Ruminations on Christie Blatchford, Jack Layton, and the letter
Yesterday, commenters on this site went berserk over National Post columnist Christie Blatchford's attack on Jack Layton's final letter, which was written two days before the NDP leader's death.
Blatchford claimed that the letter revealed Layton to be a "canny, relentless, thoroughly ambitious fellow".
After seeing the intense public response, I was left thinking that the Globe and Mail editors are probably gleeful over her defection to the National Post in June.
Otherwise, the Globe would be bearing the brunt of the public anger.
Meanwhile, the Vancouver Sun, which is part of the Postmedia chain, has likely heard an earful from its readers for printing Blatchford's column condemning Layton's letter.
Today, I looked for a sign of this on the letters page. There were two condemnations from readers.
The previous day, the Sun ran the column in the "B" section on the lower corner of a left-hand page. That's where editors sometimes place articles that they don't want to get noticed. If that was the intention with Blatchford's column, it didn't work—because Georgia Straight staff arrived in the office complaining about it.
And what about Blatchford? Did she show any contrition in today's column? Nope. Instead, she wrote about fining people for not having smoke alarms.
Another day, another column.
Follow Charlie Smith on Twitter at twitter.com/csmithstraight.
Comments
68 Comments
moxie
Aug 24, 2011 at 11:31am
hey isn't she a regular guest on our very own Canadian "state" television station" SUN Media?
Patrick brando
Aug 24, 2011 at 11:35am
She is an idiot. At least she has her cat and dog to go home to every night.
John Smitwick
Aug 24, 2011 at 11:52am
To every position there is another Viewpoint and I am actually pleased to See Ms Blatchford have the guts to print some of it. Although it maybe too close to his death, Jack Layton was a Man and a politician...NO Mother Theresa for gods sake.
Get a grip Canada
MARILYN GONSALVES
Aug 24, 2011 at 12:10pm
WHETHER A FAN OR NOT COULD HIS LAST WORDS BE LEFT RIGHT WHERE HE LAYS WITHOUT CRITICISM. I ENJOY WSOME OF WHAT CHRISTIE USUALLY HAS TO SAY. EVEN MOTOR CYLCLE GANGS CAN COME TOGETHER WITHOUT JUDGEMENT AT A TIME OF PASSING. CANNIOT CHRISTIE. TSK TSK
insight
Aug 24, 2011 at 12:13pm
Christie`s column yesterday was on page B2 of the Vancouver Sun with the other Layton commentaries, however her article was lucky enough to get a big plug on the top of the front page of the B-section (not to mention another plug on yesterday`s front page).
Peter Versluys
Aug 24, 2011 at 12:57pm
I usually like her candour and grit, but Christie got it wrong with her comments about Jack Layton-especially so in the timing of them. Simply put, her judgement for this matter just sucks.
@_waynekwok_
Aug 24, 2011 at 1:18pm
@ John Smitwick:
I don't recall anyone comparing Jack to Mother Teresa. A man dies and people want to say some nice things. Why does that anger you?
Love Christie
Aug 24, 2011 at 2:43pm
Nothing kills public discourse like pap.
Sadly, Layton's letter seems to be a lightening rod for it.
I love CB, and JL. Both great Canadians.
On this one, CB takes the prize for GETTING PEOPLE TALKING, which is what, after all, media is for.
Big
Aug 24, 2011 at 2:46pm
Christie...You are the best !!! Tell it like it is. Keep speaking for the intelligent silent majority
Lawrence Musser
Aug 24, 2011 at 2:53pm
There's a time to show your right wing ideology and there's a time to just show some respect for a man who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of many others.