Thursday 16 April 2009

LFP shuffle

You would think a panel discussion in London with a Sun Media op-ed columnist among the guest speakers would be a lock for coverage in the London Free Press. Not.

Editor-in-chief Paul Berton has explained why his Sun Media newspaper did not assign a reporter to the April 13 panel discussion on free speech with speakers Ezra Levant, Kathy Shaidle and Sun columnist Salim Mansur. The event attracted about 300 people.

Berton's reply, in part, to the sender of one letter to the editor:

"The event was discussed and considered. It was never actually rejected, but simply didn't make the cut, for reasons, as you have so astutely observed, mostly related to staffing.

"That is not unique. You should know there are dozens of other events each year attended by 300 or more people that we also do not cover, mostly for similar reasons, although space and timing are also factors."

So yes, booking a Sun Media guest speaker does not guarantee you Sun Media press coverage.

How are sparsely populated Sun Media newsrooms affecting the quality of news coverage? Let us count the ways . . .

3 comments:

  1. I presume Salim Mansur could provide published commentary at a later date?

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  2. Actually, the event was on Monday, April 13 (not April 11), with the LFP doing an advance story on the event on March 11, a story written by LFP reporter Randy Richmond.

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  3. No offence, but I'm more than happy not to read any coverage of Mr. Levant and Ms. Shaidle.

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