I would like to clear up a number of inaccuracies which appeared in this article. When Ms Takaya originally contacted my office for an interview, she requested a one-half-hour session which would have to be conducted in time to meet her deadline, not the five minutes that the article stated. I am a strong supporter of journalism education, and gladly accommodate such requests if I can. While I have agreed to numerous such interviews in recent years, my schedule did not permit an interview at a time that could meet her stated deadline and I had to decline her request. Despite this, she persisted in trying to contact me through my campaign office by phone and by dropping into the office, even after her stated deadline had passed. My campaign staff described her manner as increasingly confrontational and uncooperative.
During one visit, seeking to help her with her assignment, my campaign manager requested a list of the questions for which she needed answers. Ms Takaya delivered a long list of questions and requested answers in writing, a task that would have taken me several hours to complete. With time at a premium, I once more declined to participate. Ms Takaya again appeared at the office and, apparently disappointed that I was in the ward campaigning, said she would wait for me. As she waited, she became increasingly aggressive, impolite and demanding, upsetting my campaign volunteers. My campaign manager asked her to leave, escorting her to the door. Following this incident, I phoned Ms Takaya to inform her that such behaviour was unacceptable, and that she was not to return to the campaign office or bother my volunteers again. On election night, my campaign workers and other invited guests gathered to await the election’s outcome at our campaign office. Invitations, which were collected at the door, were necessary to meet the event’s liquor license requirements. Needless to say, Ms Takaya did not have an invitation, and when she attempted to enter, was asked to leave.
The article also alleged that a professor at the university was writing a letter to me about the matter. To date, no such letter has been received by my office. Moreover, I find it strange that a professor teaching news reporting would listen to only one side of a story before agreeing to make judgments and be quoted on the matter. I want to be very clear that I and my staff work closely with the academic community and are strong supporters of education at all levels. I cherish my own university experience and understand the importance of bringing the academic world and the world of politics closer together. Universities are the vital incubator of our future leaders, and I believe that when the lessons of academia and public life merge, better leaders will emerge. However, the scheduling demands of public office are high, making time a precious commodity. Sometimes, scheduling requirements mean that interviews with the working news media, as well as students, just cannot be arranged. Ms Takaya was apparently unwilling to accept this reality.
I am disappointed that The Varsity Online failed to contact me for comment or clarification before publishing the article. I am also concerned that the article’s author apparently called my office, but identified himself as the editor of another publication (the East End Observer), not The Varsity Online. He also indicated that Ms Takaya was one of his reporters. Journalism’s most important role in a democratic state is to speak truthfully. In this fundamental responsibly, Mr. Tam’s article fails badly.
I have written this letter because your readers deserve a more balanced report of what was undoubtedly an unpleasant incident for all concerned. I hope that I have helped to clarify the facts of the events reported by your publication. I look forward to working with journalism students from the university in the future to help them gain a deeper understanding of municipal government and to hone their reportorial skills. I hold that profession in too high a regard to let this incident affect my willingness to cooperate, or to let a badly flawed story be published without challenge.
Yours truly,
Michael Thompson
Councillor, Scarborough Centre Ward 37
