The British are coming!

Here at Public Eye, we've spilled much ink reporting on the axing of Times Colonist columnist Vivian Smith. That axing occurred a day after tourism industry representatives met with the newspaper's publisher to complain about a column by Ms. Smith in which she encouraged out-of-towners to explore Victoria's no-charge attraction rather than its more pricey visitor venues. And, according to one account, Bob McKenzie "agreed" during the meeting "that (the column) should have never run" and indicated Ms. Smith's contract would "probably" be cut short. So far, there's hasn't been a peep about this story in the Canadian mainstream media. But, across the Atlantic, it is getting some attention. Yesterday, The Guardian's media commentator Roy Greenslade - a journalism professor at London's City University - referenced the controversy on his blog, calling it "an extraordinary tale." Times Colonist representatives have yet to comment on the reason for Ms. Smith's axing, except to confirm the former Globe and Mail editor was told the newspaper doesn't base editorial decisions on advertiser complaints.