I’ll bet a nickel that this is the first time the populist Toronto Sun has been cited in the New York Review of Books, a favourite of left-wing intellectual elites. (I read and enjoy both!).
The citation comes via Margaret Atwood who blogs at NYRB.com about Twitter, The Rotating Skull, The Ford Brothers, The Turnip Who Would Be PM, and other Tales from the Enchanted E-Forest. An excerpt: Continue reading Margaret Atwood: The Turnip Who Would Be PM and other Tales from the Enchanged E-Forest
The Parliamentary Press Gallery just held its annual general meeting where we learned of the stunning news that, this morning, Public Works and Government Services Canada has decided that, as of April 1, the front door to the National Press Building (left) will be shut for two years to accommodate construction happening to adjacent government buildings.
The National Press Building has had a long and historic connection with life on Parliament Hill (There’s even a historical plaque saying so on Wellington Street directly opposite from the building in front of West Block). The building is the home of the National Press Theatre. This facility is run by the Parliamentary Press Gallery (not by any government or party) where we provide audio and visual Continue reading Government shuts the door on the National Press Building
Thrilled to bits to see some of the excellent work my QMI/Sun Media colleagues at our newspapers around the country is being recognized today with National Newspaper Award nominations. The NNAs are the top annual awards — this 63rd competition — in the newspaper industry. There were more than 1,350 entries this year and out of those, the judges have picked 71 finalists in 22 categories. The winners will be recognized on April 27 at a ceremony in Toronto.
Sun Media/QMI is guaranteed to win at least one of those awards, Continue reading Sun Media/QMI score big with National Newspaper Award nominations
This just out on various business newswires:
TVA GROUP SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS
Montreal (Quebec), March 1, 2012 – TVA Group is proud to announce that it has reached an important agreement with Rogers Communications aimed at offering Rogers’ clients access to the Sun News and TVA Sports stations, Continue reading Sun News Network News: TVA and Rogers Communications strike a deal
Every year, the Parliamentary Press Gallery holds elections for its board of directors and officers. There are, roughly, about 330 members of the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery. Full-time membership in the gallery is restricted to professional journalists who spend most or all of their time covering the activities of the Government of Canada and do so on the Parliamentary Precinct. Continue reading Press gallery elections: No robocalls involved
Two national institutions, the Bank of Canada and the newsmagazine Maclean’s, are out with new publications today with starkly different conclusions about the real estate market and household debt in this country. As it’s still relatively early, I have yet to read either but look forward to doing so. In the meantime, we’ll let BMO Capital Markets deputy chief economist Douglas Porter officiate on the substantive issue at hand: Housing crisis or no? Here’s his thoughts from his morning comment (with his emphasis but my hyperlinks): Continue reading Housing bubble crisis? Maclean's vs. The Bank of Canada
Good Wednesday morning from Beijing where the lead editorial in the
China Daily — the government-owned main English language newspaper
here — features a lead editorial about Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s
visit.
The editorial notes: “The fact that he is accompanied by five
ministers, six members of parliament and 40 business executives indicates
his government is looking to garner lucrative business deals with China.”
There is no mention in the editorial that the Harper plans to raise
any human rights or democratic reform issues while he is here. But, reading
between the lines, the China Daily editorialists seem to brush off any
official Canadian concerns on this front.
Differences aside, there is no conflict of fundamental interests between
China and Canada. The growth in Sino-Canadian ties has brought concrete
benefits to both nations and at the same time promotoed peace, stability and
prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the whole world.For the smooth and healthy development of bilateral ties, both sides
should treat each other with respect, accommodate each other’s core
interests and major concerns, and appropriately handle sensitive issues. It
is hoped the two countries can make their relationship a model for relations
between two countries of different social systems and modes of
development.
Good “tabloid” headline for this blog post — don’t you think? — and it’ good cuz it’s true! Let me explain:
Later this month, I and several of my Sun News Network colleagues will participate in an event called Freedom Weekend that Ezra Levant, host of The Source on Sun News Network, has organized. Here’s the nub of the idea: Most of the on-air talent you see on Sun News Network will hang out at a nice spot in Ontario’s Muskoka cottage country for a weekend and we’ll talk politics or whatever with those who want to join us.
Other news organizations have done stuff like this. The Globe and Mail, for example, did a 10-day luxury trip in 2008 with 500 paying guests. It sold out!
Hosted by Globe and Mail Publisher Phillip Crawley and Editor-in-Chief Edward Greenspon, the cruise features a custom itinerary designed specifically for the interests of Globe and Mail readers including: gourmet classes and demonstrations with Food Network celebrity chefs and The Globe and Mail‘s own Lucy Waverman; wine tastings hosted by Globe wine expert Beppi Crosariol; special shopping excursions led by Globe Life’s Amy Verner; and “behind the news” events with Globe and Mail columnists and editors including Margaret Wente, [Andrew] Willis, [current editorial board chair John Geiger, [current Ottawa bureau chief] John Ibbitson, and [after years reporting from Ottawa and just moving to Halifax] Jane Taber.
“The cruise is the ultimate brand extension,” commented Globe and Mail Publisher Phillip Crawley.
No wonder it sold out. Great food with Lucy, wine with Beppi, shopping with Amy all capped off with politics with John and Jane! (I kid here but in fact that sounded to me like a lot of fun for I quite enjoyed yakking with Beppi about booze when I worked at 444 Front and John and Jane do, in fact, know a lot about politics. Mind you: I couldn’t afford the freight … sigh)
So Ezra organized something similar for our network — great “brand extension.” I’ll be there. I’ll do what I do 7 days a a week no matter who’s listening – talk about politics, not from the perspective of any partisan viewpoint but from the perspective of “an independent.”
But — get this — John Miller, who is a “professor of journalism at Ryerson for 23 years… That followed a 20-year career as an editor and reporter.. at the Toronto Star, where he was foreign editor, founding editor of the Sunday Star, weekend editor, deputy managing editor, and acting managing editor.
He came to Ryerson as chair of the School of Journalism, and served in that position for 10 year..” says in a post at his blog that that I and my colleagues participating in Ezra’s “Freedom Weekend” are terrorists. Now I’ve been called names before but this one takes the friggin’ cake!
“… the last time a group of ideological warriors went north to train in the backwoods and plot to storm Parliament, blow up the CBC, seize the airwaves and spread terror across the land. Oh yeah, the Toronto 18 did that. Didn’t police arrest the lot of them and call them the gravest threat to our democracy?
I think a weekend with Ezra and friends could be something just like that.
The only thing that sets them apart from the Muslim extremists is that Sun Media will be charging you admission.
[read the whole post: Blog: Fun with Ezra]
And remember: The Star itself [in this excellent long-form series by Isabel Teotonio and elsewhere] agreess that it is accurate and appropriate to identify the Toronto 18 that Miller compares us to as “terrorists.”
C’mon professor Miller! Ain’t you jumping the shark a bit with that one?
We’ve been doing our darndest to cover the NDP leadership contest on the Daily Brief because we think it’s important. Whoever wins will get the keys to Stornoway (a more comfortable home than 24 Sussex Drive, if you ask some who’ve lived in both). That person will also be the Leader of the Official Opposition. And, throughout Canada’s political history, leaders of the official opposition have tended to be the chief combatant for the job of prime minister. So this is a big deal. Continue reading Enough of the candidates, let's hear from some NDP voters!
At a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum:
The European Central Bank continued to draw praise for providing emergency cash to banks and avoiding a credit squeeze.
“There is not going to be a Lehman-style moment in Europe,” said Mark J. Carney, governor of the Canadian central bank, referring to the collapse of investment bank Lehman Brothers in 2008, which helped set in motion the financial crisis. But he added, “That is different than having a well, fully functioning banking system.”
via In Davos, Europe Is Pressed for Debt Crisis Solution – NYTimes.com.