The landscape at the once productive and passive Sun Media parliamentary bureau has changed again with the departure of Greg Weston, sources say.Concerns about Greg's future with Sun Media were raised last month, with at least one blogger suggesting he was already toast. But columns by the man who exposed G20's $2 billion security price tag continued.
Today, a Twitter posting by Greg MacEachern: "Sorry to hear that Greg Weston's Sun column is dead and he and the chain have parted company."
MacEachern, an Ottawa consultant and Hill Times columnist, Twittered earlier in the day that he would be appearing on CBC Politics with Weston, so we know his posting is legit.
And our thanks to bigcitylib.blogspot.com for the heads-up.
MacEachern doesn't say if Weston was fired or he resigned, but he will no doubt resurface feeling cleansed and prepared to resume what he does best.
The most recent Greg Weston column online is from July 4. Being summer, his absence might have meant a vacation but during the Quebecor years, absence has often meant pink slips or quiet, forced resignations.
Today, a Twitter posting by Greg MacEachern: "Sorry to hear that Greg Weston's Sun column is dead and he and the chain have parted company."
MacEachern, an Ottawa consultant and Hill Times columnist, Twittered earlier in the day that he would be appearing on CBC Politics with Weston, so we know his posting is legit.
And our thanks to bigcitylib.blogspot.com for the heads-up.
MacEachern doesn't say if Weston was fired or he resigned, but he will no doubt resurface feeling cleansed and prepared to resume what he does best.
The most recent Greg Weston column online is from July 4. Being summer, his absence might have meant a vacation but during the Quebecor years, absence has often meant pink slips or quiet, forced resignations.
Greg's photo on Sun Media's Eye on the Hill website has vanished. His profile once read:
Greg Weston is the senior national affairs columnist for Sun Media. Over the past 35 years, he has informed and amused readers with the good, bad and the truly stupid of every election since Trudeaumania went gloriously into the toilet. Recipient of more than a dozen of investigative journalism’s most suspect wall decorations, his perfect day is getting under the skin of all political parties equally.
The mean-spirited Bullies on the Hill have pushed Greg, Christina Spencer, Elizabeth Thompson and Peter Zimonjic out of the bureau in the past month in favour of imports from the PMO's ranks.
Loyalty means little when you are stacking the deck with righters focused on a national Fox News North TV agenda that appears to be already dead in the water.
It all stinks and Sun Media's treatment of the foursome should be the topic of a forum on ethics in the media, if not a wrongful dismissal hearing
First every media outlet has the right to choose it's editorial stance. 2ndly I hardly think you can call these folks unbiased and if the owners feel the continuous attacks on the Conservative government is not what they want from their staff they have the right to say so. In fact I think after the stories from the US about the 400 Journo-lists plotting to aid Obama's election campaign, you can pretty well forget fair and unbiased in the media. So let's have Fox North it'll make a good counterpoint to the Star and the CBC.
ReplyDeleteThis is just so sad.
ReplyDeleteI don't want liberal or conservative coverage from my newspaper. I just want the facts reported.
Picking reporters/columnists who will report the news to fit a political agenda is downright Hitler era.
There is no such thing as "wrongful dismissal."
ReplyDeleteBut I agree canning Weston STINKS: he was genuine small-l liberal who gave ALL parties the gears, and in an intelligent, entertaining way.
A truly independent columnist.
Of course a newspaper owner has the right to hire and fire whomever he wants, and to choose the editorial stance of his paper. But that editorial stance is generally expressed by the Editor on the editorial page. Other columnists are generally free to express their own opinions — or at least at a fair, respectable and honourable paper they are. And I fail to see what Obama and a group of journalists in the States has to do with any of this.
ReplyDeleteQuebecor is an embarrassment! It has just unloaded the best and the brightest. Navel gazing Tea Party twits need only apply. Did I forget the Sunshine girl? Way to go Kory & Pierre.
ReplyDeleteAnd you would call the Star and the CBC fair and honourable would you? As for the Obama thing, I think there's plenty of evidence in this country if you read the Newswatch round-up daily, the same situation obtains amongst the media in this country.
ReplyDelete@10:03 a.m.
ReplyDeleteI said nothing about the Star or the CBC. I don't care what they do from a political point of view. I said that at any fair and honourable media outlet, whether left, right or centre, the political ideology of the owner or owners is (and should be) expressed on the Editorial page, while the opinion pages should be free to anyone with a contrary opinion. An Editorial is by definition biased so it should come as no surprise when the OpEd page has it's own, possibly contrary, bias. That, in my opinion, makes for lively journalism and debate.
The lame stream media ship is sinking folks. Alternative media is the new kid on the block and considering we the listeners & readers have had enough of corporate views that newspaper editors must follow, its a good time for Weston to go. Greg Weston at least made an effort to bring an alternative view on world events that sometimes irritated the staus quo. Farwell Weston & farwell to the Sun. Hello Alex Jones
ReplyDeleteWow! If management is going to post pro-Quebecor views, it could at least use a bit of finesse.
ReplyDelete"Lame stream media?" Straight out of he Fox News, far-right extremist playbook. "Media is?" Illiteracy is another mark of Fox supporters. "Corporate views that newspapers editors must follow?" You realize that you're referring to Quebecor, do you?
Greg Weston did not, usually, write about world affairs, as you claim.
It's farewell, not farwell.
Alex Jones? He's an American fascist wing nut who has the almost unheard ability to make Limbaugh sound almost sane.
Comment 11:11 is almost as puerile as comment 10:38. Both are completely lacking in understanding the editorial process, which pretty well IDs them as management at Quebecor, or at least fellow travellers.
How sad for the Sun that they let go Greg Weston. He was a true gentleman who spoke the truth. I guess there is no place at the Sun chain for truth. Good Luck, Mr. Weston. I will look forward to reading your column on another media.
ReplyDeleteThere are too few and far in between journalists like Mr. Weston...a no nonsense, factual, logical, common sense, backed up by data journalist who tells it like it is.
ReplyDeleteJust too much democracy shown by this writer for the likes of Sun media, and the current controlling freaky government. Best of luck Mr. Weston, and please don't go away, your kind is very much appreciated...there are so few, and so many of the other twit types!
Greg Weston is as fair a reporter as one could find. I won't miss him in the Sun because I have never read that ***** paper. Hope CBC, the G&M or The Star pick him up because he's far too good a talent to be silenced.
ReplyDeleteI do miss Greg Weston. He did some hilarious but always respectful pieces. I hope another paper/news outlet picks him up quickly.
ReplyDeleteHis sarcasm will be sorely missed, as few others painted as critical a gaze on Ottawa as he did in every column.
ReplyDeleteHopefully someone will bring him back. But I wonder if he has been blacklisted by the current government.
Rosemary Bartonn (CBC) has posted on her twitter that Greg Weston has joined CBC news
ReplyDeleteIf Greg Weston was fired I am totally amazed. He is at the top of his game, and a sought out journalist by CTV to appear live. Like others I have never bought the Sun, I read him on Bourque.com
ReplyDeleteI never saw him as a CBC type. If he has gone there I wish him the best of luck
Montanna Hunter
as a loyal day one sun reader I would like to wish the Toronto sun Family a very merry christmas and a happy new year and a hope for a better year to come maybe pkp will find a heart you it did to scrooge
ReplyDeleteGreg and the CBC are a perfect marriage; both fly under the banner, "If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you". I wonder how much severance Mr. Weston got. I, as a former CRA employee got one week for every year I worked there. From 1993 - 1999 I got raises of 0% (while inflation was running between 4% and 6%); I sure as hell don't think my severance was "excessive". For those who want to bitch and complain, let's start with the MPs who can get a full pension after only 6 years of service. And let's not forget the collusion between the Libs, Dippers and Cons to ensure an election wasn't held until such time as the 2004 crop of MPs got their 6 years in.
ReplyDelete@13Mar2012:
DeleteUh, you realize there was an election in the year 2000, right? Last time I checked, 2004 - 2000 = 4 (years)...