J-Source

Journalism vindicated: Police chief says crack video is real

Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair says the police service has in its possession a video that allegedly shows Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine. Over the past six months, since the news broke that Gawker and Toronto Star journalists had seen the alleged video, journalism has been on trial. The public demanded proof that the video existed and…
Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair says the police service has in its possession a video that allegedly shows Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine. Over the past six months, since the news broke that Gawker and Toronto Star journalists had seen the alleged video, journalism has been on trial. The public demanded proof that the video existed and the Star and the Globe both had to defend their coverage and ethical principles before the Ontario Press Council. In spite of the press council confirming that their reporting techniques were sound, the lack of proof appeared damning. So it was with much glee and a sense of vindication that journalists, especially those in the Toronto Star newsroom, took in the police chief's news. 

[node:ad]

Tamara Baluja is an award-winning journalist with CBC Vancouver and the 2018 Michener-Deacon fellow for journalism education. She was the associate editor for J-Source from 2013-2014.