Live Coverage
CJF Forum: Fear and Loathing at City Hall
Let's talk about media relations with the Mayor's office. Join us here for the sold-out roundtable discussion with City Hall reporters Robyn Doolittle, Royson James, Marcus Gee and Jerry Agar at the TMX Broadcast Centre in Toronto. Jackson Proscow moderates.
- Cordial is not a word oft used to describe media relations with Mayor Rob Ford’s office. Especially when it comes to the Toronto Star. Tonight we’re here to talk about the various challenges and obstacles that reporters face when covering the city hall beat. Welcome to our liveblog!
- Hey, this is Matt Demers covering this event for J-Source! We're still in the opening stages here, but we should be starting any minute.
- Correction: twenty minutes.
- And I'm here w/ liveblogging, video team @MattDemers, @belindaalzner, and @danalaceyby rhrussell via twitter 1/19/2012 11:44:56 PM
- Here are the bios of our panelists and moderator for the evening:
Fear and loathing at #toronto city hall. Live.jsource.ca #cjfforum #topoli instagr.am
by danalacey via twitter 1/19/2012 11:47:30 PM- Robyn Doolittle is an urban affairs reporter with the Toronto Star covering local issues and local politics.
- Royson James is the municipal affairs columnist for the Toronto Star. Before becoming a columnist, he covered municipal politics as a reporter for the Star.
Panellists are all here. Waiting for the discussion to start. #cjfforum yfrog.com
by rhrussell via twitter 1/19/2012 11:48:51 PM- Marcus Gee is Toronto columnist for The Globe and Mail, Canada's national newspaper. Born in Toronto, he first worked as a reporter for The Province, Vancouver's morning newspaper. He spent four years in Asia in the early 1980s, the first three in Hong Kong as an editor, writer and correspondent for Asiaweek magazine, the last as a reporter for United Press International in Manila and Sydney. After returning to Canada, he worked as a foreign affairs writer at Maclean's magazine and as senior editor at the Financial Times of Canada. He joined the Globe in 1991 as an editorial writer and served as Editorial Page Editor from 2003 to 2006. His column on foreign affairs appeared on the Globe’s editorial pages for 13 years. He served as Asia-Pacific Business reporter from 2007 to 2009. He has won two National Newspaper Awards for his commentary. In 2002, Amnesty International gave him its annual John Humphrey award for human rights reporting. Among the events he has covered are the war in Kosovo, the violence in East Timor and the turmoil surrounding the overthrow of Indonesian President Suharto.
- And our moderator, Jackson Proscow is Global Toronto's municipal affairs reporter. Jackson began his career at Shaw TV in Calgary. After graduating university, he worked as a reporter, producer, anchor and weatherman at Global in Lethbridge, Alberta. From there it was off to Global's sister station, CHCH in Hamilton as a reporter before moving to Global Toronto. Since his move to Toronto in January 2006, Jackson has been on the front lines of the region's biggest news stories; from the arrest of 17 terrorism suspects in Toronto, an the tense land dispute in Caledonia, to the crash of Flight 3407 in Clarence Center, New York and President Barack Obama's first visit to Ottawa.
And, missing from the last pic, Royson James #cjfforum yfrog.com
by rhrussell via twitter 1/19/2012 11:50:58 PM- Sue-Ann Levy from Sun News broke her ankle and is no longer able to participate in tonight’s discussion, as was originally scheduled.
- RT @natalieturvey: Send comments to #CJFforum during @JSource's liveblog of the Fear and Loathing at City Hall event bit.lyby danalacey via twitter 1/19/2012 11:53:06 PM
- So, in short, our panel: Robyn Doolittle, Royson James, Margus Gee and Jerry Agar. Jackson Proscow is our moderator for the evening.
- For those unfamiliar with how things have gone down between Ford and the Star, J-Source summed it up here.
- The Star published a story during Ford’s campaign that Ford, to this day, maintains is false. He wants a front-page apology. The Star says its sources have stuck by their stories, so it too maintains its stance. So, Ford has simply excluded the Star from all official releases.
- It culminated in December with a doozy of a headline on the front page of the Star that read: “Doug Ford to Star: Drop dead.”
- by Belinda Alzner via Yfrog 1/19/2012 11:58:19 PM
- (The thing is: Nowhere in the story was the Mayor’s brother quoted as saying that.)
- After that story ran, Ford spoke on The John Oakley Show on AM640 and said, “It’s not even worth talking about. If people want to read a paper, pick up a Globe, Post or Sun. That’s what I encourage people to do.”
- And we're off!
- Intros are going out now. Bob Lewis is out with a root canal. Get well soon, Bob.
- And Ford has been in the headlines elsewhere. When he called 911 after Mary Walsh of CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes showed up in his driveway, it dominated headlines. The conflicting stories over whether or not the mayor called 911 dispatchers “bitches” and ensuing complaints prompted an investigation by CBC’s ombudsman.
- And recently, Mayor Ford was allegedly involved in another call to the police that prompted widespread media attention. On Dec 25 – a call came from the Ford household about a reported domestic dispute. Robyn Doolittle – one of tonight’s panelists – broke the story. It prompted conversation about whether or not Ford’s private life was worthy of public attention.
The panellists have taken their seats. We're ready to begin! #cjfforum yfrog.com
by rhrussell via twitter 1/20/2012 12:02:56 AM- I was told there would be a live stream. No?
- @Karen - just this liveblog! We will have video as well.
- Moderator Jackson Proskow being introduced now.
- Jackson Proscow, our moderator: "It's an incredible and engaging time not to only work at city hall, but to follow along."
- Proskow noting that city hall is a popular social topic. More talk happening between families and citizens.
- Proscow: Do journalists have the right to expect access to the people who run our city?
- @Belinda Alzner Yes, I understand the live blog, is video streaming now, or posted after the debate?
- Agenda is being laid out. Twitter will be in the docket.
- @Karen video will be posted in here as it comes in by our tweeter @danalacey
- Proscow is doing introductions now.
- A couple quick jabs at Mayor Ford's relationship with The Star and Lake Ontario's water. Seems a bit light hearted.
- Proscow to Marcus Gee on going to all 8 Toronto beaches: You didn't come back with any extra toes?
- @Belinda Alzner Thank you
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