Day 42

Note:  I am a poor note-taker and these summaries will contain errors and omissions which will reflect my limitations.  My intention is to report on the facts as accurately as possible although a subconscious bias may creep in.  I can only provide glimpses into what I see as relevant and interesting events. My goal is to capture the essence of the day’s events rather than be comprehensive.

Read the reference documents: The Legal Case and Events Leading to Trial to obtain an understanding of the case and its history.  Names and terms are abbreviated and defined in  Glossary.

Toronto Star Testimony Continues

Direct Examination of Angela Mullins by Ms. Cooper

Ms. Mullins has worked as a journalist for 25 years in a variety of capacities. In 2019 she was a senior editor of national news for the Toronto Star.  All Star Metro outlets across the country reported to her.  Her evidence:

·      She and Alex Boyd communicated almost daily.

·      The description of Caylan as a racist white supremacist was agreed upon by Ms. Mullins and Ms. Boyd.

·      Ms. Mullins was led through each of the defamatory Toronto Star publications about Caylan.

·      She went to great lengths to explain why the description of Caylan as a racist white supremacist was, in her opinion, justified.

·      The description of Caylan as a racist white supremacist was justified because Caylan had used words used by white supremacists.

·      Caylan’s message about Western culture is codified language that was common within some political movements at the time.

·      Ms. Mullins was not aware of the Emma McIntosh tweets at the time.

Ms. Mullins’s testimony concluded and she was excused.

Comment

Ms. Mullins gave no indication that she or Ms. Boyd considered any alternative interpretation or reading of Caylan’s words.  For them it was a foregone conclusion that Caylan was a racist white supremacist.  It’s easy to reach such a conclusion when you avoid speaking to the person about whom the conclusion is reached.

Direct Examination of Emma McIntosh by Ms. Cooper

In 2019 Ms. McIntosh was working for Star Metro Calgary as a reporter/photographer and reported to Ms. Boyd. She was then a recent graduate from journalism school.  Her evidence:

·      She then knew that Caylan was a high-profile candidate for the UCP in the Mountainview riding, she knew that Caylan had worked for Global Affairs and was a film maker.

·      When she saw the March 18 Press Progress article, she decided Caylan‘s statements were the statements of someone who believed in the great replacement theory.

·      She was examined interminably about tweets, news articles and press releases by former and current Co-Defendants like Progress Alberta, the NDP, CBC, Global News, and the Calgary Herald.

·      She explained at length why each of those articles was appropriate.

·      On March 29 Danielle Smith conducted her live interview of Caylan.

·      When the interview had barely started Ms. McIntosh tweeted “What in the fresh hell are we giving airtime to an unapologetic white supremacist  so she can continue to deny what she [sic] was deeply disturbing and problematic?”

·      Ms. McIntosh’s description of Caylan as an unapologetic white supremacist was seen 53,697 times on Twitter.

·      Ms. McIntosh was highly critical of Danielle Smith’s interview.

·      Ms. McIntosh had just graduated from journalism and knew better than Danielle Smith how to report on stories about extremist statements.

·      She considered it unethical that Global News was giving Caylan an opportunity to tell her story.

·      She considered Danielle Smith a partisan who should not be allowed to have a radio show.

·      Ms. McIntosh understood that Caylan had advocated for one minority but thought that Caylan could still harbor hateful views about other minorities.

·      She considered Caylan’s denunciation of extremism as vague.

·      She condemned Caylan because she had not apologized.

·      Caylan had said that white supremacist was odious and a perverse form of moral reasoning.

·      Ms. McIntosh dismissed that description of white supremacy because she thought that Caylan was not talking about white supremacy.

·      She didn’t think that Global News was conducting the interview responsibly.

·      Ms. McIntosh described the interview as “fucking irresponsible”.

·      In her view it was irresponsible of Smith not to put the actual quotes to Caylan.

·      She said that Global News could and should have gotten a response from Jivraj about Caylan’s allegations. 

·      She considered Caylan’s discussion of demographic replacement as an endorsement of the great replacement theory.

·      Caylan stated in the interview that it was ludicrous to consider her a white supremacist.

·      Ms. McIntosh said Caylan’s statement was meaningless because Caylan did not expressly say she was not a white supremacist.

·      Ms. McIntosh was critical of the Graeme Gordon article which provided Caylan’s story.

·      Ms. McIntosh cared a lot about upholding the standards of the journalist profession.

·      When a journalist behaves unethically, it harms the public perception of everyone in the profession.

·      The star decided not to write anything about the Danielle Smith interview.

·      Ms. McIntosh did read Apologia, but her dichotomous mind was made up.

Cross-examination of Ms. McIntosh by Mr. Harrison (Caylan’s Counsel)

·      Ms. McIntosh’s understanding of white supremacy was that it was an opinion or conclusion that can be drawn about someone.

·      There is no objective test for white supremacy; it’s just an opinion you can draw.

·      In her examinations for discovery Ms. McIntosh had admitted that Caylan disavowed white supremacy in the first 3 minutes of the Danielle Smith interview.

·      Ms. McIntosh’s testimony at trial was that Caylan’s disavowal of white supremacist was not convincing to her.

·      She re-tweeted the defamatory posts published by Nanda.

Comment

General

I have not mentioned that all the Toronto Star witnesses were led by Counsel to the Torstar Journalism Standards Guide, which is the guide for Toronto Star journalists to their provision of fair, balanced and accurate journalism.  Each of the Toronto Star witnesses in turn professed to consider the Guide as a bible guiding their every journalistic decision. 

McIntosh Idealism

 Ms. McIntosh was a recent graduate from journalism school and was suffused with righteous idealism.  She was highly judgmental about journalists who did not see the world as she did and was particularly critical of Danielle Smith for giving Caylan an opportunity to tell her story.

Ms. McIntosh condemned Danielle Smith and Global News because, in her opinion, they should have gotten a response from Jivraj to the allegations made by Caylan.  She dismissed the Smith interview as irresponsible and unethical.  Yet Ms. McIntosh made no effort to get a response from either Caylan or Jivraj. 

Graeme Gordon v. Emma McIntosh

Ms. McIntosh was critical of Graeme Gordon’s article entitled A political hit job in the name of progress: how UCP candidate Caylan Ford fell from grace.  Mr. Gordon had spent approximately two weeks preparing the article, interviewed 12 sources, reviewed emails and social media posts, and read prior Press Progress publications.  He conducted four or five interviews with Jivraj (the first two lasting several hours), two interviews with Caylan, wrote to Press Progress, and spoke with many individuals knowledgeable about the political situation.

Ms. McIntosh spent no time preparing for her publications, interviewed no one, read only the Press Progress article, conducted no interviews, and spoke to no one except persons in her echo chamber, equally intent on destroying Caylan.  And on that basis of that research, she characterized Caylan as a racist white supremacist.

The time and effort spent on their respective publications provide a measure of truth, integrity, and responsibility.  Mr. Gordon would exonerate Caylan; Ms. McIntosh would condemn her.  Choosing between them is not difficult.