Justin Ling, an Ottawa-based political reporter whose work appears on some of Canada’s largest national platforms, threatened the publisher of The Chronicle in a revealing email exchange Sunday evening. He threatened to use his access to The Globe and Mail to intentionally report ‘fake news’. We are unable to discern whether the communication was an attempt at political intimidation or extortion.
Ling is a supporter of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and has reported widely on transgender issues. A picture of Trudeau adorns his Twitter profile. Scrolling his social media pages will quickly reveal unabashedly left-leaning political biases.
In the federal government’s budget — expected to be tabled on Tuesday — Trudeau is planning to include a nearly $600 million bailout of Canada’s major media giants, including many left-leaning publications that employ Ling as a freelance writer. Among them, Ling’s work appears in Canadalandshow, Macleans, and The Ottawa Citizen.
That’s the backdrop when Ling placed a phone call to Matthew Ricchiazzi, our publisher, in the days approaching former Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould‘s testimony to the House justice committee investigating SNC Lavalin‘s influence peddling.
During the call, Ling was livid and terse. He explained that he had access to several national media platforms, and made accusations against The Chronicle of poor reporting in a story that involved Micheal Wernick, the Clerk of the Privy Council and member of the Liberal government’s ‘election protection unit’ tasked with monitoring social media for ‘critical election incidents’.
Ricchiazzi asked Ling to email him the inaccuracies he alleged in the piece and ensured him that he would address it privately with the relevant journalist, whose name has not been publicly disclosed for fear of political retribution. Shortly thereafter, a largely inconsequential technical correction was made and appended to that article.
In the days that followed, Ling used his Twitter account to make defamatory characterizations of The Chronicle, which were subsequently cited by iPolitics reporter Charlie Pinkerton (a subsidiary of Frank Iacobucci‘s Torstar), to sweepingly disparage this platform as ‘fake news’.
Then on Sunday evening, Ling initiated this email exchange, in which he threatens to intentionally misreport his communication with Ricchiazzi, and plans to do so in The Globe and Mail:
The Chronicle takes corporate citizenship seriously. If in refusing to take The Globe & Mail’s interview we can meaningfully protest the increasing concentration of media power in the hands of the government, then Canada’s seemingly imperiled freedom of speech demands that we do so.
We also understand that journalists in the United States enjoy far more sweeping legal protections relating to political speech. We will continue to protect the names of journalists who fear the political retribution of any government, anywhere in the world — most especially when it is in defense of the rights and freedoms of our friends and neighbors.
FAKE FUCKING NEWS IDIOTS
Don’t be so hard on Mr. Ling. He’s just bowing to his political masters.
Absolutely love it, thank you Matthew Ricchiazzi and the Buffalo Chronicle for pointing out the hypocrisy of Canadian media saying they are journalists and reporters and willing to take taxpayer’s money to supply their version of the news. Until the Buffalo Chronicle reported on the Bank of Montreal’s conduct in the TransMountain expansion I really was surprised how quickly and decisively purchased the pipeline from Kinder Morgan. Thanks to your work it is all making sense.
“…hypocrisy of Canadian media saying they are journalists and reporters and willing to take taxpayer’s money to supply their version of the news…”
Good thing there’s no American equivalent, eh? Oh, wait….
“The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012, which was contained within the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (section 1078 (a)) amended the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 and the Foreign Relations Authorization Act of 1987, allowing for materials produced by the State Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) to be available within the United States.”
Nice try there whoever you are but that legislation doesn’t apply to the Buffalo Chronicle. Keep trying though, you’re doing ok and that’s what counts in Canada
You guys are nuts. There is no direction or control from the government to gain those subsidies. The subsidies are there to protect and stabilize our print media so that Canadians can continue to rely on an independant and free press. Canadian journalists enjoy the same freedoms and rights as their American counterparts. You are way out to lunch on this story. I don’t use the term “Fake News” ever, but I am prepared to use that term with respect to your publication.
Umm it’s actually YOU who is nuts honey…
Get your head out of the sand. He who has the Gold makes the Rules
So the Liberal government just purchased the TransMountain pipeline out of the goodness of their hearts and love of Albertans? Who’s the nutjob again??
This Canadian begs to differ AD. There is plenty of control being brought forth by our corrupt Liberal Government. Used to just be control over the CBC, now its everywhere thanks to Turdo and his pay for news scheme.
Another brain dead Trudeau Supporter has her say….get real my child
….the LIBS OWN the MSM…600 Million will do that.
You have gorged on Kool-Aid Lady. You are a fool if you actually believe that horse shit you have posted.
Do you really understand the meaning of the word INDEPENDENT??? Taking Juth-tin’s PAYOFFS means they will do the bidding of the Briberals. They are turning this country into a third world republic, the Briberals must be thrown out of office!
oh you’re funny ………… wait, what? You’re serious?? Oh dear ………
You’re the one who is nuts A D. How can you be independent when you are subsidized by the government? Grow up!
AD is part of the Liberal “see no evil” group of which JT is the “Grand Master”.
JT is the
Thank you for standing up to this guys bully tactics… Most of my fellow Canucks have their heads in the sand about how corrupt our Government is. We are slowly turning into the Peoples Republic of Canada. The State is slowly taking over all aspects of Canadian society.
It’s a big sandbox. Why can’t we all just play nice?
Not surprising in the least is the tone of the State sponsored “journalist”, Ling… it has a real fascistic ring to it does”nt it… demanding to know where the Chronicle is getting its information from.including the names of the non State sponsored journalists… wow.. it tells you all you need to know regarding the state of Canadian journalism these days. Its a far left circle jerk with a hint of totalitarianism. Ling is a disgrace to the journalistic practice.. I wish I could say Ling was some fringe weirdo, sadly he is representative of many of far leftist agitators disguised as journalists in Canada. Ling is a prime example of what the death of journalism looks like and in Canada he has a lot of competition.
When you elect an elementary drama teacher, expect, childish drama.
I had not heard about the Buffalo Chronicle publication until I read Mr. Ling’s article. You guys have great articles, well researched and writtten! I will share the link with my friends. Thanks again Mr. Ling!
Exactly. More people are learning about the Chronicle thanks to goofballs like this Ling dolt moaning and dripping about it that a simple google search ever would thanks to their slanted algorithms! The team at the Chronicle should send a small token of their appreciation for his efforts at expanding their reach within Canada!
Government must NOT subsidized media. That will distort their role in scrutinizing government. An idiot can see that. Canadians are dumber than idiots because they elected this retarded son of a destructive Canadian communist who was PM for about 18 horrid years. The asshole who is currently the PM must be gotten rid of.
THANK YOU Buffalo Chronicle!! You are a beacon of hope!!