Doug Ford says the Star is ruthless.
Speaking at a meeting of the city’s government management committee, Ford condemned the Toronto Star for filing requests under the Municipal Freedom of Information Act, for asking questions of the mayor’s constituents and for what he called “stalking” his 76-year-old mother for a story.
“I’m the first to admit that 90 per cent of the media is very respectful; they don’t come charging through the office, but there is a media outlet that doesn’t respect that,” Ford told David Nickle, the city hall press gallery president, on Tuesday.
The committee was discussing a proposed change to security rules that would prevent reporters from entering the councillors’ office area without restrictions. Apparently, the idea is to require accredited media, who rent offices in City Hall, to sign in like the general public and be escorted to councillors’ offices.
It’s still before the committee.
The Ford brothers and their teams have consistently refused to talk to the paper’s reporters.
Ford complained the newspaper has gone to constituents asking the purpose of the mayor’s visits. “As far as I am concerned, that’s private,” said Ford. “That’s none of their business.” The Star denied Ford’s claims.
He also blasted Star reporters for filing what he deemed too many freedom of information requests.
The Star filed such a request for details on the mayor’s daily itinerary when reporters were unable to obtain that information from his communications team. The story published March 24 revealed, among other things, that the mayor keeps a busy schedule filled with appearances at community events. The Star spoke to business and community leaders to discuss the meetings, but not to ordinary constituents.
When David Miller was mayor, his office released a basic itinerary every week.
Ford was also angry about a Star reporter trying to speak to his mother while writing his profile before the October election. (A reporter was working on the story in Etobicoke when she spotted a Jaguar covered with “Ford for mayor” decals. When she attempted to speak with the driver, she discovered it was Ford’s mother.)
“When you start going after people’s families, it’s a witch hunt. It’s unacceptable,” he told Nickle.
“And I just want to say — 98 per cent of you are respectful, you don’t hunt someone’s mother down, except one media outlet: the Toronto Star,” said Ford. “They’re ruthless.”
Star reporters undertake their journalism in a professional and respectful manner, said Star spokesman Bob Hepburn.
“It is simply wrong to suggest that Star reporters have ‘stalked’ or ‘hunted down’ Mr. Ford’s mother,” he said. “Star reporters have interviewed Mrs. Ford in the past, but always with courtesy and professionalism.”