by Ryerson Review of Journalism
This is a joint byline for the Ryerson Review of Journalism. All content is produced by students in their final year of the graduate or undergraduate program at the Ryerson School of Journalism.
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Spring & Summer 2007
December 26, 2007
Re: John Mather’s “Hot Prospects,” Summer 2007
My attention was recently drawn to John Mather’s article regarding the Calgary Herald and its circulation recovery under my watch as editor in chief (1999-2003) and publisher (2003-2006).
I cannot speak to the Herald’s circulation and readership trends since then, but its recovery between 2002 and 2006 was the result of the foundational work of my predecessor as publisher, Dan Gaynor, and cooperation between my colleagues—primarly the vice presidents of marketing, reader sales, advertising, production and editorial with the support of human resources and finance. I’m certain your reporter meant no disrespect in overlooking the contributions of those individuals—all of whom contributed equally and are equally deserving of being recognized for their work during that time when the Herald’s circulation grew. It is a shame they were neither mentioned, nor given the credit they are due.
Peter Menzies
Calgary
***
July 23, 2007
Re: “Into the Wild,” Summer 2007
What a terrific piece on The Walrus (declaration of interest: I briefly worked there) by Lauren McKeon. Thoroughly and fearlessly reported, smart, well written, and free of airs and graces. If only there were more of that sort of thing in the Canadian press.
Tim Rostron
Toronto
***
May 29, 2007
Re: “Staring Down the Tigers,” Spring 2007
In reference to Meena Nallainathan’s recent piece, you need not convince the world about how bad the Tigers are. What is surprising is that fact that you selected three individuals who had experiences with the Tigers to highlight how bad the Tigers were.
However, you failed to consider the opinions and views of hundreds and thousands of Tamils in Canada about their views about the Tigers. Even if you had considered the views of three others, you could have arrived at a balanced picture. However, given your highly selective enterprise to paint a miserable picture of the Tigers, you had to choose the likes of Jeyaraj and Krushchev. Jeyaraj is a good writer, but he cannot claim that he was duped by Bala. His recent writings on the conflict purport to give a picture that he really knows about what is happening in Sri Lanka, but does he really know what is going on. Consider his famous lie about how Prabahkaran and Karuna patched up before the latter made the exit from the East.
You can say what you want about the Tigers, but then you failed to provide a way out for Tamils in your beloved country, unless of this is now Canada. You seem to think that writing anti-Tiger pieces would endear you to the west and show how brave you are in facing the “fascist” organization. But then writers like you do not have the dignity and the empathy for the suffering experienced by Tamils at the hands of the Sinhala racists. You want to throw the baby with the bath water.
What is the solution? Cast your lot with Douglas, Karuna, Anandasangree or what?
For every Tamil who opposes the Tigers there are thousands who support them. You mean to say that those who support the LTTE do due to fear. What about the Tamil diaspora in other places?
Radhika spoke about the gentle nature of the Sinhalese and how the Tamils failed to understand their fears and anxieties. You complement Radhika in many ways. I just don’t have the time to elaborate.
I hope you build up your career by attacking the organization that is the only hope for Tamils.
Chandra Bose
Toronto
***
May 4, 2007
Re: RRJ Spring and Summer 2007
Congratulatons to the RRJ team, I just read the last two issues, which are frankly wonderful. Honestly, I am totally jealous. I would love to see the occasional story on a francophone journalist, though. We really are two solitude …
Colette Brin
Université Laval
***
Nov. 24, 2006
Re: Andrea Lau’s “Issues First, Journalism Second.” Nov. 13, 2006
Hello, I’m one of the sources quoted in Andrea Lau’s Nov. 13 story on Spacing Votes. As the editor-in-chief of two respected community newspapers in Toronto, I was a little distressed to read that I was a “young gun” with little journalistic training.
I made it clear to both Andrea and the fact-checker that, while not having covered a City Hall beat, I do some some experience in the media. I have been employed by Gleaner News since 2002.
Please pass my concern along to both ladies.
Best,
Karen Mackenzie
Editor-in-Chief,
Annex Gleaner
Village Gleaner
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