The CBC's coverage of a confrontation between Mayor Rob Ford and a comedienne with the This Hour Has 22 Minutes comedy program did not violate the corporation's journalistic standards, its ombudsman ruled.
"There remain questions about this episode that may never be answered," ombudsman Kirk Lapointe wrote in a report dated Thursday. "But with whatever information was at hand, I found no violation of CBC Journalistic Standards and Practices before and after the distress calls."
The CBC has been sparring with Ford and the Toronto Police Service over exactly what happened on Oct. 24, 2011, when comedian Mary Walsh confronted the mayor outside his home while filming a comedy sketch.
The CBC has alleged that an agitated Ford called police dispatchers several times, lost his temper with dispatchers and swore at them while using his position as leverage.
CBC News cited police sources when they quoted Ford saying, ""You … bitches! Don't you f--king know? I'm Rob f--king Ford, the mayor of this city!"
Ford has denied making the statement but admitted to swearing during one of the calls.
Toronto Police Service Chief Bill Blair also issued a statement denouncing the CBC's statement of events, but declined to release the 911 dispatch tapes based on privacy concerns.
In his report, the CBC's Lapointe said Blair's account of the events could not be considered a statement of fact because he was not an impartial observer.
"On the one hand, CBC News is a major media organization with a reputation for high-quality investigative and precision journalism as part of its public mission. On the other hand, the chief of police is a major public figure expected to perform impeccable service," Lapointe wrote. "In this matter only one of them is right. It just isn't clear whom."
Lapointe said he investigated the incident after a wave of complaints including three people who demanded an ombudsman review because the CBC did not do "due diligence" in its fact gathering.
"This is not journalism, this is retribution," David Beckner wrote on Oct. 28, 2011.
Bill Kiechle said the CBC was pushing the story "for political ends," and Avery Burdett called the story "false reporting."
Lapointe said he faced many issues while investigating the incident, including the CBC's responsibility to protect its anonymous sources and the Toronto Police Service's responsibility to keep 911 dispatch tapes private if it does not have the consent of the caller, in this instance Toronto Mayor Rob Ford.
