Monday, Monday!

More Pointy Stuff:

 

 

 

   "a presentable young man"
                  .......Conrad Black

 

 

 

"He's a remarkably self-assured and attractive man?a cross between Ricky Martin and Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones."

..............Claire Sibonney - Ryerson Review of Journalism

Doing some research into Kirk LaPointe because he earned the Vac for 2007, has turned out to be the gift that keeps on giving. According to a piece in the Ryerson Review of Journalism from 2000, when Pointy was the new editor and associate publisher of the Hamilton Spectator following a surprisingly short stint at the National Post, at that time Kirk was "one of the country's most sought-after journalists.

LaPointe admits that people are speculating on where he'll go next. After all, he's become one of the country's most sought-after journalists. "LaPointe is probably the brightest, most innovative editor of a newspaper in Canada,

I guess being the best is still meaningful, even during a time when newspapers are losing circulation, revenue and credibility almost daily. I guess the top executives of General Motors are pretty good too, as GM becomes less relevant and nearer death with the release of each quarters new, improved record losses as they watch Toyota eat their lunch.

Of course we've seen that ole Kirk can't recognize news if it bites him, in the Ryerson Review piece it becomes clear he isn't very knowledgeable about English and the function of punctuation, either. He addresses the crowd and sprinkles his wisdom upon the assembled with this gem.

"Our writing is more direct than it's ever been. We are shedding many of the techniques of journalism that stood in our way." As an example, he cites a "broken-back sentence" in this typical newspaper lede: "'A man has been charged with 23 counts of murder, comma, police said yesterday.' That's not a sentence anyone would say. Why write something no one would say? And yet journalists commit this offence every single day." Journalists, he adds, often "write things in a way that appears to be sophisticated and elevated and designed to show how informed and enlightened and intelligent they are, when in fact what they produce is less likely to be understood, less likely to provide meaning."

You would think that a "professional" writer, editor etc. like Mr. LaPointe would realize that punctuation has a purpose, precisely because written language IS DIFFERENT than spoken. In writing punctuation, PROPERLY used, makes up for the inability to convey meaning through INTONATION, rhythm and even gestures, tools which are all available to a speaker. Perhaps Mr. LaPointe should read that classic and popular recent book titled "Eats, Shoots and Leaves."

Everyone in the Journalistic World doesn't share the view that Mr. LaPointe is as good as it gets. An un-named fellow journalist expressed his opinions as follows.

He calls the Spec editor an opportunist, referring to his job-hopping. "He's a good talker," he adds. "But everybody's hard-pressed to point out any achievements in his career, other than his personal advancement." Of LaPointe's abilities as an editor, the journalist says he's a "profound bullshitter...with a profoundly shallow view of a newspaper." He says his ideas are unoriginal and formulaic. "He's kind of like the Martha Stewart of editors," he continues, referring to LaPointe's obsession with new trends, like the decision to put Britain's sexy new virtual newsreader on the front page of the Spec on January 26. "How lamo."

Canned Waste and Kirk LaPointe seem like a match made in heaven, and who knows, perhaps Pointy will stay here in Asper Heaven (Canned Waste has 100% market dominance for daily dead tree papers in Lower Mainland/Southern Vancouver Island) until death or retirement. The only competition here is which sibling paper can more totally ignore the most important stories!

Coming soon are the quotes of the week, which usually appear on Monday, but the humour that is the Pointy One took precedence today. Also this week the Star Award - The Gyro itself will be presented - really (Well I ALMOST promise).