Wednesday 5 May 2010

Berton exits LFP

Paul Berton, a rudder at the London Free Press for 23 years, has resigned to become the Hamilton Spectator's editor in chief.

Berton leaves his London editor in chief job this week. Fellow employees are stunned by his departure notice.

"LFP in shock," writes a TSF reader. "E-i-c Paul Berton leaving after 22 years. He led/endured the paper through changes in ownership and all sorts of changes in direction.

"A gentleman, a journalist and a keen and committed member of the community," the TSF reader says of Berton.

Employees are concerned the late Pierre Berton's son will be replaced by a non-journalist.

A Hamilton Spectator story says Berton, with the Free Press since 1987, has held a variety of roles including:

Reporter, columnist, copy editor and editor of various news departments. Most recently, in addition to being editor-in-chief of the Free Press, he has also served as national comment editor for the Sun Media chain.

The story says Berton succeeds David Estok. who left the Spectator in February to work in a senior position at the Hospital for Sick Children Foundation in Toronto.

One more top Sun Media exec who is moving on, but this time it is not to a non-media job.

Another TSF reader writes:

"Also leaving the Free Press is Steve Groves, director of online media, who is returning to Goodlife Fitness.

"He is the third person to leave the Free Press online operation. "Blogger Dan Brown becomes a print copy editor. Multitasking manager P.J. Harston left months ago for 24 Hours Toronto."

5 comments:

  1. Another abandoning the sinking S.S. Sun Media

    Our loss, TorStar's huge gain. And PKP and his bean counters don't give a damn. Just another pay cheque they won't have to cut.

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  2. A loss for London, but does anyone know why there's been such a huge turnover in EICs at the Spectator during the past 10 years? Is there discontentment beyond the Quebecor walls?

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  3. It doesn't faze Sun Media/Quebecor one bit that good people are leaving the company, have been let go, or are calling it quits. The company doesn't care, and has given no indication that it intends to care. And that, my friends, is why we employees keep speaking up, even if it's anonymously on this blog: we do give a damn and we do care. The company, on the other hand, could care less.

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  4. the line out the door continues. PKP needs to have a reality check. People won't work for a comapany that won't allow free thought. PKP wants to run the ship...will there be anyone left on the ship?

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  5. PJ Harston is no longer at 24 hours. His name is off the masthead.

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