A former Toronto Sun executive with oodles of credibility and a need for anonymity sums up Sun Media's coverage of Ottawa's political power struggle with a big "yes."
Shades of the early Sun years when editorials and the opinions of op-ed columnists and cartoonists often differed, says the TSF reader in an e-mail.
The e-mail reads:
"Since the Toronto Sun Family blog celebrates Sun strengths and traditions, I think credit is overdue to all the Suns this week for their coverage of the political nonsense in Ottawa.
"The December 2 "No! No! No!" front page, complete with front-page editorial - which ran in all the Suns across the country - was a tabloid classic, hearkening back to the heady days of the '70s where the Sun made its bones with cheeky (often anti-Trudeau) political coverage.
Shades of the early Sun years when editorials and the opinions of op-ed columnists and cartoonists often differed, says the TSF reader in an e-mail.
The e-mail reads:
"Since the Toronto Sun Family blog celebrates Sun strengths and traditions, I think credit is overdue to all the Suns this week for their coverage of the political nonsense in Ottawa.
"The December 2 "No! No! No!" front page, complete with front-page editorial - which ran in all the Suns across the country - was a tabloid classic, hearkening back to the heady days of the '70s where the Sun made its bones with cheeky (often anti-Trudeau) political coverage.
"Whatever your political views, that front page captured the visceral reaction of millions of Canadians to this sudden and bold coalition - exactly the right tone and timing to mark an historic moment (as evidenced by the play it received on TV as well).
"The Suns tapped into what ordinary Canadians were thinking - and isn't that a prime reason why people turn to newspapers? And they did it without droning on, being shrill or boring readers with too much constitutional trivia.
"They've kept it up with strong coverage and commentary - and in good Sun tradition, there has been a diversity of views: For instance, the editorials supported Harper staying in power, but editor Rob Granatstein columnized that Harper should resign.
"Letters to the editor have been boisterous as ever, representing all points of view, Dewar and Donato have been right on the money (skewering all parties with their pens), and news columnists like Strobel, Bonokoski and Mandel have all contributed.
(That is) essential, because Sun Media no longer invests in political coverage as it once did, with predictable results. Kathleen Harris is all but alone in the decimated Parliamentary Bureau, but this week she and must-read columnist Greg Weston have kept the Suns firmly in the game. So kudos to them - who knew a constitutional crisis could be so entertaining?"
Thank you for your e-mail.
"The Suns tapped into what ordinary Canadians were thinking - and isn't that a prime reason why people turn to newspapers? And they did it without droning on, being shrill or boring readers with too much constitutional trivia.
"They've kept it up with strong coverage and commentary - and in good Sun tradition, there has been a diversity of views: For instance, the editorials supported Harper staying in power, but editor Rob Granatstein columnized that Harper should resign.
"Letters to the editor have been boisterous as ever, representing all points of view, Dewar and Donato have been right on the money (skewering all parties with their pens), and news columnists like Strobel, Bonokoski and Mandel have all contributed.
(That is) essential, because Sun Media no longer invests in political coverage as it once did, with predictable results. Kathleen Harris is all but alone in the decimated Parliamentary Bureau, but this week she and must-read columnist Greg Weston have kept the Suns firmly in the game. So kudos to them - who knew a constitutional crisis could be so entertaining?"
Thank you for your e-mail.
"A former Toronto Sun executive with oodles of credibility"?
ReplyDeleteObviously not an editor since you don't "hearken back" or even "harken back" (unless you are listening), you "hark back."
Also disagree with front page opining ("No! No! No!")is appropriate and not shrill.
And while we're talkig about "oodles of credibility," Christina Spencer and Peter Zimonjic will be amused to hear that Kathleen Harris and Greg Weston are alone in the Hill Bureau.