Columnist in advertising dispute is reinstated

What a turnaround! I have previously written about the dismissal of columnist Vivian Smith from a Canadian paper, the Victoria Times-Colonist. It was an intriguing case because her column was dropped after a complaint from an advertiser. Now the paper's publisher, Bob McKenzie, has apologised for the decision as "an error in judgement" in a memo to staff. And the president of the paper's owners, CanWest, has also weighed in. Dennis Skulsky has assured staff that Smith's column is to be reinstated. This U-turn reflects well on the managers and proprietors, and on those Canadian journalists and bloggers who brought her case to wider attention. (Via publiceyeonline.com)