Rob Ford, Toronto Star battle hits incredible new low as paper says mayor called reporter a pedophile

Just when you thought it wasn’t possible for the relationship between the Toronto Star and Rob Ford to get worse, the mayor reached a new level of inflammatory rhetoric Monday night when he insinuated that he thought a Star reporter was a pedophile, the National Post reports.
“”I have little kids. When a guy’s taking pictures of little kids,” Ford said. “I don’t want to say that word but you start thinking, ‘What’s this guy all about?’”
Dale, who was in the park behind Ford’s house to research a story, has denied the mayor’s allegations, saying he was never on the his property and that the mayor threatened him in the encounter. Toronto police said last year there was “no evidence” Dale did anything wrong and did not press charges.

Rogers merges Canadian Business and Profit

Canadian Business will absorb Profit next year for an "all-encompassing business magazine" with a projected readership of more than one million, Masthead magazine reports.
Duncan Hood retains his role as editor-in-chief. Ian Portsmouth, formerly publisher and editor of Profit, is now publisher ofCanadian Business.
The amalgamated Canadian Businesslaunches January 16. The title will publish monthly with two bonus Profit-themed issues targeting entrepreneurs, totalling 14 editions a year. Each regular edition will also include a 'Profit' section.
Canadian Business, founded in 1928, previously published bi-weekly with some combined, expanded or premium issues. Profit, launched in 1982 targeting entrepreneurs and executives at small to mid-sized companies, was published six times per year.
"The new frequency and enhanced content of the new Canadian Business allows us to do more of what we do best – provide intelligent analysis, context, and thoughtful features to the business community," said Hood in a Rogers release. "The Profit section within Canadian Business will continue to deliver the actionable information that entrepreneurs need, while offering a larger audience access to the latest thought-leaders in innovative thinking."

The strange and changing world we live in

The Globe and Mail’s media reporter, Steve Ladurantaye, is joining Twitter Canada.
The announcement was tweeted by Kirstine Stewart, the managing director and head of Twitter Canada.
According to his Globe bio, Ladurantaye joined the newspaper in 2007. He has also reported for the Peterborough Examiner and Kingston Whig-Standard. He won a National Newspaper Award for explanatory journalism in 2006 and was nominated in the breaking news category in 2010.
Stewart, it will be remembered, left a top job at C BC to join Twitter.

Sun Media to lay off 200, 50 from editorial ops

Sun Media has announced it is laying off 200 employees across its newspapers. About 50 will come from editorial operations. The company laid off about 500 employees almost one year ago. Sun Media CEO Julie Tremblay said the cuts were necessary to remain competitive. “It is very tough to announce job cuts,” she said. “But as distressing as they are for the employees involved, these restructuring initiatives are necessary to maintain our leading position and ensure the corporation’s sustainability. “We truly regret this decision’s impact on the professionals who are leaving our organization. We thank each and every one of them and we wish them every success.” 

Patrick Brazeau lands a gig as Parliament Hill reporter for Frank magazine!

Disgraced Senator Patrick Brazeau has found work as a freelance reporter for the Halifax edition of Frank Magazine, the Natioanl Post reports.
Despite having no prior journalism experience, Brazeau — who is also facing charges of assault and sexual assault stemming from an incident in February — is joining the Halifax edition of Frank Magazine as a free-lance reporter.
Brazeau openly solicited work on Twitter after he and fellow former Conservative caucus members Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin were suspended by the Senate in early November over their questionable expense claims.
Frank, the satire and gossip magazine — not to be confused with the entirely distinct Ottawa version of the same name — announced its newest hire Monday.