Toronto Sun has a new Editor-in-Chief in the fallout of a major shakeup at Sun Media that will see 11 newspapers shut down and 360 employees laid off. Wendy Metcalfe, former Regional Content Director for Niagara and Southern Ontario for Sun Media and Editor-in-Chief at the St. Catherines Standard, has been named Editor-in-Chief of the Toronto Sun after James Wallace announced he would be stepping down on Monday, according to Globe and Mail reporter Steve Ladurantaye. An internal memo from COO Julie Tremblay distributed to Sun Media staff said that the corporation has “fundamentally shifted its business model from a newspaper based company to an integrated media company,” and they will “continue to focus on great journalism.”

CWA Canada, the union that represents workers at several Sun Media papers, released a statement condemning the layoffs calling Tremblay’s statements “doublespeak.” CWA Canada Director Martin O’Hanlon said, “I’m still waiting for someone to show me how you produce better journalism with fewer journalists. To suggest it’s possible is either delusional or dishonest – neither bodes well for Sun Media’s fortunes.”

We’ve made the argument before that as print ad revenue dries up and digital ad revenue fails to make up the losses, newspapers need to adapt to new business models which can include downsizing but more importantly means offering new products and services. However, it remains to be seen what new offerings Sun Media might have up their sleeve as they adapt to the digital world. As of this writing, Metcalfe has yet to tweet about her new position.

UPDATE: Okay, she tweeted now.

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Michael Kolberg is The Sprawl Editor at Toronto Standard. Follow him on Twitter for jokes @mikeykolberg.

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