order. In a short time this small operation has developed quite a portfolio of media and political consulting work. I work on projects where I can make a difference, some of my best work is pro bono and if I'm not the person to help you I'll refer you elsewhere. I tend to work on nonprofit and political endeavors, but have ample experience in freelance print and radio journalism as well.

Dylan Days
When I first came on board with Dylan Days, it was a small, informal event sponsored by a Hibbing business and the local chamber of commerce. Now, with the help and shared leadership of community volunteers, it is a successful nonprofit arts organization that has attracted thousands to Hibbing. I developed the marketing plan and web page, while helping shape the direction of the new organization. My media ties helped our stories be placed with newspapers, magazines, radio and television groups across the world, including a feature story in the New York Times, a front-page feature in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, stories in almost every Minnesota daily newspaper and TV station and so many other odd places it would be cumbersome to list them all here.

Dylan Days web page

Iron Range DFL
I developed a web page for the Fifth Senate District DFL that included an online system for recruiting volunteers and an e-newsletter that helped improve communication across a large political district. The site was an informational hub during what was (at least in Minnesota's Fifth Senate District) a very successful election for the DFL. When I moved west, I gave up operation of the site; however, the current version still uses my original header design (though the page has changed quite a bit).

Tom Anzelc for 3A
This is more an example of my political work than my media work, though my journalism background came in handy here. I was campaign chair for Tom Anzelc, who won an open State Representative race in November 2006. He was running to replace the retiring Irv Anderson, a legend in northern Minnesota politics. We faced a difficult DFL primary against a well-financed, conservative opponent who was a blood relative of Irv's with Irv's last name. We were running in the state's largest geographic district that includes some very isolated precincts and my candidate had a name where the letter "C" was pronounced with a "Z" sound. The state chamber of commerce and pro-life lobby spent a lot of money to beat us, but we prevailed in the primary by a 60-40 percent margin and went on to win the general election by even a little more than that. I drafted all the campaign materials, developed a web page, wrote speech outlines, designed the ads, wrote radio copy, coordinated campaign events, did debate preperation with Tom, and much of the non-finance behind the scenes work. Tom Anzelc's web page

Creature Comforts USA
In 2006, I was contracted by Aardman, Inc., to do interviews for the CBS television show "Creature Comforts USA," an American version of the popular British animation studio's "Creature Comforts." Four of my subjects were picked up by the show and their human interest interviews were animated with their voices attached to quirky animals. I am credited as an interviewer on this critically-acclaimed national program, which is set to air starting June 4, 2007.

Newspaper column
Since 2001, I've written a column for the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Since I resigned as the paper's editor in 2003, I have worked as an independent contract writer, similar in status to a syndicated columnist.

Freelance journalism
I've worked on assignment for Business North, the Hibbing Daily Tribune, the former Murphy-McGinnis (now SPC) publishing company, and other small publications throughout Northern Minnesota. My feature stories while on the staff of the Hibbing Daily Tribune were often picked up by the state AP Wire and reprinted in numerous state papers, including the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press. In 2003, my feature story about a lost cat who came home by somehow traversing 480 miles (the "Skittles the Cat" story) was reprinted in hundreds of national publications. Because of conflicts of interest issues I haven't done much freelance work lately, but would be glad to use my feature writing and news gathering skills when appropriate.

I am also in the early stages of writing a nonfiction book of essays, which I would classify as being similar to my columns with a bit more depth. I've written and occasionally make feable attempts to publish short fiction.

91.7 KAXE, Northern Community Radio
Since 2003, I've produced special programs and radio essays for KAXE. These programs have included both live remote shows at locations in northern Minnesota and studio programs, all of which involved interviews and music with a local flavor. My essays are similar in tone to my newspaper columns and have been featured on "Between You and Me," "RealGoodWords" and the KAXE morning show.

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