Friday 21 August 2009

CP vs Sun Media

Publishers of some Sun Media community newspapers have had their wrists slapped for using too much Canadian Press copy this summer.

The quote of the day in an internal memo sent to us by a TSF tipster:

"It has become increasingly evident that our relationship with Canadian Press is rapidly deteriorating, it's therefore imperative that we eliminate CP completely from our editorial line-ups."

While many publishers have done an "excellent job of eliminating CP from our papers at the local level," the memo's author says:

"I have, however noticed that a few papers have allowed more CP content to creep in over the last few weeks - no doubt due in part to staffing cuts and vacations, but we must discontinue."

We abhor creeping CP content, but what to do when it is superior to Sun Media efforts?

Sun Media's CP edict must be aimed at papers other than the Sun tabloids because Toronto Sun use of CP stories and photos has been as strong as ever this summer.

With some smaller Sun Media newspapers being managed by employees working out of their homes and numerous other newspapers coping with bare bones newsrooms, how do editors not resort to wire copy that is available?

News is news. If and when QMI develops into a news agency capable of providing nothing but Sun Media copy, then there will be no excuses for the use of external domestic wire copy.

Pardon us if we sound like a broken record, but we doubt QMI will ever fill the CP void with Sun Media newsrooms operating as they are with minimal employees and on shoestring budgets.

6 comments:

  1. So bascially if Sun Media didn't cover it, it didn't happen I guess is what they're saying. We'll just write a column about it a day or two later.

    What a joke.

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  2. In Alberta, we're told we have to use the content from other Sun Media papers, however, almost everything on the site has an Ontario-base. Luckily, we get news releases we can use to fill our paper at times. However, there are days, where we are scrambling. Losing CP, makes no sense and our readers know it.

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  3. Well if you have ad stacks you can't use those cookie-cutter PDFs and even they are still using CP copy so where's the copy going to come from?

    There has been increasing use of AFP copy on those PDFs as well.

    And I love this
    "No doubt due in part to staffing cuts and vacations, but we must discontinue."

    At least someone admits staffing is an issue. Unfortunately it won't be addressed.

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  4. I feel for the first poster. I'm from Ontario and wish I had more copy from outside this province to use to fill holes that can no longer be filled by CP/AP.
    And if the CP/AP deal doesn't run out until 2010, then why don't we use all we can. It doesn't make sense to pay for something you have that you aren't using. Well, maybe in PKP's world it makes sense, but in the real world........

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  5. I was thinking how sports will take a major hit once CP is gone... NHL from the U.S.? NFL? NBA? Who is going to cover it if we don't have access to CP/AP?

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  6. This Sun Media over CP bias started a year ago at the former Osprey papers and even before PKP decided to leave the CP fold. The problem was the CP stories were available at least an hour earlier than the Sun Media offerings and often better edited and more suited to the newsholes of broadsheet papers.
    It's funny how PKP mused recently to the Kingston Whig-Standard about having Sun Media foreign and national correspondents cover important news when at the same time he whacked 600 people.

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