Several sources say Sun Media will drop out of the Canadian Press wire services next year, no doubt to save more bucks at the expense of readers.
It wouldn't be the first time Sun tabloids dropped CP. The Sun dabbled with its own United Press Services in the 1980s during a short-lived wire services run.
Filling print and online Sun Media editions with content primarily from sister newspapers will cut costs, but it will lessen the diversity and quality of news content.
Major stories in communities with skeletal Sun Media newsrooms won't provide readers with the balanced reporting they are due.
"Can't understand them cutting newsroom positions if they intend to drop CP next year," says a TSF reader.
But then news coverage isn't a priority at Quebecor.
It wouldn't be the first time Sun tabloids dropped CP. The Sun dabbled with its own United Press Services in the 1980s during a short-lived wire services run.
Filling print and online Sun Media editions with content primarily from sister newspapers will cut costs, but it will lessen the diversity and quality of news content.
Major stories in communities with skeletal Sun Media newsrooms won't provide readers with the balanced reporting they are due.
"Can't understand them cutting newsroom positions if they intend to drop CP next year," says a TSF reader.
But then news coverage isn't a priority at Quebecor.
As long as they choose another wire service to replace it, pulling out of CP in theory isn't necessarily completely bad. There have been occasions where the same story has run in both papers of a market, both of which subscribe to CP, and with fewer newsroom staff that's fewer people to keep tabs on little things like "TORONTO OUT". I also remember when I worked for a Sun in the 90s there was ongoing resentment over the requirement that we send stories to CP, and I was told on a few occasions to either not send certain stories at all, or wait till, like, 1 minute after midnight to do so. So maybe if the Sun ties in with a wire that isn't also connected to Canwest, then that might be one less piece of nonsense to be dealt with by fewer people. Of course the quality of content is another issue entirely...
ReplyDeleteIf the chain loses CP, Edmonton readers will be screwed. Already the Edmonton Sun has yanked its provincial legislature writer, relying only on CP for provincial affairs coverage. If the chain drops CP, the Edmonton Sun will have no reliable coverage of provincial political issues - save for the cryptic columns of Neil Waugh - who's so old school that most readers often have no idea who or what he is writing about. Shame on PKP for bungling his handling of the Sun papers. They are already practically devoid of news value. Stripping them of CP services will make them completely worthless.
ReplyDelete"As long as they choose another wire service to replace it, pulling out of CP in theory isn't necessarily completely bad."
ReplyDeleteWhat other Canadian wire services are there, apart from Canwest's pretend service? There aren't any. If the Sun were to drop CP (and therefore AP) they will be left with no source of Canadian news other than what little they generate themselves, and no worthwhile source of international news and sports.
It's gonna happen. Trust me.
ReplyDeleteI'm a Sun Media employee.
In my opinion, the only thing stopping a pullout is the sports section and stats.
Other than that, they've already put a big time push on dropping CP copy in our papers.