Postmedia takes 'appropriate action' against employee who leaked Calgary Sun column to city staffer

Postmedia has taken action against an employee who shared a copy of a Calgary Sun column with a city hall communications staffer prior to it being published.

A note to readers published on page two of the Saturday edition of the Calgary Sun and Calgary Herald — both owned by Postmedia — says following an internal investigation, "the source of the leak was determined and appropriate action taken."

"An ongoing investigation will determine whether further action is necessary," reads the note.

"The newsroom is taking corrective measures to ensure all staff are aware that dissemination of content prior to publication is unacceptable except in highly specific instances such as legal consultation."

The note was also posted to the Sun and Herald websites.

The sharing of the Jan. 23, 2018, column written by longtime Sun columnist Rick Bell — who is a frequent critic of city hall — came to light earlier this week through the release of a freedom of information request by Save Calgary, a third-party advocacy group.

"The internal city documents showed that the unpublished Sun column was sent to Vickie Megrath in the city's communications department, and then shared with city manager Jeff Fielding and city solicitor Glenda Cole the night before it was available to readers in the print edition or online," reads the note from Postmedia.

Cole earlier told CBC Calgary it was not Bell who shared the work.

Megrath is a former journalist who worked at the Calgary Sun in the past, according to her online resume. She has been with the city since 2005.