Media Roundup: Bring Out The Lawyers

There are two pieces webbed overnight, both of them by reporters who've been covering the case practically from day 1, plus a television report (with later update) aired this morning.

1. An abbreviated report by Romina Maurino of the Canadian Press, based on one released yesterday afternoon (also by her.)

[NOTE: According to this "Morning Business File" report, Beth DeMerchant's videotaped testimony is not going to be aired this week. See item #3, "Black trial resumes," in it.]

2. Paul Waldie of the Globe and Mail outlines what the two lawyers on videotape, Darren Sukonick and Elizabeth DeMerchant, are expected to reveal under videotaped direct and cross-examination, after editing. He ends by noting that Paul Creasey will have the benefit of redirect examination this morning, before the tape machine gets rolling.

3. On BNN, there was a discussion of the case with Lou Schizas, in which he raised the possibility that the personal non-competes were to protect the buyers from Conrad Black, and the other signers, competing with them through quitting Hollinger International and setting up a new operation. (It was noted on the segment that Mr. Schizas was bringing up an issue not brought up in the trial, as of yet.) Also, the trial was linked to the question of whether or not the Ontario Securities Commission is a toothless watchdog, as discussed in today's issue of the Globe and Mail. (That discussion started at about 8:10 AM ET; it doesn't seem to have been broadbanded at BBN's Website.)

[UPDATE: There was another discussion with Mr. Schizas at 9:45 AM ET, which built on the above point by questioning the claim, made by at least one of the Torys LLP lawyers in videotaped testimony, that the legal team was 'forced' to sign off on it. (Presumably, the lawyer, if only one made that claim, was Darren Sukonick.) Mr. Schizas noted that there's a lot of clients' barking in the normal course of business.]


From the media blog world, two stabs at humour. The "Black Board" has an entry on another comedy moment in the trial, and Mark Steyn devotes an entry to making fun of an accountant, but with a different schtick than the usual, one more fitting for poking fun at a government official.