U.S. PAPERS IRKED THAT GRETZKY DOESN'T WRITE HIS OWN COLUMN?

          Wayne Gretzky's syndicated column in the National Post
     "has raised questions among some U.S. journalists,"
     according to William Houston of the Toronto GLOBE & MAIL. 
     The "concern" is based on the fact that Gretzky "does not
     write the column, even though it appears under his byline." 
     Houston: "More important, his ghostwriter, Roy MacGregor of
     the National Post, has never been revealed as the column's
     author."  The weekly column is made available to American
     newspapers, but "only a few have picked it up," including
     the Denver Post and "two small dailies" in MN and ND. Univ.
     of NC Professor Philip Meyer told the American Journalism
     Review "that readers should have been informed of
     MacGregor's involvement."  Meyer: "If a mainstream newspaper
     in the United States [ran the column], they would have to
     disclose the ghostwriting ... in order to be ethical."  West
     Central (MN) Tribune Editor Ruth Newman, whose paper carries
     the column, said that she was "surprised to learn the column
     is ghostwritten."  Newman: "That's very frustrating.  The
     syndicate did not tell me that."  Newman will now note that
     the column is ghostwritten (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 2/10).