What was Sandra Bussin thinking?
Now that she’s apologized for calling the John Tory show on CFRB to lay into the mayor’s critics last week, I gotta wonder what all the fuss is about.
If you haven’t heard. Bussin didn’t come clean to state she happens to be the councillor for the Beaches when she was introduced as only “Sandra” on the air.
Certainly, when Tory’s co-host Tariq Fatah asked during the interview whether she worked for the city, Bussin might have responded in the affirmative, instead of the negative, even though, technically she does in fact works for her constituents, not the city.
Let’s be clear. Bussin’s deserves whatever public whipping she takes on this one.
But a little sympathy may be in order.
The mayor had made his announcement he wouldn’t be running for re-election just hours earlier and Bussin, listening to the right-wing chatter on the Tory show, “lies” she called them, just couldn’t take it anymore.
Certainly, neither Tory or Fatah were doing anything to correct those among Miller’s call-in critics, many of them identified as being from the 905, who were playing a little fast and loose with the truth when discussion turned to the city workers strike.
Bussin just snapped. The sorry episode reflects badly on her.
But it also raises a very good question about the power of the media and those who wield it.
As a possible mayoral candidate – and it now looks like John Tory will run – should CFRB be affording Tory airtime on a prime time slot to begin his campaigning?
Some might argue that Tory hasn’t declared yet, so there’s no conflict.
Perhaps. But as a supposed unbiased disseminator of the news, doesn’t CFRB owe it to its listener to offer opposing points of view? Does CFRB have an obligation to present the facts?
The short answer is yes, of course.
But that’s not the way it works on the John Tory show.
The modus here is clearly to provide a platform for the station’s chosen candidate for the next mayor of Toronto.
Maybe Bussin was right. Maybe she deserves her own show on CFRB, too. Might make for more balanced coverage of city issues.[rssbreak]
