Ben Tierney, long time Southam foreign correspondent, has died at 81

Ben Tierney, who worked his way up from a copy boy at the Calgary Herald to become globe trotting correspondent for Southam News, has died at age 81. He worked bureaus in Paris, Washington, Hong Kong, Ottawa and Vancouver.
Vancouver Sun obituary

Conrad Black drops defamation suit against journalist and publisher

The Globe and Mail's Simon Houpt and Mark Medley write:

"Conrad Black quietly dropped a $3-million defamation lawsuit against a Canadian investigative reporter last month, putting an end to a fight which dragged on for almost four years. And while one defendant contended that the suit had contributed to a libel chill among Canadian journalists, Black said this week it was such a trivial matter it had all but fallen off his radar.

"The case was unusual not just because Black – an author and former newspaper proprietor with a famously combative disposition – was suing a fellow journalist, but also because he targeted his own publisher in the suit.

Black launched the suit in June, 2012, one month after returning to Canada from the United States following a 42-month prison term he served for mail fraud and obstruction of justice stemming from the collapse of Hollinger International Inc., where he had been chairman, chief executive and controlling shareholder."

Full story

The plan to save arts journalism: NOW

Kevin Ritchie writes in NOW about new courses at Centennial, Ryerson and arts institutions that respond to the changing role of entertainment writing

Excerpt:

"Canadian newspapers are devoting less ink to lengthy think pieces or reviews and cutting full-time jobs, while also relying more on freelance rosters.
"At the same time, post-secondary schools and cultural institutions in Toronto are creating new courses and professional development opportunities for the many aspiring arts writers and critics still hoping for employment as journalists.
"In September, Centennial College is launching a one-year graduate certificate in arts and entertainment journalism that covers j-school basics like ethics, research and interviewing but also personal marketing and branding and multi-platform reporting."
The full story

Stuart McLean dead at 68

Stuart McLean, the host of CBC Radio's The Vinyl Café and an award-winning humorist, has died at age 68 after a battle with melanoma, the CBC web page reports.
"McLean's trademark blend of storytelling — part nostalgia, part pithy observations about everyday life and folksy, familiar delivery — made him a hit with the audience for more than 20 years. But he always maintained that success came as a surprise to him," the brief announcement said.

Swedish television reporter who documented Syrian boy’s journey to freedom convicted of human smuggling

 Three employees with Swedish broadcaster SVT have been sentenced to community work after being convicted of human smuggling for bringing a 15-year Syrian boy to Sweden during the 2015 migrant influx that swept across Europe.
The Malmo’s District Court said Thursday it was “obvious the SVT team helped for purely humanitarian reasons.”
Reporter Fredrik Onnevall, his cameraman and interpreter were making a documentary on the migrants when they met an unaccompanied minor in Greece who wanted to go to Sweden. They wanted to document his trip by car, ferry and train.
According to CNN, the teen pleaded with Onnevall to leave Greece because he was desperate to be reunited with family he had in Sweden. He has since gained permanent residence in Sweden.
Before the court, Onnevall admitted paying for a car rental and knowing the boy had false papers. In Sweden, the then-15-year-old boy was granted permanent asylum.

It was not immediately clear whether the ruling would be appealed. (AP)