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Toronto Star challenges Mayor Rob Ford’s official information boycott

There's an old saying: Never get into an argument with someone who buys his ink by the barrel and his paper by the ton.

It's equally true in the Internet age but apparently its wisdom is lost on Toronto Mayor Rob Ford.

The Toronto Star, still Canada's largest-circulation newspaper, has found itself on the receiving end of something called the "Ford Freeze." It's an order that no official notices or announcements from the city be provided to its biggest paper.

The ban dates back to last year's mayoralty election campaign when Ford was outraged by a Star story about his conduct as an amateur football coach. He threatened a libel suit over claims he had a physical confrontation with a player on his own team.

Ford never proceeded with his suit, instead launching a communications boycott of the Star.

Now John Honderich, chairman of parent company TorStar, is calling out the mayor.

"Mayor Ford has repeatedly said his freeze will stay in place until the Star runs an apology above the fold on page 1," Honderich writes in Thursday's Star. "As he recently told reporter Daniel Dale, 'I don't talk to the Star till you guys apologize. You guys (are) liars.'

"Thus we have the chief magistrate of the city, his legal remedy expired, using the tool of blackout to prevent the city's largest newspaper from receiving notification of public events, briefings or announcements from his office.

"In my view, this tactic is not only high-handed and inappropriate, but also raises a serious issue of abuse of power."

Ford is under no obligation to speak to Star reporters, writes Honderich, but shutting out the paper from receiving official notices "directly affects our ability to cover city hall and serve our readers."

Honderich suggests the boycott undermines local democracy.

He contends Ford staffers have tried to enlist reporters from other outlets, asking them not to tell their Star colleagues about a briefing on city arts funding.

"Thankfully, they did not go along."

Honderich says the Star now will file a complaint with Toronto's integrity commissioner.

"Quite simply, the mayor must be held to account."

While many journalists apparently sympathize, the rival National Post sees this as just another chapter in the Star's ongoing feud with Ford.

Columnist Kelly McParland writes the Star's vehement opposition to Ford's candidacy was evident from the beginning but despite its wide reach, Ford got elected by a sizeable margin.

The boycott, he says, "doesn't seem to have hurt the paper's coverage, which tends to treat the mayor like a fat, brainless slob who somehow tricked voters into electing him and is busy turning the city into a smoking ruin. Even without official notices, the Star gets plenty of material to feed its insatiable appetite for victims to champion."

But after he finishes sneering at Honderich's indignation, McParland comes down in support of the Star's complaint.

Ford can ignore the Star personally but "he occupies a public office, and the public has a right to know what he's up to.

"Freezing out one news organization while accommodating others just creates an impression of pettiness that diminishes both the office and its holder. He's made his point. He should lift the ban."