The National NewsMedia Council has dismissed a complaint that the Globe and Mail delayed
publishing a story for political purposes.

Daniel Balofsky complained that a story about provincial Liberals agreeing to reimburse
teachers’ union was held back in order to ensure a Liberal victory in the last federal election.

The public editor wrote a column about timing of the article, in which she noted Globe and Mail
editors delayed publication to avoid confusion among voters on the day of the federal election.

In her explanation, the public editor said editors may hold stories for a number of reasons. She
wrote her column to explain to readers what had happened and that, in this case, the decision
to hold the story was based on judgment about provincial versus federal issues. She argued the
story deserved more attention than it would have received if it appeared on the same day as
the federal election.

In dismissing the complaint, the NewsMedia Council noted it has no authority to dictate timing
of stories. Stories are held for a variety of reasons, and this one received due attention on
publication. The public editor provided transparency by investigating the decision to hold this
story and by explaining the news judgement behind the timing.

Article: “Ontario paid 1 million dollars to union for labour peace with high school teachers”

Published: October 19, 2015