Judi McLeod

Judi Ann T. McLeod (born 1944) [http://hip.tpl.toronto.on.ca/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=0&menu=search&aspect=power&npp=10&ipp=20&profile=rs&ri=&index=AW&term=McLeod%2C+Judi%20+1944] is a Canadian journalist who operates the conservative news website "Canada Free Press" (CFP).

Early life and career

McLeod was born in Prince Edward Island and raised in St. Joseph's Orphanage in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her first article was published in the "Halifax Chronicle-Herald" when she was 18. Johnson, William. "'Gutsy'" reporter McLeod gets the pink slip", "The Globe and Mail", March 23 1983. p. 8]

Early career controversy

McLeod worked as a city-hall reporter in the Greater Toronto Area for the "Brampton Times" in 1981, where her husband was the managing editor. Johnson, William. "'Gutsy'" reporter McLeod gets the pink slip", "The Globe and Mail", March 23 1983. p. 8]

When she was removed from the beat in 1983, she alleged that conservatives she had accused of meddling in local politics had put pressure on the newspaper. When her husband reinstated her to the position, the newspaper fired them both. Kashmeri, Zuhair. "Had criticized Brampton politics Reporter moved from beat: The Globe and Mail. January 27 1983, p. 3] The "Globe and Mail" reported that Canada's multiculturalism minister, Liberal MPP James Fleming, was investigating McLeod's removal from the beat. Fleming believed the reassignment amounted to intimidation of a reporter doing her job. Kashmeri, Zuhair. "Reporter's reassignment investigated by Fleming". "The Globe and Mail", February 3 1983. p. CL8] The Ontario Federation of Labour, protested on McLeod's behalf against what they called political intervention. Kashmeri, Zuhair. "Reporter's reassignment investigated by Fleming". "The Globe and Mail", February 3 1983. p. CL8] Days after being fired, McLeod won the "Edward J. Hayes Memorial" Ontario award for beat-reporting. [http://www.ontarionewspaperawards.ca/ontarionewspaperawards/categories.html] Johnson, William. "'Gutsy'" reporter McLeod gets the pink slip", "The Globe and Mail", March 23 1983. p. 8 ] Broadcast journalist and panelist Peter Desbarats called her coverage the best of any in 22 Ontario dailies. Johnson, William. "'Gutsy'" reporter McLeod gets the pink slip", "The Globe and Mail", March 23 1983. p. 8] The McLeods subsequently filed a lawsuit against "The Brampton Times" for wrongful dismissal, but later withdrew it. Johnson, William. "'Gutsy'" reporter McLeod gets the pink slip", "The Globe and Mail", March 23 1983. p. 8] Judi McLeod also claimed to have filed a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Commission against the "Brampton Times".No Byline. "Reporter fights to get beat back" The Globe and Mail, February 10 1983, p. 4 Article doesn't explain why McLeod thinks commission has authority to hear complaint or what possible grounds she has to bring it before commission.]

Later employment

She helped found "The Bramptonian" as a rival to her former employer in 1984 No byline. "Year after firing by paper help to publish rival," "The Globe and Mail", April 3 1984, p. M5] before moving to the "Toronto Sun" in 1985, where she was the paper's education reporter. Her columns were highly critical of New Democratic Party school trustees who dominated the Toronto Board of Education at the time. McLeod also called ethnic parents who wanted heritage language instruction "as diabolical as any of the characters from the imaginative pen of Charles Dickens... a nasty lot indeed," and warned people against "multiculturalism gone haywire."Barber, John. "School Board Jungle: "Racists!" shouts the left. "Commies!" the right. Is learning getting lost in the political feuding at the Toronto Board of Education?" The Globe and Mail, Toronto Magazine, January 29 1988, p. 28; (ILLUS) "McLeod spends as much time damning conservative trustees who endorse any but the most extreme right-wing positions." ]

While still at the "Toronto Sun," she voluntarily contributed opinion columns on the topic of education to an interdenominational Christian newspaper called "Windows To The Kingdom". With a press run of 30,000 copies, publisher Brian Chiasson arranged for it to be circulated to churches and Christian bookstores throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

Fired from the "Sun", she moved to Kingston, Ontario for three years where she worked as a reporter and columnist for the "Kingston Whig-Standard" , according to the "Canada Free Press" website. [http://www.canadafreepress.com/2000/0002a13.htm] In 1991, she returned to Toronto and founded, with help from Tony O'Donohue, "Our Toronto", a right-wing monthly newspaper which focused on Toronto City Council. In the 2000s, "Our Toronto Free Press" evolved into the "Canada Free Press", which is now published online only.

Areas of interest

American Politics, Canadian Politics, investigative journalism

Criticism

Jack Layton and his wife Olivia Chow complained to the Ontario Press Council about McLeod's columns at the "Toronto Sun". Both complaints were upheld. McLeod alleged that Layton and Chow were living in publicly subsidized housing in a co-op in the late 1980s, when the couple was actually paying market rates. [http://www.rabble.ca/columnists_full.shtml?x=32805]

McLeod published the home address and photograph of Cathy Crowe, co-founder of the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee, in the CFP along with what Crowe's lawyer deemed defamatory statements. The lawyer alleged that McLeod was encouraging her readers to harass and even physically attack Crowe. [http://web.archive.org/web/20030520035447/www.canadafreepress.com/archives/2001/7vol8.htm] The paper also published the home address of anti-poverty activist John Clarke along with a photograph of the house he was renting.

Notes

Further reading

*Blatchford, Christie. "Tony's 2nd job; paid by Laidlaw to push projects," "The Toronto Sun", December 16 1994, p.5
*Cooly, Glenn. "Rightist lauding Layton: Right-wing tab, Our Toronto, touts Jack Layton as class act. Jack Layton says bizarre new backing a surprise," "Now Weekly", November 3/9, 1994
*Di Matteo, Enzo. "Right-wing friends flee from tabloid's independent stance: Our Toronto faces ad drain and lawsuit by a high-profile founder," "Now Weekly", November 17/23, 1994
* [http://www.canadafreepress.com/2005/cover071105.htm 9/11 and the Mob: It is even possible that this is not mob related?, "Canada Free Press" article]
* [http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2005/07/a_criminal_mind.html "A Criminal Mind"] Link to the "Western Standard" article with information about Rachel Marsden, Judi McLeod's apology, and the Tony O'Donohue lawsuit.
* [http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_04.08.93/NEWS/cit0408.htm "Betty Disero Sees Hidden Enemies"] from "Eye Weekly"