Journal Lockout Digest: Canoe promos are ads, arbitrator rules

You know how the Journal always has little boxes pointing you to Canoe.ca? For Richard Martineau’s blog, or photo galleries, forums, or various other Quebecor cross-platform stuff? A grievance from the union that dates from before the lockout (in fact, dates so far back it mentions Canoe blogs from Patrick Lagacé and Dominic Arpin that no longer exist) has finally been decided on. The ruling from arbitrator Diane Sabourin (PDF) says that these promos in editorial space were promotional material, which violates the collective agreement’s clauses preventing the mixing of advertising and editorial content.

This case is actually somewhat complicated because of the Journal’s union contract. The contract prevents the Journal from setting up a website without union approval, so instead Journal stories have been published on canoe.ca. The Journal has been pushing the limits of this ability by pointing to columnists’ blogs and other material on Canoe. Here, it was determined that the employer crossed the line. Either the contract will have to be changed or such promotions will have to be done in advertising space.

The union, of course, is celebrating.

QUINZE. TONNES.

Free trip to Switzerland

Rue Frontenac’s Jean-Philippe Pineault has been “invited” on a trip to Switzerland sponsored by the Swiss tourism bureau. Apparently there are no ethical issues involved here.

In brief

Synergie multi-plateforme globale intégrée de toute


Christian Vanasse’s take on PKP during what was otherwise a fairly uninteresting AJIQ awards ceremony.

And at Le Réveil…

One thought on “Journal Lockout Digest: Canoe promos are ads, arbitrator rules

  1. Cecile Gladel

    As one of the AJIQ organizer of this only and first awards for freelancers, i can’t help asking why it was so uninteresting? I don’t remember seeing you there ? But we really want to improve the ceremony next year so any comments are welcome :-)

    Reply

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