I must say, and this is serious, that as the editor, I am shocked and appalled.
Our top columnist goes topless at a charity golf tournament over the weekend
attended by half the Sun newsroom -- including photographers -- and I have to read
about it in Rosie DiManno's column in the Star yesterday?
Oh, the shame and humiliation of it, and proof positive, I might add, that
the Sun is losing its edge.
How am I supposed to explain this profound journalistic gaffe to new senior
associate editor Linda Williamson, who joined us yesterday from the Ottawa Sun and
who believes, I must presume, that we actually know what we're doing down here in
the Big Smoke?
Was a time in our salad days when you wouldn't have been able to keep the
news that Blatchford had gone topless (on Saturday, yet) out of our paper -- including
doing a "victory lap" with DiManno in a golf cart -- for oh, say, more
than an hour.
Especially not at an event attended by 10 Sun reporters and four photo staffers
including three photographers. (And, yes, I have names.)
Now, as the editor, I'm responsible for the editorial/opinion pages here at
the Sun and heaven only knows it takes a lot to get me angry.
I spend hours upon hours dealing sympathetically with executives, columnists,
copy editors, news and entertainment staffers and readers whenever they see something
they don't like in the editorial pages of the Sun, which hardly ever happens, our
people being such shrinking violets and all.
And when our news coverage, front pages, political and columnists' opinions
and editorials become the talk of the town -- and the radio chat shows -- and outrage
competing media, I'm only too happy to go out there and face the angry media mobs
on behalf of the Sun.
But I gotta tell you this whole sorry episode really frosts my flakes, and
I feel compelled to comment.
And so, with apologies to David Letterman, here are the top 10 reasons why
news that Blatchford had gone topless did not first appear in the Toronto Sun.
10) Sun staffers (and about 100 other media types) simply failed to notice
Blatchford and DiManno bare-breasted, proof positive that alcohol depresses the
human libido. Then again, maybe that was the golf.
9) Lacking notebooks and tape recorders on the golf course to record the historic
event, Sun staffers, fearing possible libel action, resort to journalistic credo:
"When in doubt, leave it out."
8) Aware that right-wing press baron Conrad Black may soon establish a fifth
daily in Toronto, Sun overly anxious not to offend socially conservative readers.
7) Sun already had picture of topless car washer for Sunday paper and did
not want to "overkill" the story.
6) Sun concerned about offending columnist Michele Mandel who on June 22 demanded
to know why so many topless women (with black ink across their nipples) were still
in the paper after the editor said we wouldn't be running them all summer. (Hell,
what does the editor know? Next time, ask the people who actually make the call,
editor-in-chief Peter O'Sullivan and/or managing editor Mike Strobel.)
5) Sun editors decide Blatchford going topless on golf course not as exciting
as Strobel going topless at a recent meeting on the Sun's executive floor called
to discuss toplessness issue. (Don't ask.)
4) Sun worried about being attacked by other media for frivolity, since this
hardly ever happens.
3) Sun anxious not to upset Premier Mike "Putterhead" Harris' golf
game any further.
2) Only DiManno had a column on Monday.
And the number one reason the Sun did not first report the story that Blatchford
had gone topless?
1) Given the number of times Sun staffers have discarded items of personal
apparel at similar events in the past, nobody here thought it was news.