Mayor Ford would have to be pretty arrogant to deny the Toronto Star access to municipal releases because it had published a story which was accurate in all respects. Of course, the mayor says the story the Star published about him was false. The Star says that it stands by its story (which is frequently a way for newspapers to say they aren’t going to retract no matter what). And while there may be an administrative duty on the mayor to give official releases to the Star, it is indisputable that there is very little attention being paid to Mr Ford’s complaint. The Star has cast Mr. Ford as a bully and invoked its renowned importance as the largest newspaper in Canada. This is unfortunate. It would do far better to try to reconcile its original story to agreed upon facts rather than wage its present pompous campaign. The Star is a hugely powerful organization that almost daily thunders its way to conclusions which fit its own special point of view. It should stand down on this campaign. At least send an emissary to the mayor and try to agree on the facts. The facts are supposed to be important to newspapers.
