Rob Lamberti, an award-winning veteran Toronto Sun police reporter and crime writer, laments the downturn at the tabloid he has loved for more than two decades.
As vice-chair of the Southern Ontario Newsmedia Guide unit at the Sun, he says witnessing the forced exit of numerous colleagues who have been laid off has been "heart wrenching."
Rob, in an e-mail to Toronto Sun Family, writes:
"I've been reading over columns that have been written about the Sun. Yes, the old days of what made the Sun the Sun are over. The entity no longer has a journalistic goal, but now openly embraces money as its reason for existence.
"The gap is not necessarily between the second and sixth floors of the building, but between the (Sun Media) chain and (Quebecor) head offices in Montreal. Whatever the corporate plan is, I'm not sure it will succeed.
"Along with Maryanna (we will miss her greatly), part of my duty as vice-chair of the Toronto Sun unit was to sit in on the meetings with the people who were being laid off.
"It was heart wrenching to watch the hopes and aspirations of our fellow staffers drain from their faces as they were being told they were no longer wanted. What talent and knowledge the newspaper lost in one day. What talent and knowledge the paper lost in the previous layoffs.
"It was bittersweet to see (Managing Editor) Gordon Walsh leave, but while we'll miss a great newsman, he'll be healthier for it.
"News gathering is one of those businesses where the old saying rings especially true: To make money, one has to spend money. In an era where all of the mediums are morphing, where TV uses newspaper-style reports and radio uses pictures and newspapers use TV, all on the web, the medium is not necessarily the message any longer, but the message is now the message.
"To get the message, news organizations need people, the one resource that is scarce at the Sun.
"Cheers,
"Rob."
Thank you for your e-mail, Rob.
As vice-chair of the Southern Ontario Newsmedia Guide unit at the Sun, he says witnessing the forced exit of numerous colleagues who have been laid off has been "heart wrenching."
Rob, in an e-mail to Toronto Sun Family, writes:
"I've been reading over columns that have been written about the Sun. Yes, the old days of what made the Sun the Sun are over. The entity no longer has a journalistic goal, but now openly embraces money as its reason for existence.
"The gap is not necessarily between the second and sixth floors of the building, but between the (Sun Media) chain and (Quebecor) head offices in Montreal. Whatever the corporate plan is, I'm not sure it will succeed.
"Along with Maryanna (we will miss her greatly), part of my duty as vice-chair of the Toronto Sun unit was to sit in on the meetings with the people who were being laid off.
"It was heart wrenching to watch the hopes and aspirations of our fellow staffers drain from their faces as they were being told they were no longer wanted. What talent and knowledge the newspaper lost in one day. What talent and knowledge the paper lost in the previous layoffs.
"It was bittersweet to see (Managing Editor) Gordon Walsh leave, but while we'll miss a great newsman, he'll be healthier for it.
"News gathering is one of those businesses where the old saying rings especially true: To make money, one has to spend money. In an era where all of the mediums are morphing, where TV uses newspaper-style reports and radio uses pictures and newspapers use TV, all on the web, the medium is not necessarily the message any longer, but the message is now the message.
"To get the message, news organizations need people, the one resource that is scarce at the Sun.
"Cheers,
"Rob."
Thank you for your e-mail, Rob.
No comments:
Post a Comment