09.18.2012 08:28 AM

The Citizen’s standards

Here’s Randy Denley’s pledge to run again as an Ontario PC candidate.

And here’s his employer, the Ottawa Citizen, letting him still write about provincial politics.

I await Glen McGregor’s outraged denunciation with anticipation.

12 Comments

  1. Glen says:

    Seriously though, how is this different from the freelance column you wrote for the Citizen when Chretien was PM?

    • Warren says:

      1. I was a freelance opinion writer, not staff. Same presently at the Sun.
      2. My role, as a former advisor to Chretien, was always clearly noted. I was not a current candidate at any time.
      3. It is a real, and not just perceived, conflict of interest. If he wrote about the Arts, it wouldn’t matter.
      4. Their piety about the Sun – which can defend itself, etc. – is a bit hard to stomach when they maintain corporate silence on Denley’s case. They’re hypocrites, in other words. McGregor in particular.

      That an answer for you?

      • Ottawacon says:

        While I agree to some extent, note this from his byline bio:

        “His freelance column appears Fridays on the editorial page.”

        My questions begin around a weekly freelance column….

        • Warren says:

          Was he not a member of the editorial board? Interesting.

          Anyway, my beef isn’t about him per se. Randy was my boss, years ago, and a good guy. Bad politician, good journalist (they are legion), etc.

          My beef is about his paper. There are guys there who continually take shots at the Sun (some well-deserved) for this kind of stuff.

          What stinks, to me, is the hypocrisy. Not bias. Everyone is biased, IMO.

          I just want people to admit to it.

          • Durante says:

            You were a freelance when you wrote those pieces for the CItizen? So is Denley. He took the buy-out weeks ago. Also, he’s not a “current candidate” either. He has simply said he intends to be. .

          • Warren says:

            You sure know a lot, person who doesn’t use a real name or email address.

  2. Patrick says:

    Total burn!

    Even Sun isn’t THAT partisan!

  3. kre8tv says:

    Newspapers aren’t in decline because people no longer read, it’s because they don’t believe what they read.

    • Tim Sullivan says:

      The Citizen is on a subscription blitz. Some poor young woman showed up at my door a few days ago and asked me to subscribe. I said no thanks. Then she asked why. I said it was not a good newspaper, unfortunately.

      It did not help that I had just finished a discussion about the characterization by the Citizen that military police had “doctored” documents when no such evidence, finding or admission had been made on that particular issue. Editorial, I can take. Making shit up and passing it off as fact? I have better things to do with my time.

      It is sad that the Citizen is such a poor newspaper because Ottawa could use a good, insightful paper, in the capital and the second-largest city in Ontario.

  4. Dan says:

    The announcment was on Sept 14.
    Date of last published article by Denley- September 13.

    The article (Sept 14) also notes that “Gerry Nott, the Citizen’s publisher, said Friday Denley’s status with the paper is under review in light of the announcement.”

    I dont see the Citizen as hypocrites at this point.

  5. Merrill Smith says:

    Since he doesn’t live in the riding, he might never get here if he doesn’t have to drop in to the Citizen’s offices from time to time.

  6. Philippe says:

    I actually liked the old Denley because he was able to rationalize his arguments based on logical analysis – he was adept and smashing all parties & was fully color-blind. My sense is that he’s an honourable journalist that, even if elected, would march to his own drummer and bring forth intelligent ideas (which are in short supply for Conservatives). That said though, I do worry that his Tory affiliations now taint his thinking – I wish he would have never taken that step.

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