Inkless Wells

Inkless Wells

Paul Wells on all the latest out of Ottawa—along with the occasional post about jazz. Follow Paul on Twitter: @InklessPW

Whee

by Paul Wells on Monday, January 18, 2010 11:11am - 17 Comments

I have seen the future of Canadian newspapering, and it looks like Ray Heard and Beryl Wasjman.

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  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Inkless Inkless

    Now everyone's going to launch a debate about whether these people are sufficiently Liberal, or too Liberal, or whether they lean to the right or wrong direction on this topic or that. As though ideological correctness were what saves or kills newspapers. Instead of competence.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/jolyon jolyon

      "Nothing that would connect them to the other 99.2 per cent of households loyal to at least one Kraft brand."

      I don't know the people involved to start a debate on ideological correctness but I do believe they are correct that there is a profitable future for newspapers. Ottawa Citizen is one of fav Canadian papers; any paper that has Riley and Warren side by side is ok with me. I wish msm had more of that kind of mix. I also thought it was interesting that Asper's want to keep paper chain together. The family doesn't have a say in how the papers are sold/run, surely, and I would have thought the papers have more value separately than they do together but what do I know.

      I was more interested in Kraft Canada article that I read after newspaper buyout article. I was gobsmacked by stat that 99.2% of Canadian households are loyal to at least one Kraft product.

    • kcm

      Don't be such a killjoy PW…not that anyone'll pay the slightest bit of notice.

    • Havey

      The Post — under the Aspers — became a complete disaster. And it has nothing to do with their politics. They lost or fired the best people they had. They let the writing and art direction, and even reproduction, become terrible. And on the business side they couldn't make money if you gave it to them. I hope this new group has the cash and the vision that is needed. But going by their bios, I'm not sure that they do. This ain't 1985 anymore.

    • Andrew

      Nice bit of Jon Landau-ing, Paul.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/LynnTO LynnTO

    So with the biblical reference, are you suggesting that the NP, Ottawa Citizen, and the Gazette are the "diseased eye", or that the disease lies within the rest of the papers?

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/Inkless Inkless

      More a reference to how I wanted to react when I saw this news item.

      • Dot

        And here I thought it was a post it reminder for a dinner with Fraser.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/jolyon jolyon

      Did not notice the Mathew 5:29 reference until I read your comment. Wells has been around for years but apparently still can surprise.

      I assume NP, Ottawa Citizen, and the Gazette are the jewels while the other properties are chaff but Asper family apparently wants to keep the entire newspaper chain as one.

  • Dot

    pw – O/T (but it was something I read in a newspaper) , not sure if you saw this bit in the G&M Sat. Something along the lines of what you've written elsewhere
    .
    http://v1.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.2…

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/OntarioTown OntarioTown

    Ray Heard still sulking about Turner – is he able to concentrate on "today's" issues?

    I've often wondered if he was the secret source that Jane Taber and some other journos use.

  • Mulletaur

    Does that mean the National Post is a loss leader for the Aspers ?

  • Anon

    Whatever happens, I'm hoping people still wiling to give newspapers a shot are thinking smaller. Much smaller.

  • Anon2

    Wasn't Wasjman a witness at the Gomery inquiry?

    • Anonymous

      Yup.

  • Greg

    Liberals have an ideology?

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/sea_n_mountains sea_n_mountains

      just win baby!

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