Musings —02.02.2015 08:41 AM
—Grit nominations: what is news and what isn’t
To suggest that Justin Trudeau has repeatedly broken his promise to have open nominations – in his very first speech as leader, no less – isn’t in any way news. His promise has been broken so many times – here and here and here, inter alia – it is farcical. I do not know a single Liberal outside Trudeau’s insular inner circle who is prepared to argue otherwise.
Trudeau’s “open nominations” are neither – neither open, nor nominations. They are stealth appointments. But that, as I say, isn’t news.
What’s news is The Huffington Post’s apparent belief that anonymous sources can always be counted upon to testify in the event of a libel action. Check this out, from their story:
“The man cheated. He was caught. And it was a pretty flagrant violation,” a Liberal party official said, insisting on anonymity.”
Back at the beginning of time, when I was a litigator and practiced a bit of libel law, this is what I would ask editors of publications like HuffPo:
- Is the anonymous source reliable?
- Is he or she motivated by malice, and using us?
- Is what he or she saying true?
- In the event of a libel action, can the anonymous source be counted on to testify for us?
There’s a reason why anonymous sources prefer to be anonymous: they want to say critical (and oftentimes defamatory) things with impunity.
HuffPo, you surprise me. Hope you have a great legal team.
Agree, agree. One of the several reasons I am a free agent this election campaign. By free, I mean definitely not voting Liberal.
You should see what is going on in N.B. Its is just aweful, people are sending back their membership cards or cutting them.
Would/will the party actually sue though? I imagine HuffPo is banking on the party wanting this whole thing to just go away, that it would look bad if the story were dragged out in a libel case, so won’t go to court. WK do you really see the party sueing?
Umm, I don’t think he had the party in mind as the potential plaintiff.
Bill