Putting a face?

They've done it again on torontosun.com.

Veteran Toronto Sun police desk vet Rob Lamberti puts a lot of effort into the annual roundup of Toronto's Top 10 bank bandit photos and profiles of the holdups.

The tab-style two-page spread in Monday's print edition clearly shows bank camera technology has improved 10-fold since Rob's roundup last year. Clear faces for many of the bandits, a much better chance of arrests being made.

"Putting a face on Toronto's most Wanted" is the headline in print and online - but there are no faces to be seen online, just text.

The absurdity of torontosun.com using text only for a second consecutive year, dear readers, befuddles us to no end.

Do the Sun web guys not get the point of "putting a face on Toronto's most wanted?"

All kinds of directional signs are pointing Sun readers to torontosun.com but with decisions like this being made, they are not going to be too impressed.

The two-page spread in the print edition must be making most of the bank bandits caught on camera extremely nervous.

Their photos online would increase the fear-of-capture factor.

(Update: One arrest, nine to go.)

TV heist story

Updated: WTVH pulls story, apologizes

Neate Sager is an Ottawa Sun copy editor and school sports writer. He is also a dedicated after hours blogger with a popular sports-themed site called Out Of Left Field.

All of his passions came together the other day after he wrote a story about Josh Wright, an Ottawa Gee-Gees basketball guard out of Syracuse, N.Y., for the Ottawa Sun.

When WTVH, a CBS affiliate in Syracuse cut and pasted his Jan. 8 story with a little rewriting without permission, Neate challenged WTVH then vented on his blog yesterday.

Update from Neate:

"(Update, Jan. 12, 5:20 p.m. — the story has been taken down from WTVH-5's website and its sports director apologized "wholeheartedly" over the phone. That is a good start. Phone calls to the station's president and GM, Matthew A. Rosenfeld, have not been returned.)"

Before the story was pulled:

"They tried to cover their tracks by saying 'Reprinted from Ottawa Sun,' but it was not authorized," Neate writes on his blog. "At best, it's not fair use and at worst it is out and out plagiarism.

"The fact it is was the third most popular story (on WTVH) as of midnight Sunday is cold comfort, especially when it's your work and you're not getting any of the revenues. Not to get on the high-horse, but the facts are on my side."

Says Neate: "Hopefully my ant overlords will talk to their ant overlords, and this will be smoothed out to everyone's satisfaction. I'm pissed off and don't know when that will not be the case."

Cutting and pasting by lazy bloggers and unscrupulous reporters too lazy to research and write their own material shouldn't be tolerated and you would think a CBS affiliate would know better.

Does "Reprinted from the Ottawa Sun" cut it when, as Neate says, permission was not authorized?

The least you should do is add your own local quotes in a rewrite and attribute any original content to the source within the story. That is fair play.

That's what we did nightly on the Toronto Sun rewrite desk when the first editions of the Star and the Globe arrived by cab at 333.

We always tried to "make it ours" with quick phone calls for fresh quotes and a rewrite, but we never lifted chunks of copy from the competition and used it verbatim.

Depending on the copy editor, quotes too meaty not to use in the Sun were attributed to the Star or Globe by name and he or she "told another newspaper."

Personally, this rewrite guy always preferred "told the Star" or "told the Globe." It is more respectful of the competition and their reporters and it adds to the credibility of the Sun.

Avoiding mention of the competition, as some TV talk show hosts do - i.e. "on the other network" - always sounds so petty. Gimble's and Macy's adopted the mature approach way back when.

Meanwhile, Kudos to Neate for taking a stand.

OT: Hawkins at 74

Belated 74th birthday greetings to Rompin' Ronnie Hawkins.

Ronnie's birthday was Saturday, which gives his legions of fans a full year to plan a rockin' 75th birthday for him. RSVPs to President Bill Clinton and rock and roll's elite.

The Huntsville, Arkansas boy did good, from taverns run by the good ole boys of the South to Hamilton's The Grange in 1958, Toronto's L'Coq Dor on Yonge Street and countless other Canadian haunts.

How many times can we mention Linda Leatherdale on this blog in one week? Well, one more time. Did you know Ronnie is her daughter Skye's godfather?

Thanks for 50 years of rockin', Ronnie.

YouTube & Linda

Did Toronto Sun Money editor Linda Leatherdale call it when she sat down last January for a 2008 message to YouTubers?

You betcha.

Listen to her message then review all of the 2008 financial fiascoes that plagued North America and ask yourself, once again, why did Sun Media axe this reader favourite after 23 years?

Live on LFP

Paul Berton, editor-in-chief at the London Free Press, says a "first" at his newspaper on Friday was a live online interview with a hockey player.

"History is being made in the news business these days, and not all of it is bleak," Berton writes in his Opinion piece.

"For example, yesterday the London Free Press, or lfpress.com in particular, became a broadcaster, webcaster, or narrowcaster, depending on what word you prefer, or perhaps one that hasn't been invented yet.

"It means yesterday we brought you the news conference introducing the London Knights' newest all-star, John Tavares, live - LIVE! - on the Internet at lfpress.com.

"It wasn't a video clip. It wasn't shot, edited, compressed and presented after the fact. It was the event, in its entirety, unedited, brought to you, on your computer, immediately."

Berton acknowledges Internet users have been streaming live content from their basements for years, "but it was a first for us."

"It makes one wonder just how the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is going to react, if at all."

Meanwhile, Free Press print readers, recently deprived of their Sunday paper, are voicing disappointment with the thinning daily after years of cutbacks.

But then, print is not what it's all about at Sun Media in 2009.

It's more about big boys and their Internet toys.

Post & Linda

The word about Linda Leatherdale's rapidly expanding new blog keeps spreading, thanks to other blogs and major print media.

Jonathan Chevreau at the National/Financial Post had this to say on his The Wealthy Boomer blog today:

"Linda Leatherdale's new blog

"My colleague and friend Linda Leatherdale recently left her position as Money Editor at the Toronto Sun and has launched her own blog here. Leatherdale is also an author, notably of Money is a Girl's Best Friend. Her debut blog entry includes a nod to Findependence Day, as Linda describes how she's plunging into her own Financial Independence. The blog will also include streaming Internet video content, which will allow Linda to continue her populist crusades defending the rights of the average financial consumer."

That's the Globe and Mail and the National/Financial Post. We haven't seen a plug for Linda's blog in the Star or the Sun, but we're hoping the editors at the Sun would see it fitting to mention it.

How do you leave loyal readers of a 23-year Sun business writer in the dark? It is an insult to readers.

Have some dignity and the old Sun heart with a brief blurb saying Linda has moved on and mention her new blog.

Re EdSun woes

Jeff Craig, a former Ottawa/Toronto/Edmonton newsroom employee now working in Hollywood, comments on current affairs at the Edmonton Sun in an e-mail to TSF:

"I'm a former start-up desker from Ottawa, the former entertainment editor and columnist from Edmonton, and I spent a week in between (as a favor and for fun during my journey west) as Linda Leatherdale's copy editor in Toronto.

"I am almost without words as to what has happened now.

"(Peter) Worthington is so right on when the fatal shot was fired; who could have seen it being able to get worse and worse?

"And while he doesn't need defence, Graham Dalziel deserves it. Nothing about that cat, other than him flipping a line gauge as a substitute for cigarettes, was overt: but don't mistake that for him not caring about the newsroom. He really did work behind the scenes as one of the greatest allies the Edmonton Sun newsroom ever had. Paul Stanway, too.

"We know about the casualties - but few of us know what Paul and Graham did in years past to stem the bleeding even more.

"Rather sad to see some people dissing him (Dalziel).

"I left for many reasons, just as I left Canada. But it was the Quebecor-mandated slaughter of the newsroom and editorial product - including the Weekend entertainment pullout, which was one of the best accomplishments under my watch, thanks in such large part to my entertainment staff, which is now entirely gone - that made me throw in the towel.

"I am still bewildered that the media outlet (Canoe included) that had absolutely the best entertainment coverage in the world pissed it away from an office in Montreal (and) didn't do everything in its power to hold on to John Sakamoto.

"Quebecor is a vampirish company with a history of nothing but failure and acquiring outside good companies to keep it afloat. If, finally, the Suns start losing serious money because there's no content, maybe they'll again be up for sale.

"Then let's go through this blog and grab everybody we can and enlist John Paton, Rob Paynter, Linda Leatherdale, Rick Van Sickle, Graham Dalziel, Paul Stanway, Les Pyette and, well, the list goes on . . . and buy at least one of the papers and Canoe back.

"I'd come back from Hollywood for that.

Jeff Craig"

Thank you for your e-mail, Jeff.

Say what?

An obviously well-informed newspaper vet says the following in a new What if? forum posting:

"Remember all the stories planted in the Sun about how bad the Star would be if they purchased the Sun: remember the blacked-out Page 3?"

Can a TSF reader give us a refresher course on "the blacked-out Page 3?"

What was that all about?

Mike & Variety

Congrats to Mike Strobel for picking up the Variety Village Christmas Fund baton from the late George Gross and raising $30,517.93 - up $4,000 on 2007.

That is no mean feat during an economic downturn. George would be proud of Mike and the Sun for not allowing the Variety campaign to die with him.

Did you notice the grand total ends with 93 cents? Mike gives "the Lovely and Talented" Sheila Chidley credit for that finely tuned bookkeeping.

George, founding sports editor, received full support from Sun co-founder Doug Creighton when he launched the fund three decades ago. His tally when he died last March was more than $1 million.

It is one of the few remnants of the Toronto Sun glory days and the annual commitment makes Toronto Sun Family members proud of the tabloid's roots.

Ditto for Bob MacDonald's participation in the annual Regent Park Christmas Dinner, continued by daughter Moira after his death in 2006.

Globe & Linda

Speaking of the Globe and Mail, Steve Ladurantaye gives Linda Leatherdale's new lindaleatherdale.com blog a nice plug today.

New blogs sometimes take months to pick up steam, but with Linda's advice, credentials and contacts, we're feeling she will soon be well ahead of the pack.

Mention on the Globe and Mail website in the first week of her new blog isn't too shabby.

Steve doesn't mention Linda was axed by Sun Media on her 55th birthday last month after 23 years as a business editor/columnist, but he does say in a how-to-tighten-your-belt piece:

Back to coupons

Linda Leatherdale knows a thing or two about personal finances and adjusting to difficult economic circumstances - she spent the last 23 years as a business editor and writer, but was handed a layoff notice last month. On her birthday.

She now dispenses free advice at lindaleatherdale.com, and says one of the most important things people need to do is splash their children with a cold dose of financial reality. After all, parents won't likely be able to tap into their home's equity if bank accounts start running low.

“Kids think money grows on trees, and this is a time when you need tough love,” she said. “Designer stuff has got to go out the window - if the kids feel they must have these things, then consider shopping at Goodwill.”

She said it's time to channel your grandparents - avoid using credit, and ask if stores have layaway plans for must-have items you can't afford. Coupons can also be useful.

“That's right, it's back to coupons if you can believe it,” she said. “But you need to be careful - it can be similar to points programs in that you buy things you don't need just because you have a coupon.”

That's the kind of advice needed during a recession and we have a feeling Linda's blog is going to become a must read site for her faithful Sun fans and new readers.

Linda tells TSF the blog is a work in progress and there will be "a blanket press release to all media when the site is where I want it."

She also says, "I cannot believe the number of readers who have e-mailed to say they are glad I have a new site."

Many more Sun readers probably don't realize Linda was laid off last month. The Sun didn't give her a sendoff in print, so they might think she is on vacation.

Linda was in the middle of another protest on behalf of readers when pink slipped. Her final Stop the Gouging column is still online.

Word of mouth and plugs in other media will soon reveal the blunder Sun Media made in letting a tireless crusader on behalf of Sun readers go and without a word of thanks.