Star coverage of Mayor John Tory met journalistic standards. Despite strong criticism from readers, the story of John Tory’s affair with a staff member reflects his poor judgment and a dangerous power imbalance. Opinion by public editor donovanvincent
The Star faced some harsh criticism after our exclusive story last week about Mayor John Tory’s extramarital affair with a young woman in his office.
His letter typifies what many others told us. A Forum poll found that Torontonians were evenly split on whether Tory should have resigned. It’s the reaction, along with our rationale for running the story that I delved into as public editor this week. “He always answered our questions and praised our journalism even when it made him uncomfortable. We didn’t call for him to resign and had no desire to force him out of office … that was purely his decision,” Rider said.
Most of the hate mail he received came from women, strangely enough, he noted. “Not quite sure how to process that,” Rider commented in a tweet. Star editor-in-chief Anne Marie Owens elaborated on that point in a way I conclude is spot on. She told me that politicians are entitled to privacy and this is a boundary the Star respects as a news organization.
“An extended affair with a junior adviser raises questions about an imbalance of power and Tory’s conduct and judgment while in office. Our understanding, as a culture, of the ethical difficulties of such relationships has evolved in recent years,” Owens said, referring to the #MeToo movement and the public awareness raised around women’s rights and power dynamics in work environments.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Deputy mayor Jennifer McKelvie says she will not run for mayor following John Tory’s departureIn a statement released Thursday morning, McKelvie, deputy mayor of Toronto since November, said she “will not be seeking to run for Mayor in the upcoming by-election.”
Read more »
Doug Ford begs John Tory to remain Toronto mayor; Chrystia Freeland denies she did the sameOntario Premier Doug Ford says there’s a good chance a Toronto by\u002Delection it could yield a \u0027disastrous\u0027 result — \u0027a lefty mayor\u0027
Read more »
Doug Ford says that a 'lefty mayor' could destroy Toronto if John Tory leavesIt looks like Ontario Premier Doug Ford is among the political allies of embattled Toronto Mayor John Tory who would really rather not see any shak...
Read more »
Mayor John Tory sidesteps questions about resignation as council passes 2023 budgetTory was met Wednesday morning by a swarm of media all asking the question at the top of everyone’s minds: when is he formally resigning as mayor of the largest city in the country.
Read more »
Mayor John Tory formally submits resignation letter to city clerkMayor John Tory submitted his resignation notice to the city clerk on Wednesday evening five days after he abruptly announced he was stepping down from the job.
Read more »
John Tory formally resigns as mayor of TorontoMayor John Tory submitted his resignation notice to the city clerk on Wednesday evening, five days after he abruptly announced he was stepping down from the job.
Read more »