Better late?

Sunday Sun readers in Toronto had to wait 22 pages for news of the Tucson massacre, while Sunday Star readers read about it on the front page.

Sunday Sun editors had ample time to get it right, but once again dropped the ball with a lapse  in good news judgment.

The Sun did get it right for Monday's paper, with pages 4 and 5 devoted to the aftermath of the Tucson tragedy.

SONG outlook

Brad Honywill, president of CEP Local 87M, reviews 2010 happenings involving Southern Ontario Newsmedia Guide (SONG) in his latest blog posting, including some Toronto Sun victories.

He writes:

"In the realm of legal settlements, I’m happy to report that we achieved two very important victories:

"The return of two columnists from the non-union Sun Media corporate entity to the Toronto Sun membership;

"And and an arbitration decision stating that ad building work formerly done by the Toronto Sun pre-press department cannot be done by non-union people at Sun Media, ie Woodstock.

"The implications of the latter decision are still being sorted out but, ultimately, it’s good news for the 10 Toronto Sun ad builders who lost their jobs when the work was in-sourced to the new pagination hub in Woodstock.

"There were also several important settlements at the Toronto Star and a two-year contract extension.

"Given the times, we are grateful for these victories and look forward to more in 2011."

Chit happens

Remember TSF mentioning the Toronto Sun was always concerned about those Brick Shirt House ads?

Well, a TSF tipster down Welland way says the Welland Tribune slipped yesterday with the second word in the following online heading: Facility shut down two hours Wednesday.

The typo had been caught by the time TSF checked it out.

But the tipster asked: Where are the editors?

It was written 1

When Ron Poulton died at 77 in November of 1993, his literary legacy included: 

The Paper Tyrant: John Ross Robertson of the Toronto Telegram, a 227-page book published in 1971 by Clarke, Irwin and Co.;

Life In A Word Factory, a 112-page book about the rise of the Toronto Sun, published in 1976 by Toronto Sun Publishing.

Poulton worked for both newspapers. He was a columnist at the Telegram and joined the Sun in 1973 as an associate editor two years after the Tely folded.

The novelty of Life in a Word Factory is it was commissioned by Sun co-founder Doug Creighton a mere 287 days after the 62 Day Oners from the defunct Tely launched the feisty little tabloid.

A pup compared to the Globe, Star and defunct Tely, the Sun was making waves and had just moved into its brand new building at 333 King Street East when the book was published. 

Poulton captured the giddy mood of the corporate side of the tabloid and employees in all departments, who would share the good fortunes of the newspapers for years to come.

As we count down to Nov. 1, the 40th anniversary of the Toronto Sun, we'll be taking a look at Life in a Word Factory and other Sun profiles.

Poulton wrote: 

"The immediate future looked rosy to the newspapermen who committed themselves to the seemingly impossible task of originating The Toronto Sun. But it only looked that way because the immediate past had been so black.

"In a curious way - curious because only one of them was a hard-headed businessman - their hopes were buoyant. They radiated from a conviction that everything that could go wrong had already gone wrong. Nothing could get them down because they were already down. The thought made optimists of most of them.

"The only pessimists in sight were a clutch of sniffing critics who had nothing to lose. They were looking in from the outside. They were not spilling their blood and they were not committed in any way. So they laughed when he editors of the Sun sat down to play a little journalistic ragtime. The result still exists. The Sun, to the chagrin of its critics, is conceived out of orderly chaos six days a week.

"In less than four years it had its own presses, firmly bolted to the floor of its own plant, an an investment in excess of $9,000,000."

Talk to homeless

Love this guy Ted Williams, the man with a golden voice - and Doral Chenoweth, the Columbus Dispatch videographer who took the time to talk to a homeless man:

Kenny's book

When Ken Robertson died from cancer three days before Christmas, he had all but two chapters of his second Windcharm book written. 

With the Toronto Sun Day Oner's circle of friends including veteran reporters, writers and editors, it was automatic that they would help complete Ken's labour of love and get it published.

It also helped that Ken had asked Lynn Tymczyszyn, a daughter, to write the final chapter and include details of his much loved great grandson, Charlie. 

This is what Lynn wrote in a comment posted on TSF:

"Ken Robertson was my Dad. Thank you all for your comments. I am sitting here reading them with tears in my eyes.

"Dad recovered from cancer surgery in November 2009, but the cancer came back. He was not feeling well for the past few months but kept going. He wanted to finish his book. He had two chapters to go.

"Jack Hutton suggested his news buddies send me stories about my Dad and we will include them in the book. I think that is a fantastic idea. Dad would love it.

"Dad also asked me to write about his new Great Grandson "Charlie" who he loved so much. He said something about this baby made everything perfect.

"My Dad asked me to publish the book, so I will try. I will welcome any stories you can send to me. I have many memories, but some of my favorite times with Dad were sailing on "Shadow" across Lake Ontario. I would phone him every day asking if we could go.

"I miss him so much. We are planning a Celebration of his Life, I think at Windcharm, in the spring. I hope all of his friends will come."

Thank you, Lynn. Let us know when details for the Celebration of Life are finalized.

And we are confident friends of Ken will help you get Windcharm 2 completed and published.

NF Review -1

Bullet Media, owned by petroleum distributor Bob Gale, has picked up another Niagara Falls Review staffer, says a TSF tipster.

"Reporter John Robbins of the Niagara Falls Review has left the paper for Bullet Media," says the tipster.

"Former managing editor Peter Conradi, along with Dave Martineau, the former publisher, are already there."

Odds and ends

Old age benefits for Canadian cons over 65 were axed as of Jan. 1 and aging prisoners  affected are no doubt ticked off with Clifford Olson. The serial killer's pension cheque boast to Toronto Sun columnist Peter Worthington last year set the federal Bill C-31, An Act to Amend the Old Age Security Act, into motion. 

The Canadian Journalism Project notes Globe and Mail columnists Jeffrey Simpson and Margaret Wente, and the Toronto Star's public editor, Kathy English, have owned up to mistakes made in 2010. And, "in the spirit of journalistic accuracy and transparency, J-Source has just added a section to our site that lets readers see all our corrections." TorSun's 2010 errors? MIA.

TSF thanks Clare Westcott for directing us to an Eric Dowd tribute by TVO's Steve Paikin to mark  Eric's funeral Tuesday. Says Clare: "It is sad that the Curmudgeon Dean of Queen's Park is gone." Clare, a familiar face in Toronto's political, police and media circles for decades, is the father of the Sun's much-admired late police reporter, Jamie Westcott.

Today's the day the Canadian Newspaper Association (CNA) and the Canadian Community Newspapers Association (CCNA) officially become one under a new name - Newspapers Canada. A Marketwire press release says "the move to one name allows the industry to present a united front for marketing purposes." 

Examiner letter

A TSF reader out Peterborough way notes the following sub-head in the Peterborough Examiner today:

"How do you deal with loosing a son in Afghanistan"

And the reader includes a link to "another letter to the editor today rightfully criticizing Quebecor and their operations with respects to the Peterborough Examiner."

The letter writer, Dale White, invokes memory of Canadian author Robertson Davies (1913-1995),  who was co-owner and editor of the Examiner from 1942 to 1955 and publisher from 1955 to 1965.

"The Peterborough Examiner, at one time, had the great Robertson Davies as its editor. Amazing how it has declined especially under its new owners Quebecor," White writes.

"It's bad enough that our paper is not printed in Peterborough anymore and many of the staff have been dismissed, but the lack of quality control in the paper is terrible."

Nofrills Sun/market

The sign outside 333 King Street East reads: Coming soon, nofrills.

How appropriate, a nofrills supermarket will be sharing the former Toronto Sun building with a nofrills newspaper. That isn't a cheap shot, that is the reality of the Sun's status in 2011.

They are renters of a small slice of the second floor in a six-floor building built by the early success of the 62 Day Oners and others who followed.

So when the Toronto Sun marks its 40th anniversary on Nov. 1, 2011, it will be deja vu all over again - minimal staff in rented office space.

But without the heart and soul of the Day Oners that carried the tabloid to awesome heights for more than two decades.