(no subject)
For over a year now, the Toronto Star has had no official access to Rob Ford: he was so pissed off about an article they published in the summer of 2010 that he basically excommunicated them from his campaign, and, later, from his mayoralty. They are excluded from press conferences, they do not receive media briefings, they are not permitted to interview or speak with Ford officials (let alone Ford himself), and they must instead do all of their news-gathering from outside: news and photographs off of wire services, documents borrowed from colleagues with other papers, off-the-record comments, etc.
Today, the other shoe dropped. The Toronto Star has more or less declared open war with Rob Ford. Today's edition carried multiple stories and editorials about the ongoing feud, and the Star has now contacted the city's Integrity Commissioner, asking them to rule on whether or not Ford is acting ethically in excluding them from briefings and events to which all other papers are party. (The Star has acknowledged that they have no right to interview Ford or speak to his officials; this is about whether or not they should be included in press conferences, receive notice of upcoming events, etc.)
The Star is the largest paper in the city. (Largest in the country, in fact.) The Globe & Mail's city bureau has endorsed the Star's campaign, as has the Ottawa press gallery. Ford appears unwilling to budge unless and until the Star publishes a page-1 apology and retraction, although he has never actually accused the Star of getting it wrong. (Libel proceedings were initiated, but abandoned before coming anywhere near trial.)
I know, I know: municipal politics. But I, for one, find this situation enthralling: the Star might finally have Ford over a barrel (Either he re-admits their reporters or he looks like a tyrant. Both outcomes suit the Star just fine), and this is happening in tandem with a reinvogration of council's left wing. Ford won nearly 100% of council votes in the early months of his mayoralty; more recently, he's losing a key vote almost every week (in addition to dozens of minor and procedural votes), and it's getting worse instead of better.
With even some of his allies publicly criticizing his exclusion of the Star (and getting more and more uncomfortable standing by him generally), this might be the straw that breaks the mayor's back.
Today, the other shoe dropped. The Toronto Star has more or less declared open war with Rob Ford. Today's edition carried multiple stories and editorials about the ongoing feud, and the Star has now contacted the city's Integrity Commissioner, asking them to rule on whether or not Ford is acting ethically in excluding them from briefings and events to which all other papers are party. (The Star has acknowledged that they have no right to interview Ford or speak to his officials; this is about whether or not they should be included in press conferences, receive notice of upcoming events, etc.)
The Star is the largest paper in the city. (Largest in the country, in fact.) The Globe & Mail's city bureau has endorsed the Star's campaign, as has the Ottawa press gallery. Ford appears unwilling to budge unless and until the Star publishes a page-1 apology and retraction, although he has never actually accused the Star of getting it wrong. (Libel proceedings were initiated, but abandoned before coming anywhere near trial.)
I know, I know: municipal politics. But I, for one, find this situation enthralling: the Star might finally have Ford over a barrel (Either he re-admits their reporters or he looks like a tyrant. Both outcomes suit the Star just fine), and this is happening in tandem with a reinvogration of council's left wing. Ford won nearly 100% of council votes in the early months of his mayoralty; more recently, he's losing a key vote almost every week (in addition to dozens of minor and procedural votes), and it's getting worse instead of better.
With even some of his allies publicly criticizing his exclusion of the Star (and getting more and more uncomfortable standing by him generally), this might be the straw that breaks the mayor's back.