Controversial Sun Media columnist Rachel Marsden is history.
Axing her column comes none too soon for a large segment of Toronto Sun readers who protested her pro torture comments Oct. 31 during Wolf Blitzer's CNN show and in her column on Monday.
Axing her column comes none too soon for a large segment of Toronto Sun readers who protested her pro torture comments Oct. 31 during Wolf Blitzer's CNN show and in her column on Monday.
As blogger Dennis Earl noted Wednesday afternoon, most Sun Media online traces of Rachel's Monday column were gone, although it could still be read on canoe.ca.
So we put it to Sun sources - is she toast?
"It's true, Rachel will no longer be writing for the Sun," a source told TSF last night.
Late last night, Rachel, 31, made the following statement on her official web site:
"Sun Media Column Statement
Attention terrorists and Islamofascists: You can now read the Toronto Sun without having your delicate sensibilities offended, as my weekly column is no longer with Sun Media. I am exploring US syndication and other venues for the column. In the meantime, you can continue to read it here at RachelMarsden.com every Monday. - Rachel, November 7/07."
Literally turfed out of Fox News and her Red Eye show in May, asked to leave Sun Media in November. Good luck with U.S. syndication, Rachel.
The Sun has some fence mending to do with irate readers deeply offended by her pro torture comments. Critics have been wondering why Sun Media stuck with Vancouver-born Marsden after her widely publicised Fox News firing in May, when she had to be escorted from the New York office.
Reaction to her Monday column by Sun readers and bloggers was swift and a line in the sand was quickly drawn by Sun management.
But anti-Marsden sentiment is not new.
In 2005, Counterblog said: "Rachel Marsden, Canada's most worthless political columnist."
And that was when she was writing for the National Post.
The Toronto Sun is in an upswing mood, with new bosses, a renewed focus on local news, GA reporters are being hired etc., so Marsden's exit is perfect timing.
It will just take some time for the Sun's black eye to heal.
Marsden always lands on her feet, at CNN for example. Controversy sells, she'll do just fine, as usual. You have to applaud those who stand by their principles, as she does.
ReplyDeleteLooks like she has updated her website post in response to some inquiries:
"Attention terrorists and Islamofascists: You can now read the Toronto Sun without having your delicate sensibilities offended, as my weekly column is no longer with Sun Media. I am currently exploring US syndication and other venues for the column. In the meantime, you can continue to read it here at RachelMarsden.com, every Monday. And yes (to respond to some of your queries), after more than 2 years of writing weekly for the Sun, I've been under a new Editor-in-Chief, since October 5th, who comes from Canada's most liberal newspaper: The Toronto Star. My column about Islam was spiked on his first day at the job. Best of luck to any principled conservatives who remain."
- Rachel, November 7/07
Be real. This blog has never liked Marsden because she's not a "day one-er" and shows up the old-timers. Warmington, Granatstein, Goldstein, Williamson, Jennings, Pyette, and everyone who has actually worked with her has always liked her and have nothing but good things to say about her.
ReplyDeleteAnd she didn't get "thrown out" of Fox. She left a variety show to do politics with CNN and got escorted out, as did Paula Zahn and Kiran Chetry when they left Fox.
You're making stuff up that doesn't exist. And your seething jealousy and hatred are all too evident.
Thank you, this has re-affirmed my faith in Canadian decency and the rejection of US style divisive/wedge issue politics being accepted here.
ReplyDeleteKudos to the Sun for standing up for decency and Canada by not assisting in the degradation and polarization of our national political discourse.
TTFD