Wednesday 3 October 2007

Lois & The Sun

Updated
Well, it looks like 15 years as a popular Toronto Sun columnist wasn't enough for the Sun to give Lois Maxwell a decent tribute following her death in Perth, Australia on the weekend.

A Canadian Press story in Monday's Sun briefly mentioned that Lois was a former Toronto Sun columnist. We thought a Sun columnist might write about Lois on Tuesday or Wednesday, but there were no new heartfelt words on her career as an actress and Sun columnist.

Lois, the Sun's "Moneypenny" columnist from 1979 to 1984, was given an excellent sendoff by the Toronto Star's Jim Bawden on Monday.

Sandra Martin wrote a lengthy and well-researched obit Tuesday for the Globe and Mail's Obituaries page that hints a book on Lois' life would be warranted, even a movie.

Why are there several quotes from Sun co-founder Peter Worthington, Lois' friend and former colleague, in Sandra's Globe obit, but not a word from Peter in the Sun? Absolutely bizarre, but not uncommon in Quebecorland.

In the obit, Sandra writes: As for Ms. Maxwell, she had her own problems in the newsroom at The Sun, according to Mr. Worthington.

"There was a certain resentment that she was a celebrity getting into the column business," he said. "She was also one of the better-read people and that was a problem, too."

(TSF doesn't recall the pettiness, but we weren't in on all of the water cooler gossip.)

BTW Sandra, it is Douglas Creighton, not Donald.

Meanwhile, online tributes are being posted around the world, including postings by two former James Bonds, Sir Sean Connery and Sir Roger Moore.

Where does the Sun's lack of a personalized tribute to Lois, who was 80 and known world wide for her Miss Moneypenny roles in 14 James Bond movies, rate? Lower than 007. More like 000.

The tabloid has ignored Sun readers who followed Lois' "Moneypenny" column religiously for 15 years and also Sun colleagues she befriended.

Her death Saturday was a Sun story, but the tabloid blew it by using only a detached Canadian Press story.

Welcome back Lou Clancy and Gord Walsh. You have some work to do in the newsroom.

2 comments:

  1. Well, this is what happens when Quebecor cleans out a newspaper chain of veterans and middle-managers who have an institutional memory that goes back further than last spring when they graduated from J-school.

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  2. Perhaps a reason why the Sun did not adequately mark the death of Moneypenny, who wrote a column for the sun for 15 years, is because the Sun chose not to print Peter Worthington's tribute to this gallant lady.

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