Saturday 17 January 2009

Buyout: Fournier

If you notice a decline in clever and witty Toronto Sun headlines, you will be noticing the departure of veteran copy desker Lew Fournier.

Sources say Lew, a 25-plus year Sun vet, is one of eight senior Toronto Sun newsroom staffers taking buyouts, which will save the jobs of eight employees on Black Tuesday's layoff list.

Lew, a soft spoken news pro and king of the headline writers, is one of the last of the Sun deskers from the glory years.

Four of TSF's Top 10 favourite headlines were written by Lew.

In 2008, the National Newspaper Awards committee honoured Lew as an "unsung hero for his great career on the desk."

To wax nostalgic, our memories of the Toronto Sun newsroom during the 80s and early 90s was working several feet away from the most talented band of deskers in T.O.

They were friendly, laid back ladies and gents, with puns galore in print and during newsroom banter. They knew more about packaging tabloids than PKP and his "centres of excellence" will ever know.

Pros like Darren McGee, Tim Fryer, Lloyd Kemp, Rick VanSickle, Howard MacGregor, Luke Betts, Rob Paynter, Kathy Vey, Alan Parker, Mike Patton, Kaarina Leinala, Dave Rawlins, John Fracassi and news desk posse leader Sandra Macklin.

Sadly, the Sun newsroom just ain't what it used to be and Lew's departure is yet another nail in the coffin.

All the best Lew. If headlines in the Star or Globe suddenly show signs of the classic Fournier state of mind, we'll know you have moved on to greener pastures.

Buyout names to date: (1) Lew Fournier (2) Bob McConachie (3) Kaarina Leinala (4) Sheila Chidley (5) Sarah Green (6) Melinda Kryk (7) ??? (8) ???

TSF will profile more of the eight employees taking buyouts when identified.

With Sun Media's recent track record, they will probably go quietly without a word of thanks in print.

Farewell messages for any departing Sun employees should be e-mailed to TSF.

1 comment:

  1. I love Lew, but "soft spoken" is waaaaaaay off!

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