I’m not sure why a federal Cabinet Minister would deliberately embarrass himself like this, but Peter Van Loan gave one of the goofiest news conferences in history, and was thoroughly roasted by the media for it. Note to Peter: if you’re not willing to take the questions, don’t go to the media. Very embarrassing, but provides a good example to my students of what not to do.

CBC, Nov. 5 2009

I know, it’s a dirty job, but somebody has to do it. In fact, it’s Peter McNelly, who has some good arguments in favor of the new look and more importantly the more in-depth journalism being offered on The National, as well as some damning stats on the Big Three’s major demographic, the over 55 market, which I’ve always argued is a good market to go to (rich, smart, more money to spend than young people burdened with debt.)

Also of interest in this article is a link to a blog of disgruntled CBC’ers called Teamakers. There’s a similar site for disgruntled ex-Sun staffers, which I’ve lost track of. There doesn’t seem to be any profession more disgruntled than ex-journalists.

J-Source, Nov. 3 2009

Ouch, a ten per cent decline in newspaper circulation in the US since last year. It is a bad  situation for US papers. Some good news: the Wall Street Journal takes number one spot from USA Today, hopefully a sign US readers want more thoughtful reportage, likely a sign that hotels aren’t interested any more in offering freebie newspapers to guests.

Associated Press via Canoe, October 26 2009

Well, there they go again. Saturday’s National Post contained a front page editorial proclaiming their financial success, all the while they are in bankruptcy proceedings filing court documents detailing their dismal financial straits. It’s not that I want to see the National Post go down (the last four pages of the front section are the best editorial commentary in English language media.) I just wish they faced up to their financial straits, and found a buyer who can pay down the debt and keep the media business going.

New York Times, via Media Decoder, October 31 2009

…. because Canwest has risen from the dead. A judge agreed to whatever legal/economic reasons necessary to move the National Post in with Canwest’s newspaper group, thus allowing the “national” (it only delivers in four provinces) newspaper to live again.

Bloomberg, Oct. 30 2009

Apparently it will, unless CanWest gets a court order to transfer it to its other newspapers (I have no idea why Canwest has such a complex business design, other than it’s just badly managed.) Reuters provides some detail into the complicated legal manoevering necessary to get CanWest into bankruptcy protection, then sold.

The creditor group “will not continue to support funding the National Post Company in the long or short term past October 30, 2009,” Canwest said in a court report released on Thursday.

Reuters, October 30, 2009

Take that blogosphere! Yes, this boring old technology trivialized as MSM is alive and well, even able to withstand incompetant ownership.

J–Source.ca, Oct. 27 2009.

Well, they hired a US consultant to add US glitz and hype to their newscast, now for Saturday and today have bought no less than three full page ads each day in the National Post, their newspaper partner. Will it work? We’ll find out in about six months when the ratings come in and it’s no longer a novelty.

Sunmedia, October 26 2009

The Guardian has provided the long view on CanWest’s demise that I’ve been putting forward for some time: Conrad Black outfoxed Izzy Asper when he sold him the Southam chain of newspapers and The National Post. Too bad Tubby didn’t just take the money and run. Another five and a half years before he gets out of his Florida jail. But this story puts the whole sad story into perspective.

“Conrad sold him those papers at the very height of their value. It was almost the week, the day, when they peaked,” says journalist Peter Newman, author of a biography of Asper.

The Guardian, October 25 2009

Interesting summary in today’s Globe on the rights of media to withhold information to protect a source, and the right of an accused to know the identity of people bringing information against them. A bundle of cases are involved, and it will be a precedent-setter either way.

Globe and Mail, October 22 2009