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Global News Anchor Leslie Roberts (Shaw Media).
by The Canadian Press Published
TORONTO .. Global News says Toronto TV anchor Leslie Roberts has resigned from the network a week after media reports that he co-owned a public relations company. A story on Global’s website says the resignation is effective immediately.
Global suspended Roberts last week after the Toronto Star reported that he co-owned a firm called Buzz PR and that some of the firm’s clients have appeared on his Global show.
Global News said it was never informed of his connection to the PR firm.
Roberts told the Star that he admitted it didn’t look good, but said when he sat in the anchor chair he was in journalist mode and nothing stood between him and the story.
Roberts has worked for Global since 2000 and currently anchors the Toronto local evening newscast.
The Global news story includes a statement from Roberts.
“I regret the circumstances, specifically a failure to disclose information, which led to this outcome,” Roberts said in the statement posted on the Global website.
Global conducted an internal investigation into the issue and said it’s satisfied with the outcome.
“Global News remains committed to balanced and ethical journalism produced in the public’s interest. We will not be offering further comment at this time,” said a Global statement.
It’s obvious he was pushed. And so he should have been. What was he thinking?
Big mistake all ’round. Competent anchors are hard to find
No question that there is conflict of interest here.
Pushed or not, he did the right thing.
Maybe it’s just my cynical nature, but I would be far more indignant about this if I thought it was unusual, and not just caught, or that mainstream media was routinely bereft of self interest, political bias, and economic pressure.
But I live in the real world.