Toronto Star Reporter vs. The Mayor

Last week, a Toronto Star reporter was caught around Rob Ford’s Etobicoke home trying to get a possible lead for a story that involved Ford’s property. How ironic. But the lengths of Journalism between what is right and what is wrong was brought up because Mr. Dale was caught “snooping” around the Ford home – somewhere where he wasn’t invited. Whether or not Dale was on Ford’s actual property is immaterial to me. It may be crucial in the court of law, but in the court of public opinion, Ford was (for once) in the right.

It’s true the Star went to the mayor’s house to add to an important story on Ford's attempted purchase of a parcel of land next to his property. But there are quite a few details here that don’t work in the newspaper's favour. 

First. There was no reason to show up unannounced. This was not supposed to be “gotcha journalism.” Since it was legal and above board, the professional approach would be to let the mayor’s handlers know in advance.

Second. Does the Star not have photographers? Why is a reporter going to take a picture of a piece of land with a Blackberry late in the day in bad light? He could have gone during the day when the mayor wasn't home, or when he could be identified by neighbours as non-threatening. Makes me suspect he was trying to catch the mayor doing something untoward.

Third. If he was going there to take photos, why would he not charge his phone?

Fourth. If this event made a seasoned reporter “more frightened than [he] can remember”, as Dale so self-righteously recounted, perhaps he should be looking for a new line of work. Confrontations like this one can and do happen, especially when reporting on contentious issues with sometimes hostile subjects.

The reporter himself found himself crossing the line of what Journalists do and don’t. Many would probably agree that Dale was on the verge of getting a story when Ford got to him, but the mayor of Toronto has a right too. He deserves his privacy, his property and his rights. And simply with the spread of comments through Twitter directed to the Star reporter, it was the mayor who found himself in the backlash of hatred for unleashing a tirade on an innocent individual. If that were the case, why didn’t Dale apologize? Because he was doing his job, but was doing it the wrong way.

Now the number one rule for Journalism is make sure you have a contact before you go out running around the contact’s home – meaning call them beforehand, let them know. And if they say “no”, go at it from another angle; don’t try and harass the mayor’s home. Of course I give credence to the argument that Ford is an elected official, held to high standards of behaviour and even higher levels of scrutiny, and he shouldn’t have personally confronted Dale, if he knew what Dale was there to do of course. But shouldn't the mayor recognize Star reporters who work in City Hall? Then again, it being dark would make it very hard to recognize the individual. But again, imagine someone creeping around your house at sunset, looking into your yard. What would you do?

And this wasn't the first incident Ford has had with the Star. This resulted in a long history of the Star vs. Rob Ford, even before Ford was mayor. For some reason, the Star likes being the "go-at-it" media company it is. They'll cover whatever it is they have to without minding the lengths.

There's a limit to what a reporter can and can't do. Poking at the tiger with a stick isn't one of them. It's a fault for a media company to be biased and publish fiction cause the public's riding on your shoulders. You shouldn’t have to bring 'em down with you. Even for a public figure, journalists simply do not cross special boundaries. There are invisible barricades you simply do not cross. And what Dale did, he crossed it. And he had what was coming to him – publicity.

Overall, this is just the Star's way to get all the media outlets talking about their company and how biased it can be; I mean its even got me talking about it. And if you don't like Rob Ford, this is yet another example of how ridiculous he has become. Rob Ford's first account of a controversy has never been accurate. Now, whether it's Marg Delahunty or Daniel Dale, Rob Ford's in danger because he's a public figure; because he's the mayor. The most legitimate threat reported from Ford's house since he became mayor was his sister's ex-boyfriend who entered though the front door.

Another day, another silly controversy involving Toronto's mayor, and everybody will use the incident as further proof of how horrible / awesome Ford is. That's why the Star annoys me and that's why I refuse to write about it.