Updated
In 1990, the St. Thomas Times-Journal newsroom had 18 journalists - now it has six.
A TSF tipster says the latest casualty is Ross Porter, who was managing editor until Sun Media pulled the plug on that position recently and sent him packing.
Porter was with Bowes Publishing/Sun Media/Quebecor for 30 years.
Our tipster says the St. Thomas newsroom "will now be overseen by the London Free Press managing editor."
Community newspapers with long distance management sounds so foreign.
In 1990, the St. Thomas Times-Journal newsroom had 18 journalists - now it has six.
A TSF tipster says the latest casualty is Ross Porter, who was managing editor until Sun Media pulled the plug on that position recently and sent him packing.
Porter was with Bowes Publishing/Sun Media/Quebecor for 30 years.
Our tipster says the St. Thomas newsroom "will now be overseen by the London Free Press managing editor."
Community newspapers with long distance management sounds so foreign.
In 1990 the T-J had more than 18 employees, as I was one of them. At that time they had a mailroom, pressroom and composing dept. More like 50 employees. I know Ross. He is well liked and better off without the QMI bull.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the numbers update.
ReplyDeleteGet used to that model of bigger daily ME overseeing nearby but smaller papers. This centralized approach will involve existing titles changing, as well as new appointments to positions that are 'regional' editors. 'Editor' positions at smaller papers will become mostly extinct in 2010. Want to write a Letter to the Editor in 2010? You will have a difficult time knowing who your local editor is, or even seeing them, if you are in a small community.
ReplyDeleteI first met Ross Porter as a cub reporter on the Wallaceburg (ON) Daily News in the early 70s when I was advertising manager.
ReplyDeleteI hired him over 30 years ago as editor of the Daily Miner and News in Kenora (ON) when I was publisher and he stayed with the company through thick and thin until now. He is a fine man who served both his superiors and his employees with honesty and compassion.
I was disheartened to read that he too has been unceremoniously dumped like unwanted trash after such lengthy service and so close to retirement.
There are days when I wonder how such cruel and heartless owners and senior management can even sleep at night chasing the almighty dollar.
It is yet another black mark on the terrible empire Quebecor is creating.
There is much rumbling in western Canada from unhappy weekly readers who are having QMI content shoved into the pages of their once loved community newspapers. In the end they will win as advertisers abandon them for other options that will surely rise in the near future.