Friday 8 June 2007

London FP bylines

London Free Press newsroom staffers awoke yesterday to the story of the year - the murder and suicide of a senior policewoman and her ex-lover, a retired police superintendent.

It was a tragic story and a major story for the London Free Press.

One detailed story on Canoe'ca's London Free Press web site this morning had a double byline for Free Press staffers Randy Richmond and Kelly Pedro, who probably worked overtime to get their story. Great quotes from police and witnesses, a job well done.

Jane Sims, Kate Dubinski and April Kemick worked on related Free Press stories.

But over at Canoe.ca's national CNews, there are no bylines on the London murder-suicide stories, just "By Sun Media." Suddenly, all of the work by Randy, Kelly, Jane, Kate and April is not recognized.

Local reporters become anonymous Sun Media contributors on CNews. It happens all too often in this new age of Sun Media centralization and it is wrong, wrong, wrong.

The bylines of local reporters working on stories of national interest should be used on CNews.

It reminds us of an early Thomson newspaper edict to avoid giving reporters at small town newspapers bylines to minimize the risk of losing talented staff to other newspapers.

If we missed any of the London Free Press reporters who worked on the story, e-mail TSF. You all deserve full credit for a solid day of news gathering.

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