Wayne Janes of the T.O. Sun Defends the Jack Layton rub'n tug story on The Sun Family Blog (TSF):
Gotta respond, TSF. It was a tab story. TSF knows as much as anyone and more than most that a tab can't ignore a tab story. No argument it was dirty politics, but the reality is the news business is just that — a business — and politics is dirty now. To pass the story up to let other media outlets have it would have been bad business, not to mention bad journalism. Layton needed to be asked about this once it came to light and he needed his side to be told. All that was done and done properly.
Many people asked, What if it was Harper? Wouldn't everybody jump on it with glee? What if it WAS Harper, and we DID ignore the story, citing "ethics?" What would people think of the Sun then?
A story is a story is a story.
Not sure I agree, especially since the information was provided anonymously, and the "retired police officer" that supplied it has not been subject to the same kind of press scrutiny that Mr. Layton was forced to undergo. But at least a coherent response.
The link between commercial interests and bad journalism is seldom made so explicit by people who are actually involved in the producing of said bad product.
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