tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52873486272550809132011-07-08T06:23:54.683-04:00Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.comBlogger951100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-23123869600687145332009-07-01T11:56:00.002-04:002009-07-01T11:58:00.534-04:00

It's time...I'm trying to lose the News Addict alias and become Laura Payton again online. The blog has moved to a new home, and I hope everyone will follow.

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-90872847138652303682009-06-25T16:49:00.004-04:002009-06-25T17:00:20.571-04:00

Weather in Ottawa is crazy. Two hours ago it was 40 degrees with the humidity.My basil and my cat are sweltering.All the poor cat does is lie in front of open windows and try to position herself near one of our fans. The fur coat isn't really conducive to staying cool when it's this hot.

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-13096405033818623782009-06-21T21:12:00.004-04:002009-06-22T08:20:05.231-04:00

After a brief weekend spent relaxing and ignoring the rest of the world, I'm catching up on news. Particularly in Iran.A lot of people are talking about Neda. According to the person who posted the video on Youtube, this woman was shot by a paramilitary force.It's not a violent video, but you're watching a woman bleed to death. Another woman screams, a man cries her name repeatedly. It's

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-61613705963461987422009-06-15T22:40:00.002-04:002009-06-15T22:49:34.612-04:00

Twitter re-schedules maintenance around IranThe primary user I'm following says the usual proxy sites and ISPs are down. There are rumours of Hizbollah in Iran and protesters taken to Evin - a notoriously nasty prison in Tehran. Also rumours the government is tracking Twitter users and blocking access to the primary discussion feed on twitter (#iranelection). Discussion is moving to

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-82138811001301295112009-06-15T17:10:00.006-04:002009-06-15T17:58:21.973-04:00

I'm captivated by what's happening in Iran. Some people are calling it a revolution.Photos here They make me wish I were a photographer - words can't always do justice to a story. It's just not possible to use words as effectively as pictures to show a woman's fear as a group of men surrounds her and begins beating her and her companion, or the sight of police in riot gear chasing protesters,

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-44216873419303430162009-05-24T17:36:00.002-04:002009-05-24T17:45:57.934-04:00

GAAAHHH. Blogging hasn't just been light lately, it's been non-existant. I've been in a non-writing mode, focusing on business planning for the past couple of weeks. It's something I should have done when I started to freelance but strategic planning and being a journalist seem like things that shouldn't go together.But this weekend pulled me back into the news world. My wonderful and talented

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-70974636065169023452009-05-08T08:45:00.002-04:002009-05-08T08:51:20.398-04:00

Mark Steyn reviews Michael Ignatieff's True Patriot Love. This isn't the meat of his argument, just the pithiest part:"It’s tempting to respond, “Oh, bugger off, you ridiculous poseur,” and pass on to something more rewarding, like Paris Hilton’s Twitter feed."Most of the time Steyn makes me want to throw my magazine across the room. This time he holds my attention for the entire column."As to

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-39224265171538350392009-05-01T15:10:00.002-04:002009-05-01T15:20:02.957-04:00

As someone who relies on public transit in Ottawa, I've been watching the downtown tunnel discussion closely.This disturbed me:"Rogers said the problem with veering northward at Kent Street [from Albert Street to Queen Street - ed.] is that it will reduce the rail line's future potential ridership because there will be new development on streets like Slater and Laurier Avenue, rather than farther

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-81949450071722107842009-05-01T10:07:00.002-04:002009-05-01T10:26:29.869-04:00

This is an exciting weekend in Ottawa. There's tons and tons to do. It's like spring has hit and everyone wants to take advantage. Some of the things I'm considering doing:1. You Say Party! We Say Die! at Babylon on Saturday night (part of BC Scene through the NAC)2. Outdoor art in Chinatown on Saturday afternoon3. Vintage shoe sale at Victoire Saturday 2-9pm4. Tulip Festival5. Jane's Walk

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-75353497759663223542009-04-30T17:58:00.001-04:002009-04-30T17:59:16.820-04:00

OH MY GOD FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST PLEASE GO AWAY AND NEVER EVER COME BACK AGAIN EVER.

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-84607726994243448712009-04-29T17:19:00.004-04:002009-05-01T10:07:10.623-04:00

So this week should have been a much better week for blogging, but I haven't been doing it. Ideas flit into my head briefly, usually when I'm working or otherwise unable to update, and then I get home and don't blog. I have been using twitter a lot lately, so maybe I'm wasting all my expressiveness through micro-blogging.As you've probably guessed, I love the internet. I love social media,

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-89701809595628544482009-04-28T22:41:00.002-04:002009-04-28T22:45:16.943-04:00

I finally have to accept that I'm a member of the youtube generation. Usually I ignore silly labels like that, mostly because I was born in 1980, which is the cut-off for Gen X to Gen Y/Me/Echo Boom/spoiled brats with helicopter parents. So I never fit either one really well. But after spending 15 minutes with my husband learning via youtube how to tie a Windsor knot, I think I need to own it.In

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-54224902576374459612009-04-21T15:49:00.002-04:002009-04-21T15:54:21.056-04:00

...is being able to watch dvds and tv. In this case, I have been catching up on the episodes of Being Erica that I missed when we were in Egypt. I think this one is one of my favorites yet.I have some thoughts on tv-via-the-internet, sparked by a conversation with some former colleagues a couple of weeks ago. But they're not fully formed and my head hurts too much to put them in order right

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-63664902562623173582009-04-20T14:41:00.003-04:002009-04-20T14:47:02.664-04:00

Dan Gardner has it right: Hug a reporter and buy a newspaper. We could use the support.Blogging is light as I fall into a funk. On top of me being sick all week, we were forced (through many tears) to return our new cat to the SPCA because he had a major health problem that could infect our other cat. He had already become a cuddly, loving part of the family and we're still having a hard time

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-35005147641479791012009-04-11T22:44:00.002-04:002009-04-11T23:05:36.704-04:00

So we got a new cat. We had been thinking about it for a long time, since Le chat sometimes seems lonely when we're both out working (she greets us at the door and follows us around the apartment, meowing. We think she is telling us about her day). Then I wrote a story about a local SPCA that is full to the brim with animals, and since our one-bedroom apartment won't support a big dog, we looked

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-325231591116519442009-04-11T13:14:00.002-04:002009-04-11T13:16:43.053-04:00

I wrote earlier this week about going to Rwanda, thanks to the passion of a Carleton professor who works to put Canadian and Rwandan journalists in touch so we can teach each other. That prof wrote a piece for the Star on the 15th anniversary of the genocide this past week. You should read it.

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-69437698764840572822009-04-10T20:48:00.002-04:002009-04-10T20:52:45.518-04:00

Sometimes I still get a real buzz off seeing where my stories end up.Today, one was on the front page, and the other picked up on macleans.ca (top story on Friday).Maclean's is my favourite magazine. I'm having a fangirl moment.

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-35903984230454955952009-04-08T17:08:00.002-04:002009-04-08T17:14:30.799-04:00

I can see Carleton turning green with envy even kilometres away from campus.Travel money for their international reporting course?When I went to Rwanda in 2006 as part of the Rwanda Initiative, Carleton had just started an ad campaign that featured bus and tv ads with students talking about "My Carleton". Despite the best efforts of an extremely dedicated prof, most of us couldn't get any kind of

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-58570717938031635262009-04-08T17:05:00.003-04:002009-04-08T17:08:00.962-04:00

The Canadian Press had been, by my unofficial count, the only company in Canada to avoid having to (publicly) consider lay-offs or cuts.Not anymore.My husband works there. I always wish for plentiful jobs and big budgets for media companies, but even more so for CP.(via j-source.ca)

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-139749133372456722009-04-07T21:52:00.003-04:002009-04-07T22:02:53.520-04:00

Last night's episode of House caught me totally unprepared. I had heard one of the main characters would get killed off, but I sort of put it out of my head, assuming it would happen in the last episode of the season, or that there would be some kind of hint.The good (?) news is that Kal Penn is going to work for the Obama administration. For real.Anyway, he and the executive producers talked to

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-49349990051038731072009-04-06T22:11:00.002-04:002009-04-06T22:26:16.823-04:00

Two things from daytime tv that made me wonder.1. The View shows a picture of Rihanna during a segment on teen fashion (what? I like the background noise while I work...it's weird not being in a newsroom). Chris Brown is in the photo. They do not crop him out. Fashion expert guest says "And with Chris Brown! He's such a cutie." It seems to have been a re-run (they showed a "current" cover of

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-49415736975535973572009-04-05T12:07:00.003-04:002009-04-05T12:20:30.406-04:00

When I start to feel guilty about reading celebrity blogs, I always defend them (to myself or to others) by describing how good the writing is. TMZ.com, Go Fug Yourself and Defamer, among others, are not really bringing any value to the internet, other than giving me a good laugh, and taking the piss out of people who are treated with often undue respect in traditional celeb media like E-Talk or

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-85802416259588582332009-04-02T12:17:00.002-04:002009-04-02T12:27:13.179-04:00

Not really knowing anything about George Galloway, I leapt to his defence in the face of Canada denying him entry to our country.Dan Gardner has repeated pointed out why Galloway is undeserving of all the attention he's gotten (or perhaps more deserving, depending on how much credit you give him for brewing up this storm).Lots of commentators claimed anyone in favour of Galloway coming to Canada

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-88738566209320420052009-04-01T09:25:00.002-04:002009-04-01T09:38:03.358-04:00

When people outside of journalism hear what I do, they often look at me quizzically and say, "So you don't know if you're working tomorrow?" I think unless you work in the industry (and sometimes even if you do), it's hard to grasp why someone would willingly do that to themselves.I've been fortunate enough to have regular work lately. The buy-outs in the industry have certainly helped the market

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-29571677434957092192009-03-28T11:03:00.002-04:002009-03-28T11:06:42.824-04:00

This is a couple of weeks old, but now that I have no commute I am way behind on my podcasts. It's a great discussion though, and worth listening to. Also worth visiting the show website if you went to Carleton so you can see this photo of Chris Dornan.

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-12575390222441517972009-03-28T10:47:00.003-04:002009-03-28T11:00:00.571-04:00

It's finally here. Spring has hit the capital. I'm so glad to see the sun back in the sky.I was also excited about seeing a glossy colour magazine fall out of my Citizen today. They're the people I do the bulk of my freelance work for, but I was really disappointed as a reader to see them cut the Style section years ago and then the weekend section that had housed what remained of it. Lately,

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-28845769351227588152009-03-21T22:50:00.003-04:002009-03-21T22:55:56.670-04:00

I don't care if these are the brainchild of Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton. They're fug.Via macleans.caWhile we're on the subject of fashion, I will take this opportunity to announce the demise of my nose ring. I took it out a couple of nights ago after being fed up with a particularly extended period of the corkscrew part not staying in place. That always means toying with it every five minutes so

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-9296199153403874302009-03-20T08:13:00.002-04:002009-03-20T08:27:41.354-04:00

...so I guess the freedoms guaranteed in it - like expression - aren't guaranteed for visiting UK citizens.H/t Kady O'MalleyUpdate: Just realized...do I need to explain my problem with this? It's all well and good for anyone to disagree with Galloway, including a government or government spokesperson. But to deny somebody entry to Canada just because of his point of view - not because he's

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-38247949085606696082009-03-18T20:53:00.002-04:002009-03-18T21:01:04.441-04:00

I haven't given this any thought yet, but my first reaction is to wonder how a government could justify helping out private networks but not the public network. I imagine they would say it's because they already give money to the CBC. I imagine CBC defenders would argue the network is underfunded compared to every other public network in the world, so it wouldn't hurt the feds to throw them a few

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-23077474470310402012009-03-18T09:30:00.002-04:002009-03-18T09:34:20.162-04:00

Summary: CBC won't go to radio ads; Heritage Minister James Moore says he didn't tell the Sun the CBC would be cutting 600-1200 jobs.The CBC will announce cuts to staff at the end of the month.

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-56642225692596297282009-03-17T21:46:00.003-04:002009-03-17T22:06:28.585-04:00

I've been ignoring this report on people not caring about losing their local newspapers. And this report by possibly the most respected journalism organization in North America, if not the world, that tells us we should all re-write our resumes and start applying for PR jobs.(This unscientific poll says more than half of people think newspapers inform them and hold government accountable, which

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-9416636807853624112009-03-16T15:51:00.002-04:002009-03-16T15:55:56.615-04:00

Pierre Poilievre shows there's a reason why he's successful: he gets it.Mega h/t to Aaron Wherry for transcribing and writing this. It's a side of Poilievre you don't often see on the Hill. If you're a political junkie and you don't already read Wherry's Beyond the Commons, you are hugely missing out.“The problem likely is that a lot of our young political activists were very good in university,”

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-62603949017366284422009-03-13T11:38:00.002-04:002009-03-13T11:44:19.932-04:00

Some excerpts from Question Period yesterday. It was one of the worst I've ever heard. Legit questions and insulting answers that completely skirt the issues. Mr. Serge Ménard (Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, BQ): Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice told us that he was giving thought to the approach government lawyers should take in the case against Groupe Polygone, a key player in the sponsorship

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-80048388297046761902009-03-12T12:33:00.005-04:002009-03-12T12:40:39.200-04:00

I always sort of assumed cats preferred to eat meat. My cat certainly always showed a taste for spinach and cheese, but since S. and I started eating more vegetarian food, Le Chat has been rousing herself from sleep and nosing her way around some of our non-meat food.Last night she stuck her nose into my curried lentil and sweet potato stew.And today she tried to get at my homemade hummus.

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-13113588772790001312009-03-11T19:47:00.004-04:002009-03-11T21:44:27.799-04:00

Updated below with more linksThis news hit Ottawa reporters and photographers hard today. Tom Hanson, a 41-year-old Canadian Press photographer, died of a heart attack last night.David Akin sums it up well. You should click through to the google image page to see his work. You may not have heard of him, but I guarantee you've seen his photos (I particularly liked the ones he took when Barack

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-6113552851703823352009-03-11T19:45:00.001-04:002009-03-11T19:47:04.769-04:00

This isn't good for the Canadian Press.Quebecor is pulling out. No more CP content in any of the Sun chain of newspapers.

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-45345060230885673462009-03-09T21:03:00.003-04:002009-03-09T21:31:45.491-04:00

It's been a long day. I don't even know what to say about this, except that I see things like this frequently through our old j-school jobs list-serv (a list-serv of sorts...e-mails sent regularly by a very dedicated and lovely admin assistant). Lots of responsibility...no pay. People seem to think students want to work for free.I took out the guilty party's identifying details.Part-time

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-42914311426841630182009-03-06T18:23:00.000-05:002009-03-06T18:24:08.428-05:00

Excerpt from conversation with nameless government PR person today:Nameless PR person: What's your deadline?Me: 4pmNPRP: (laughing) Good luck.Me: I put in the request at 9am.NPRP: I just got it now [10:54am]. And you weren't home when I called... [voice trailing off, perhaps because he realized he was calling my cell, the number for which is on my voice mail at home, and which I left with the

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-49600685900578297042009-03-04T13:29:00.003-05:002009-03-04T13:42:26.111-05:00

J-source has the answer, via a Globe and Mail article.Changes at the Canadian general interest magazine include a redesign, some staffing cuts, and making sure the cover art reflects the editorial content. This last bit threw me a little...we used to subscribe to the magazine and I never questioned the weird cover art. But of course it should match what's inside the magazine: how do you attract

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-33351070082965110882009-03-03T12:40:00.003-05:002009-03-03T12:46:48.231-05:00

A-News is cutting 118 jobs, and most news programming. That's 28 per cent of its workforce.A-News Ottawa is expected to cut all of its newscasts, but will keep a morning show. I joked to someone that with those kinds of cuts the only reason to keep the station is to watch Ellen and Next Top Model; she replied it's a good place for CTV to air its primetime shows, which are getting good ratings

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-82882135666033562922009-03-03T09:37:00.003-05:002009-03-03T10:06:55.510-05:00

A former crime reporter finds his old paper lacking.(via macleans.ca)There's been lots going on with media companies the past week. Lots of bad.CanWest watch (also at Maclean's.ca)CTV is projecting a $100 million loss, and selling two southwestern Ontario stationsCBC Radio's Ottawa Morning did a series on the Ottawa Citizen, available one piece each morning hereBut CBC is in trouble too, and

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-21768216616277824932009-02-21T06:41:00.002-05:002009-02-21T06:46:35.698-05:00

Possibly the thing I love most about travelling is the food. You can't beat the fresh fruit you get in Africa, and local meals are a really nice change from whatever I'm used to cooking in Canada. But yesterday I discovered something that really made my food week.A french-fry pita.That's right - take a pita, add some tahini, some tomato and cucumber with coriander, and throw in a handful of

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-84524302006987058522009-02-19T08:18:00.002-05:002009-02-19T08:19:58.897-05:00

Just as daily tracking polls are a news junkie's crack during an election, I have found my methamphetamine: Twitter Topics.Refresh! Hit refresh! Two new posts! REFRESH!I will be stepping away from the internet cafe shortly, but wondering all day how things are going in O-town.

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-22278146433464615802009-02-18T09:58:00.006-05:002009-02-18T10:03:12.514-05:00

The other night we hung out with our Cairo friend and her ex-pat circle, all of them American. They were confused about the Obama visit - why Canada first? What's the big deal?The three Canadians exploded into a chorus of "this is tradition!" "we're 20% of your trade!" and "you're 80% of our trade!". The well-travelled, well-educated, and lovely Americans mostly had no idea. "What do we buy from

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-42665769354181124032009-02-18T09:45:00.004-05:002009-02-18T09:50:39.442-05:00

I *really* wish I were back in Ottawa right now. Just did a quick check on Twitter and of course everyone I'm following is full of newsy detail and downright excitement over the Obama visit. I don't care if the only thing I would have seen is his head as he exits the Beast to go into the foyer. It would have been great.Alas. Twitter tells me there is an Obama string on the site called Obamawa. I

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-70115772540708769552009-02-16T06:06:00.004-05:002009-02-16T06:21:34.307-05:00

The odyssey continues...we made it from Cairo to Luxor, then to Aswan and Abu Simbel, back through Cairo and onto Alexandria last week. We went from the far south of the country to the far north in about 17 hours of train riding, which ended up being too much for both of us. S caught the flu and I am in the midst of an allergic reaction - we think - due to either the Japanese tourists smoking all

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-84383523601153152392009-02-10T13:03:00.002-05:002009-02-10T13:13:06.078-05:00

Walking down the street in Egypt is a lot different from back home. First, there's all the people. Then there's the traffic that doesn't ever seem to stop, making it necessary to step in front of five lanes of speeding cars to cross the street. And sometimes there's the men, making comments when I walk by. Next to my husband.One of my good friends has been in Cairo for almost two years now, and

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-66967686141717637032009-02-08T06:44:00.003-05:002009-02-08T06:58:36.383-05:00

I'm here! Successfully met up with S at the airport, after dodging offers from "helpful" people (need a driver? need a hotel?). The first thing I noticed about Cairo, which I'd been warned about a lot, is the noise. Drivers here honk their horns constantly, like they're just letting all the other drivers know that they're there. There are lines painted on the road to denote lanes, but that's just

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-37240652613559266572009-02-04T17:28:00.002-05:002009-02-04T17:33:17.234-05:00

So judging by these projections, I may find someone to hire me by the second quarter of 2010. Q4 at the latest. That would be lovely.A lot of us are banking on Mark Carney (see the red line) being right. Those of us who are journalists wanting good jobs, anyway. And we're clinging to hope that there will be a hiring spree since so many experienced people have been laid off/bought out recently.Not

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-25855395212380023832009-02-03T21:35:00.002-05:002009-02-03T22:18:16.029-05:00

I leave very soon for Egypt. The big thing it means is that I'll be seeing my husband soon! He is finished his reporting tour in Afghanistan, and will soon be replaced by another reporter from Ottawa. It will have been eight weeks since we last saw each other.I was always a little worried about the end, because we've heard it can be hard to get back to reporting in Canada when you've seen what's

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-39458385969952971612009-02-03T21:24:00.002-05:002009-02-03T21:35:55.903-05:00

Blech, I was very sick for a week. Life wasn't good. I could barely drag my fingers across the keyboard, not for weakness, but because I felt so blah about writing. This week is so much better though - Friday was my first day feeling almost healthy again, and then Saturday I literally danced around my apartment. Yesterday and today I've got that drive to write again - just like usual, like it's

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-49526391476853111602009-01-26T19:09:00.002-05:002009-01-26T19:43:19.954-05:00

Oh good, more good news for my industry.And while I'm feeling cheerful, I want to link to this Dan Gardner blog post on how the economy sucks, but it isn't as bad as the 80s. The following made me giggle:And if you think I'm sitting securely in my feathered nest -- I get email to that effect now and then -- think again. I have three young kids and a mortgage. And I work for a newspaper. I feel

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-74278216513330099312009-01-25T13:11:00.002-05:002009-01-25T13:23:05.798-05:00

I'll be meeting S. in Egypt in less than two weeks! Plans are finally coming together too, although they're completely different from what we'd originally had in mind. I should have immersed myself in the Lonely Planet guidebook sooner, but at least I've got a couple of weeks left to confirm the details.We were talking the other day about how hard the separation has been. We've done longer - the

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-44244887916944018202009-01-24T17:23:00.003-05:002009-01-24T17:45:25.833-05:00

I'm home sick with a bad cold and watching whatever bad movies are on tv. Today I chose First Wives Club, a movie I'd seen a few times, over Rocky and The Legend of Zorro.The great thing about the movie is that it's driven by the women's performances. The men don't feature much in it, unless they're interacting with the wives or the girlfriends. Plus, look at the cast: Stockard Channing, Bette

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-74408432317216170552009-01-22T21:08:00.002-05:002009-01-22T21:11:18.060-05:00

I don't recall whether Stephen Harper ever specifically promised not to go into deficit, but he certainly indicated it was a) unnecessary and b) something those wasteful Liberals would do.My how things have changed.

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-61979337236235053472009-01-21T19:09:00.002-05:002009-01-21T19:11:12.664-05:00

If you want to see some of the celeb outfits, check out the Fug Girls. While we differ on the formal gown they agree with me on Michelle Obama's outift.

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-60121923111300006852009-01-20T22:31:00.003-05:002009-01-21T07:43:54.699-05:00

Pardon me while I convert into girly talk.OMG! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the gown! Eeeee!Ahem.This is going to be the hippest White House ever.[UPDATE: See the dance link! And cry!]Seeing the Obamas dancing together in the spotlight, my cold black journalist heart grew three sizes.I still found room in my brain to find it totally tacky that Beyonce sang an Etta James song, since she is currently promoting

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-77591227135396842612009-01-20T17:36:00.002-05:002009-01-20T17:43:10.280-05:00

Staff at publications like Maclean's, Chatelaine and MoneySense are being offered a 4-day workweek, and a 20 % pay cut, according to this article on j-source.ca (yes, we have a navel-gazing industry magazine online, and yes I read it. Shut up).It's hard not to be suspicious of what it could mean - for those who don't sign up, do they move up the list of potential job cuts? Are they able to move

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-56763063065097007542009-01-20T11:17:00.003-05:002009-01-20T14:07:05.567-05:00

There are many people far smarter than me who will speak eloquently about the significance of today's inauguration. But I am comfortable in at least one area: inaugural fashion.1. That's a lot of mustard yellow on a very tall woman. I much preferred Michelle Obama's election night outfit, although I appreciate that today's outfit looks much more first lady-like. My favourite part of today's

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-29767033461358178722009-01-14T16:59:00.003-05:002009-01-14T17:10:34.180-05:00

I don't know that anyone's surprised, but this is more bad news for CanWest.This part in particular caught my attention:By contrast [to falling conventional tv revenue - ed.], CanWest's specialty TV and digital media division fattened its operating profit to $44-million from $37-million, as revenue rose by nearly $9-million to $106-million.I'm not sure it's good news that it's the channels that

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-72912875773048015262009-01-14T16:46:00.006-05:002009-01-14T17:14:36.607-05:00

I think I'll make this into an occasional series on press releases and press relations people. There are certainly enough stories.Note the workplace is on Smyth Road. It seems odd not to just come right out and say it.Then again, it's not so much the Ottawa Police Service's job to publicize news-worthy details. Just the arrests.-----FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 4:35pm(Ottawa

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-31329667641621159712009-01-13T19:54:00.003-05:002009-01-13T20:06:39.327-05:00

January hit me like 350lb linebacker today. S and I are more than half-way through his assignment in Afghanistan, but this morning we fought before I'd even had breakfast. I'm tired. I had a bag of salt and vinegar chips for lunch. I spent the entire day covering meetings in French, which is entirely what I signed on for with my latest freelance gig but which was enough today to make me want to

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-10171322661619572942009-01-12T11:30:00.004-05:002009-01-12T11:44:44.672-05:00

Thanks to another Citizen writer for passing this on.A few samples:On using jargon:Since journalists are increasingly covering a little bit of everything, they can usually hold a casual cocktail party conversation on almost any topic for about 10 minutes. Go past 10 minutes, though, and they'll most likely try to change the subject.On drinking:Nothing takes the edge off after a day of reporting

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-12356801556342741162009-01-10T11:53:00.003-05:002009-01-10T11:55:33.901-05:00

OMG, how have I never heard of Bump Its before? The ad is amazing. Let's face it, especially in these difficult economic times, we all need to be able to go from flat to fabulous.

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-82301871590816494322009-01-09T23:19:00.002-05:002009-01-09T23:39:14.279-05:00

I spent the day at the courthouse in Gatineau today at preliminary inquiries (sort of like a grand jury, without the jury, if you're a Law and Order fan). Rather than navigate the murky worlds of publication bans and how-to-avoid-trouble-in-blogging, I'll just link to the story.While they were changing witnesses, another lawyer came in with his client. If you've never been to a court, you'd

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-15640790693891105992009-01-07T18:08:00.003-05:002009-01-07T18:16:32.675-05:00

I like surveys. They let me give my opinion! It's like voting, but more regular. I have volunteered for a couple of different polling groups' online surveys so that I can exercise my democratic right more often. And sometimes because I feel like it gives me a heads-up on certain trends, or at least on what people are researching as trends. Once in a blue moon I get a survey on politics, like the

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-25428064286024354532009-01-05T22:44:00.002-05:002009-01-05T23:01:40.427-05:00

Right. So it's been a day.My night, in descending order of awesomeness:1. eating a bowl of ice cream with chocolate chips and watching Gossip Girl;2. discovering the cat, who is a sensitive soul, has been peeing on my bed all day, unbeknownst to me. Oh, and not just peeing, but peeing blood, which actually doesn't worry me because it's happened three times before and at this point I know the vet

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-54755569928059820392009-01-05T12:04:00.002-05:002009-01-05T12:33:28.476-05:00

I have been informed that this blog isn't updated frequently enough for those of you who are sitting in the middle of a warzone. But my brain is still mushy from holiday over-eating so this will be brief.My mom left this morning after a nice, nearly week-long visit. It was fabulous.Highlights/thoughts from the holidays:1. Introducing my mom to Sephora, TMZ.com (the tv show, not their website) and

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-28194456310237212982008-12-24T15:18:00.002-05:002008-12-24T15:28:56.812-05:00

I just found out there's a major daily newspaper in Canada offering its summer interns $500 a week, with no benefits (which is normal for a summer internship). That would be a $26,000 annual salary if it were to run all year. The cost of living in that city does not support this measly salary. You could make that working two days a week in an entry level producing job at the CBC. Or in three days

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-69103497637242583612008-12-23T15:12:00.002-05:002008-12-23T15:31:38.738-05:00

Tis the season to vote on the year's best and worst lists. If you're interested in Canadian journalism, check out this one.I think Graeme Smith is a good pick - he's been working his tail off in Afghanistan for about three years now, and does excellent reporting out of there. He broke the Afghan detainee story that helped set the agenda on Parliament Hill for over a year, between the original

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-13107399414965047972008-12-22T18:43:00.002-05:002008-12-22T18:56:19.054-05:00

Blurg. I was at work at 5am today for an ungodly shift that isn't even the earliest one possible. It didn't end up being as bad as I'd feared, but there was lots of noise in and around my building last night and I didn't really sleep longer than a couple of hours without waking up. We have this problem where the snow removal vehicles that head down the major artery on which we live park outside

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-36915233064173182322008-12-19T22:44:00.003-05:002008-12-19T23:23:22.331-05:00

I spent a very cold December night in an Ottawa church, where I witnessed something amazing.People in Ottawa. Clapping and dancing. At some times, even singing.In Ottawa.At a concert.In Ottawa.Seriously. Ottawa!I have never, ever seen anything like it. I took my mom-in-law to the Soweto Gospel Choir concert and it was fabulous. It took people a little while to warm up - there were small pockets

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-6113158719186952692008-12-19T14:50:00.005-05:002008-12-19T22:44:16.632-05:00

As someone who covered the federal election six days a week this fall (let me tell you, it felt like eight), I can't recall precisely how many times I heard Stephen Harper say something along the lines of "friends, he will take us back into a dark time of deficit," followed by the sound of boos from all of the Conservative supporters at whatever rally or speech he happened to be gracing. Suffice

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-48942721330017141512008-12-18T23:21:00.002-05:002008-12-18T23:35:26.500-05:00

I realized last night that freelancing and I have my passed our two-month anniversary. And we're still madly in love with each other. You know what I don't miss at all? My blackberry. I was convinced I would have a hard time parting with it, but I realized last night that I haven't even thought of it in about six weeks. I sort of forgot that I had had one for a full year. Text messaging pretty

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-16624407295082968742008-12-16T23:21:00.002-05:002008-12-16T23:31:12.398-05:00

Okay, maybe not mayhem. But alliterative headlines are always good.News today that the only major media company in Canada currently hiring journos is now cutting 600 jobs:CRAFT-Sun-Media-Cuts, NewsAlertNewsAlertINDEX:AdvisoriesHL:Canadian Press NewsAlertTHE CANADIAN PRESS TORONTO -- Newspaper publisher Sun Media to cut 600 jobs inWestern Canada, Ontario and Quebec.A later story mentioned

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-14293559863452935752008-12-15T18:18:00.003-05:002008-12-15T18:29:47.142-05:00

I have had A DAY. Ugh. Briefly, I slept terribly, got up early and got to an office for the first time in a while (that wasn't bad at all, other than my case of nerves). But it sort of went downhill from there, culminating in me booking a bad guest (which, really, probably makes the host's day worse than mine), then coming home to my tax re-assessment (upwards) and dropping a box of pasta all

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-27234487162445929762008-12-14T23:12:00.002-05:002008-12-14T23:29:39.386-05:00

Today was a little bit harder than yesterday. Another set of soldiers killed, at a time when the Taliban usually scale down their activity. Then a rocket attack on the base, which I have known for years to be relatively common, but which was amplified a bit by a frantic call from my mother-in-law, who is learning all this about Afghanistan at once.We also had our first phone call from Kandahar,

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-26675990153328202432008-12-12T21:41:00.004-05:002008-12-12T21:51:15.241-05:00

The man left recently for his tour of journo duty in Afghanistan. He will be happy to hear the first thing I did upon returning from the airport was wash the dishes. It's not a chore to which I gravitate naturally.I am in much better spirits than I expected, and even his mom was tear-free at the airport. I think it's one of those things we were dreading far more than necessary - really, it's hard

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-75607119606788394562008-12-07T14:34:00.005-05:002008-12-07T14:50:38.764-05:00

We did Christmas yesterday because S is leaving so soon for the badlands. I got him a Patrick Roy Habs jersey, and he got me every make-up lover's dream.I have often gazed at this on the Sephora website, wondering at its sheer luxury and decadence. I never even asked for it as a gift because it is just so much. And now it's mine!That's the eyeshadow layer. S said it's every shade Sephora makes.

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-7958840037164750422008-12-05T13:15:00.002-05:002008-12-05T13:17:07.462-05:00

See, this is why people don't watch the news.I'm so sorry for the families involved in these stories.

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-8942349034796793172008-12-03T19:29:00.003-05:002008-12-04T11:50:58.095-05:00

Thoughts on tonight...1. Best line of the night goes to...Kady O'Malley. It really does look like dementors are about to swarm Parliament Hill behind Mansbridge's head.2. Dion, despite being 20 minutes late with tape delivery, is out of focus and he's not framed properly, both with too much room to his left and too much space above his head. And I think the white balance is off (all the white

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-88972969169348059702008-12-01T18:42:00.002-05:002008-12-01T18:55:48.976-05:00

This has been...puzzling (?) me all day. Pierre Poilievre did a radio interview this morning where he insisted that Gerry Ritz was the victim of someone eavesdropping on a private conversation, when the Tory who recorded the NDP caucus call yesterday was a whistleblower.Let's see...whoever leaked the story about Ritz making listeriosis jokes was a staffer on a daily briefing call. There were 30

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-13892189606072569782008-12-01T11:47:00.002-05:002008-12-01T11:51:16.440-05:00

Thank God. CanWest has finally applied the National Post's beautiful web design to the rest of the chain.It's so much prettier and easy to read. Remember the old messy version, with a single tiny picture per page? That was all part of a template. Ugh. This one is MUCH better.

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-62823443002217950932008-11-26T13:46:00.003-05:002008-11-26T13:48:09.553-05:00

Well, as long as we have our priorities straight.No, really, I'm SO glad council took the time to debate swans. Very productive.

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-30441770805844287892008-11-25T14:03:00.003-05:002008-11-25T14:08:29.680-05:00

Seriously, mail carrier, what did I ever do to you?Yes, we live in an apartment, with an apartment-size mailbox. Yes, there was a magazine in there too. But really? Rather than putting them inside the rolled up magazine, you jam them on top, crumpling them all up? This isn't the first time our mail has arrived with mail carrier-induced creases, but it's definitely the worst.If this is because of

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-58210582519267170722008-11-23T22:43:00.002-05:002008-11-23T23:18:22.310-05:00

My friends and family know that besides being a little interested in journalism and news, I am pretty keen on 24. I remember thinking when it started, "a show with Kiefer Sutherland? Who cares about that Julia Roberts dumpee?" Twelve hours into the first season, I started watching. I have rarely missed an episode since, six seasons in.They tried something new tonight with a two-hour movie. This

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-72143000846927780962008-11-21T11:22:00.005-05:002008-11-22T09:14:00.523-05:00

My husband is leaving for Afghanistan in about three weeks.This makes me jealous and worried at the same time. When we were in journalism school, we both dreamed of one day reporting from a war zone. We didn't think either of us would be far enough advanced in our careers in time to cover the Canadian mission in Afghanistan. But he's a pretty impressive guy. There was a relatively last-minute

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-71377222108097254452008-11-21T11:06:00.005-05:002008-11-22T08:55:09.805-05:00

This is a bit late, but I guess it didn't seem like news in a way - the way the economy is going, media companies are bound to have cutbacks. What did strike me as important is that CTV seems to have so much money (enough to buy the hockey song, to win the bid to carry the Olympics, and to fly all the local anchors in and throw a massive party for their 50th anniversary) that I thought it would

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-49277155509195399932008-11-16T21:22:00.005-05:002008-11-22T08:54:10.220-05:00

Who would have thought an innocently-overheard snippet of music during a hockey game would inspire the two of us to spend part of our evening youtube-ing and wikipedia-ing early 90s culture?Try a few of these on for a walk down junior-high memory lane.I think I'm scaring S because I still know a lot of the words to these. How much do I want Dance Mix '92 right now?What have I missed? Put your

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-47653113532477480232008-11-13T20:52:00.003-05:002008-11-22T08:51:50.150-05:00

This is Scott Taylor, publisher of Esprit de Corps magazine, notorious un-embedded journo, and former Iraqi insurgent kidnap victim, to Macleans.caQ: There’s been a lot of discussion about whether the media would have stayed silent for a non-journalist. Was there something specific about this case that justified the blackout, or is there a double-standard at work in the way the media reports? A:

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-89232868830237200142008-11-13T20:11:00.004-05:002008-11-22T08:52:19.109-05:00

I realized just now, as I sat here working, how much I love my job. I'm technically off the clock (though, as a freelancer, I was able to knock off early, knowing I could come back to it at my leisure) but I enjoy writing so much that it doesn't feel like work. Reporting is the hard(er) stuff: researching a new topic almost every day, phoning or otherwise approaching total strangers, coming up

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-71834117321086079592008-11-13T17:15:00.003-05:002008-11-22T08:52:47.141-05:00

Go here and watch the Mellissa Fung interview. And wonder at her tranquility and bravery.Having read a little and heard a little about her, I was surprised that people wondered whether she would return to reporting. Of course she would! The kind of reporter who heads to a war zone isn't the kind of reporter who leaps into PR after a bad experience. The kind of reporter who heads to a war zone -

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-13823019219970457682008-11-12T18:49:00.003-05:002008-11-22T08:54:53.666-05:00

Well, this is never good.It's a big number of cuts. Huge, in fact. Two things jumped out at me.1) MORE buyouts? Seriously? I guess there could be people who are still there because they didn't get bought out a year ago. Rumour had it that the Edmonton Journal had so many people jump at the buyouts that they couldn't accommodate them all. I'm sure they weren't the only ones. But still. I know of a

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-27005122801198480852008-11-10T13:44:00.003-05:002008-11-10T14:18:30.697-05:00

Before we knew there would be a happy ending to Mellissa Fung's kidnapping, journalists were debating how we would look for conspiring to keep it from being published. If it were a diplomat or a civilian, would we have upheld a four-week publication ban? If it were a politician? A soldier? I argued that first, it's inside baseball and the general public won't think twice about it, and second,

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5287348627255080913.post-80852360812428753372008-11-09T14:35:00.000-05:002008-11-09T14:44:14.007-05:00

I'm going to try out this blogging thing again and see how it works out. I have more time to focus on building good posts and doing some writing, and there are some more interesting things going on in my life right now, so with any luck it'll last a big longer than the last one.My goal is to write a bit about media ethics and topics in the industry, and to post about what life is like as my

Laura Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367802968180553536noreply@blogger.com4