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'p TeCanadien Champion FeldayAuguat 28.1998 SOPINION v ifPÈamIiýi Box 248, 191 Main St. E., The Canadilen Champion, publlsited every Tuesday and Milton, Ontt. 9T 4N9 Saturday at 191 Main S, E, Milton, Ont, 19T 4N9 (Box 248), is osie of The Metroland Prnting, Publishiîsg & Distributng Ltd. (905 878 341 roup of suburban companies which includes: Ajas / Pickering (905 878- 341 News Advertlser; Alliston llerald/Courier; Barrie Advance; Brampton Guardian; Burington Post; City Parent; Collingwood / Editorial Fax: 878-4943 Wasaga Connection; East Yonk Mirror; Etobicoite Guardian; Georgetown lndependentj Acten Fret Press; Kingston Titis Week; Advertising Fax: 876-2364 Lindsay Tiis Week; Markhiam Economist & Set; Midland / Pene- Classified: 875-3300 tangsishene Mirror; Mississauga News; Newmarket / Aurora Era Banner; Northtumberland News; North York Mirror; Oskville Ian Oliver Publisher Beaver; Orillia Today; Oshtawa / Whitby / Claringon / Port Perry This Week; Peterborough Tiis Week; Richmond Hill / Titornitili / Nei Oliver Associate Publisher Vagitan Liberal; Scarborougit Mirror; Uxbiidge / Stouffville Bill Begin General Manager Tribune; Today's Seniors. Advertising is acctpted on the condition that, in te event of a Rob Kelly Editor typographical error, that portion ot tht sdvtrtising space occe- Karen Cross Circulation Manager pied by tht erroneous item, together with a reasonable altowance TeriCass OriceManger for signature, will not be charged tor, but tht balance of tht Teri ases Offie Maager advertisement will be psid for ai tht applicable rate. Tite publisiter Tim Cotes Production Manager reserves te rigiti fo categorize advertisemenls or decline. Feds finally get touglier It's nice to see the federal govemment finally showing some muscle in its dealings with Quebec. Undoubtedly, there is at long last at least the beginnings of a strategy on the part of the feds to play a littie hardball with the separatists, in light of the recent Supremne Court decision setting down the ground rules for separation. Prime Minister Jean Chretien has indicated that it is he and the fed- eral governiment who will set the ground miles for what will be a majority of menit seeking separation. Mr. Chretien has made reference to the criteria applied in other countries for creating significant changes, such as amending the U.S. Constitution. In that case two-thirds is the magie number, as it is, Mr. Chretien noted, for choosing a new pope. This train of thought puts Mr. Chretien on a collision course with Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard, who steadfastly maintains that 50 per cent plus one is ail he needs to win a secession referendum. If there was ever any doubt, it is now clear that Mr. Chretien holds the moral and legal high ground in this fundamental debate. Mr. Bouchard would sunder a country on the most slim of majorities to achieve his own ends, and had said so prior to any input from the hgetcourt in the land. Mr. Chretien wouldn't behave in such a reckless fashion, and would require that far greater numbers of Quebecers agree to leave Canada before granting such a wish. In the interests of the country and people as a whole, he is on far firmer footing than the whining, conniving, opportunistic separatists are, have been or will be in the future. *OUR READERS WRITE Stroller says he sees big mess during rush hour Dear Editor: It's lime again ta bning ta ight what's happening on tise streets of our town. A stroîl down Ontario Street duning Use hours of 7 to 9 s.m. or 4 to 6 p.m. leaves tise writer appalled at thse lack of concemn or knowledge of road safety. To cite a few of the infractions tItat occur on a daily basis: speeding, running red lights, following toa closely, failing to signal tum, ignoring crosswalks and failing to stop at stop signs. Is it possible that aur law enforcement officers are unaware of Uese infractions? If so, maybe tItis letter will inform Ushem of my inter- est in the safety of those who do obey the Iaw. Donald Smith Milton Milton a carîng community Dear Editor: May we say thank you ta the numerous and courte- ous drivers who helped when aur car failed at Steeles Avenue and Tremaine Road recently. In pouring ramn two young men pushed us bock trom this dangerous ares and another let us use his phone. Scannel Moving truck drivers nicely pushed us across the road and prompt action by Durante Towing and Richardson Chev-Olds brought us safely home. Freda Beat-Strain Milton One of thse main functions of a newspaper edi- tor is ta act as gatekeeper, tisat is, ta make sure standards don't tumble, to guard against slipshod practices. This will neyer make one thse most popular person in any business. When people tay to gel away with things, you have to tell themn they've crossed a lime. Sometimes it works ansd sometimes it's highly frtrating. It almost always works in dealing with reporters. If there are 'holes' in a reporter's story, or if thse writing is cumbersome, difficuit to follow, il is strongly suggested that the facts be more clearly displayed or tise language cleaned up. Something you hear from junior reporters is that the "story is between Use reader ansd r'. or tIsatI e reader wiIl understand what I mean." Well, no die reader won't because he or she is neyer going to tee that version of tIse work It is Use editor's job to, advocate on behaif of thse reader, 10 protect tise reader from any bad habits tie reporters may have picked Up. Ianother area, a pet peeve of mine is whati bas become known as 'advertorial', wbich is a, meanngless word used to describe a somnetimes1 highly dubious praduet. Advertorial is advertising copy made to look like news stories. It is often an attempt to cash in on Use hard-eamned coedibiity of Use news prod- uct by maldasg ads look like Use news. In our company, there are some respectable guidelines for Use use of advertorial copy. Some people try ta skirt them, especially junior sales reps who don't know any better. Years ago a veay junior sales rep brouglit in an ad Usat her customer lsad told her to make look exactly like a story, with tise same type and headlime styles used for news, mun aI Use same size. I told her no, sIte could not do Usat. "But Ua's what tise customer wants", she said. Yes, but what thse customer wanted was unethical, wheUser Usey knew il or not. Even Uougis guidelines in our corporation dis- courage Use sort of behaviour Use young sales oep was indulging in, it happens. In some papers, they gel away with writing advertoriaj' at Use top of Use paid ad UsaI is sup- posed to look like a story. But 1 would snggesti UsaI if you stopped 10 people on Use street, nine would have no idea what 'advertonial' means, an I always ask Uscm bt put 'advcttisement' on thse1 top instead. In terms of actually doing stoniesi Usat, Use editor will often find hlm( Use position of having to say 'no', wf any fun. However, as you can ima people would like stories donc abot or Ueir relatives or Ueir businesses. If you ask Usm what Use 'book' what wilI draw a reader mbt it, request begins to fali apart wiUs a ne I don't know. 1 just Uought it woui story." There bas to ha sometbing in the intriguae otisers. And of course, maasy people cal lent stoiy proposais, an don't ha afro your idea is news or not. flac worstt be told is 'no thanks.' It is amazing to me how vividly people remember stories involving Usem over Use years, especially controversial Uings. I rn into a former company president in a Rob gymn one day, and he described an incident more thnadecade old Usat had appeared in tise paper, K ely ad o he appreciated the manner in which it was handled. He looked a bit crestfallen when it was clear Usat I had only Use vaguest memnory of what he was talking about. about tIts or AnoUser woman apparently told a friend of or herself in mnene otiser day Usat sIte was somewhat ner- iagine, man charactcrized as an opportunist during a minor t tisemseîves political fr-acas years ago. Tliis too is lost in Use mists of time fmom my would ha - Perspective, and relates to an cra whan I wrotc often thier controversial columns, somedhing Usat would ha eply sucla as, rare "ody since Use nature of work bas changed ild bca good for Me. Running across Usese people -- and il happens ere Usat wili more often then you migisî think -- is bots instructive and bumbling. You realize Use impact 1wiUs excel- somcthing you write can have, even ycars later. raidto askif You want to maesure you're up toetas, UsaI you can the respoesibility. You can't le t tings slide. Iditors are gatekeepers., fot the Most popukîr.job- 1 JEL tffl