I was fortunate enough to have had a beer this afternoon with a close confidante of the Ontario Press Council who has an eye and ear into most everything involving Ontario's print media. He is a former mentor and close friend to one of the two Toronto Star reporters that worked on the file.
A few tidbits from our discussion:
- He believes that the Toronto Star, not Gawker, was first contacted by the video owner. Gawker was approached by the Toronto Star in the hopes that they would purchase the video and claim ownership, with the Star avoiding any legal trouble
- The Star held onto the story for weeks and constantly vetted both Donovan and Doolittle. So much so they placed the two reporters into separate rooms and had them recount what they viewed in the video to ensure that their stories matched
- The Star hoped to hold onto the story for another week. But Gawker posted the article in the late evening without the Star's awareness. It was complete chaos in the Star newsroom as they had only hours to finally submit a cover story before the print deadline
- Lastly, my confidante believes 100% that the video footage is real. He noted that the Toronto Star's track record on Rob Ford 'busts' is immaculate and that both Donovan and Doolittle were of the highest journalistic integrity and would not risk their fledging careers on a hoax.