The Toronto Star is talking a lot about anger and division. But what about their role in fomenting it?
We all remember this vile front page from the Toronto Star:
The Star tried to ‘justify’ by saying it wasn’t really their opinion, merely a sampling of what Canadians were saying on Twitter.
They were just ‘reporting’ what was out there, or so they claim.
But is that the truth?
Or was the Toronto Star perhaps using that as a cover for pushing their views, without having the balls to admit it?
According to an amazing Twitter thread put together by @colossusPhD, it would very much seem to be the latter.
I’ve included the thread below, and it’s something every Canadian should read:
“On August 26th, 2021, @TorontoStar decided to run this as their front page.
In small print these quotes are cited as a “selection of recent posts on Twitter”.
These posts are not cited in the story written by @nadineyousif_ which was printed in Section A2.
So I sourced them.”
https://twitter.com/colossusPhD/status/1558846118531825667
“The first quote on the page belongs to this tweet posted on August 24th, 2021.
2 replies. 0 likes.
Why did @nadineyousif_ and @TorontoStar decide this Tweet had enough reach to be a front page worthy consensus of a “Simmering Divide”?”
https://twitter.com/colossusPhD/status/1558846125037260800
“The second quote “I have no empathy left for the wilfully unvaccinated. Let them die.” currently has no trace on Twitter.
I have a theory…”
https://twitter.com/colossusPhD/status/1558846128283680770
“My educated opinion is @nadineyousif_ constructed this quote after interviewing Amir Imani who used the word “sympathy” first, then Nadine swapped in “empathy”.
Nobody else uses the term empathy in her article. Just her.
It certainly appears she was desperate for quotes.”
https://twitter.com/colossusPhD/status/1558846140250034177
“The third quote was posted on August 24th, 2021.
This was clearly a sarcastic post critical of Australia’s idea to give the vaccinated “special rules”.
1 reply. 0 likes.
But the @TorontoStar took the post out of context and printed it on their front page.
Why?”
https://twitter.com/colossusPhD/status/1558846150240763905
“The fourth quote was posted on August 24th, 2021.
1 retweet. 7 likes.
Is this really a “Simmering Divide” and a public out of sympathy for the unvaccinated?
Just what in the heck was the @TorontoStar ’s intention with this front page. Because it certainly appears deliberate.”
https://twitter.com/colossusPhD/status/1558846157941530624
“As for the last quote “At this point, who cares. Stick the unvaccinated in a tent outside with and tend to them when the staff has time.” It is very specific and there is no trace of it.
I suspect this is more editorializing by @TorontoStar.”
As for the last quote “At this point, who cares. Stick the unvaccinated in a tent outside with and tend to them when the staff has time.” It is very specific and there is no trace of it.
I suspect this is more editorializing by @TorontoStar.
— Anti-Grifter (@colossusPhD) August 14, 2022
“Does this not call into question the integrity of the @TorontoStar?
This lazy journalism is nothing more than an attempt to manufacture public consensus by laundering Tweets that nobody read in order to manipulate Canadians to resent the unvaccinated.”
https://twitter.com/colossusPhD/status/1558846162471378945
“Hi, everyone. Thanks for reading.
Nadine Yousif blocked me after I posted this thread.
Her handle is correct in the first tweet. Blocking a user prevents them from linking to your profile.
Just another tactic instead of engaging.”
https://twitter.com/colossusPhD/status/1559023233864798208
“It goes without saying but please don’t harass her. 🙏
The story speaks for itself.”
https://twitter.com/colossusPhD/status/1559024908579094528
“A reader posted this in the replies.
This is the source of the 2nd quote. Another August 24th, 2021 tweet with only one like. The two replies came after the story was printed.
I missed this based on the misspelled “willfully”.
Very interesting.”
A reader posted this in the replies.
This is the source of the 2nd quote. Another August 24th, 2021 tweet with only one like. The two replies came after the story was printed.
I missed this based on the misspelled “willfully”.
Very interesting.https://t.co/kgV6alh0XB pic.twitter.com/h0zHhXtXrX
— Anti-Grifter (@colossusPhD) August 15, 2022
“So ☝️ that debunks my theory on Nadine Yousef paraphrasing a quote to pad the front page.
But it’s just further evidence these tweets were cherry picked.
At least the Editor in Chief made sure to correct the spelling mistake before sending it to the presses. 😀”
https://twitter.com/colossusPhD/status/1559152210335961088
Editorializing behind the veil
As the thread aptly explains, it’s certainly feels like the Toronto Star was editorializing with their horrendous front page, but didn’t have the guts to stand behind it, so instead gave the impression that they were just showing what other people thought.
It’s the kind of cowardly move that has further deepened the distrust and contempt so many Canadians have for the establishment media.
For the media to now complain about how ‘angry’ and ‘divided’ the country is, without acknowledging how they themselves fomented this anger, demonstrates how out-of-touch and arrogant they have become.
Spencer Fernando
Photo – Twitter
