Ego and Ink: The Inside Story of Canada's National Newspaper War

In this fast-paced and dramatic book, journalist Chris Cobb serves up a solidly reported business story laced with political intrigue, insider gossip, and inflamed egos.

It looked, at first, like it would be a rout. Conrad Black, supreme commander of the upstart National Post, was jubilant: “We have shattered this cozy little logrolling, backscratching society of the Toronto media cartel!” The Post style was quickly dubbed “tits and analysis,” but the threat was very real. Once the Post was launched, the fight got dirty. For six months a Globe spy faxed them the Post’s front page each day before the Globe went to press. The publisher at the Star warned his top people that the Post’s owners “aren’t restrained by the Marquess of Queensberry rules.” The struggling Globe drafted the foppish, often brutal Fleet Street editor Richard Addis, who put the paper through an agonizing but ultimately successful readjustment.

The short but invigorating war left many casualties in its wake, but it also made newspapers exciting for the first time in this country. And it produced some of the finest, most discussed journalism this country has seen.

Based on solid research and interviews with all the major players – editors, publishers, owners, columnists, advertisers – Ego and Ink is enlivened with colourful dialogue, remarkable characters, eye-opening anecdotes, and the quick pace of popular fiction. This irreverent book also offers newspaper readers fascinating insight into how the business works.

Chris Cobb writes for the Ottawa Citizen-Southam Newspaper Group on media and communications. For three years he was a twice-weekly columnist for the National Post on TV sports, and has received three National Newspaper Award citations. He lives in Ottawa.