Here’s what I love about this West End Times cover:
- There’s an exclamation point. I always wonder what criteria news agencies use to determine whether an exclamation point is justified. CNN used one as the first Chilean miner was rescued. I guess for a small local paper, an armed robbery qualifies.
- The incident in question, a shooting at an SAQ in Baie d’Urfé, happened on Oct. 18. This issue is dated yesterday, Oct. 30.
- There’s no story inside about this. All the information is contained in a seven-line photo caption above the headline.
I like to support small publications, but a lot of the West End Times’s layout, photography and writing is so atrocious I can only look at it and laugh.
I see you read the West End Times. That probably brings their readership up to 4.
Not only that:
1. The shock headline is below the fold – what’s the point?
2. Horrible distorted type. Folks, there are CONDENSED Fand even COMPRESSED FONTS when you need to fit something condensed!
3. WHAT is with the shamrock? It isn’t mid-March!
What’s with the Irish thing?
It’s part of the logo. I guess the publisher thought it looked cool.
I saw that as well and my first thought was: “What did the West End Times employee do to deserve that?” And then my second thought was: “Oh, West End Times, you’re so charmingly strange.”
Totally agree. That paper makes a mockery of local newspapers. Sadly it is only slightly worse than the West Island Chronicle which seems to have no editor or anyone to proof read before publishing.
I was floored when I read this one last in last week’s edition. It is a column by the parenting guy on the Russell Williams trial. Why is he commenting?
“Williams gave his victim-impact statement in court this week and had, by all accounts, very little real contrition or sorrow in his voice”.
http://westislandchronicle.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
I won’t bother pointing out how absurd that statement is.
Yes, the headline is ridiculous, but c’mon…. I can pick up any daily newspaper in Montreal and laugh at it any day of the week. Small newspapers are not the only ones that have the problems you listed.
Check out the funky punctuation on today’s Toronto Sun: http://goo.gl/FAJR
Please do, actually. Because I don’t understand. Probably because I’m stupid.
Or know how to use punctuation
Is Williams the victim in this horrible case? Only victims of the crime can give victim impact statements and not criminals. Judging from your rude tone, I gather you work for The West Island Chronicle, you should think about bringing up the age old practice of proof reading at your next “staff” meeting.
No, I don’t work at the West Island Chronicle. I just object to know-it-alls who comment without elaboration. I accept your explanation, but judging from your sarcastic tone, you work at some other media outlet and consider most beneath you. Not unforgivable.
This is pathetic. Too many ads line the front page, creating clutter. “Why is the headline under the article?” was the first thought that came to mind when looking at the page. And the Irish thing makes it look like it’s a newspaper for West Islanders with Irish heritage (seriously!!)
Canadians forget apotrophe in Hallowe’en;so how they to remember ‘ ! ‘ ?
Reminds me of The Onion’s historical WWI headline:
WA-
R!
The cutline on the front page of the December 4 issue reads as follows:
Anthony Calvillo, Quarterback for the Montreal Alouttes, hoists the Grey Cup at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport in Dorval after returning from Edmonton where the Allouttes beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 21-18.