Editing Toronto Star (section)

==Content==
===Editorial position===
Like its competitor ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', the ''Star'' covers "a spectrum of opinion that is best described as urban and [[Central Canada|Central Canadian]]" in character. The ''Star'' is generally centrist and [[centre-left]], and is more [[Social liberalism|socially liberal]] than ''The Globe and Mail''.<ref name="Winter">Elke Winter, ''Us, Them and Others: Pluralism and National Identities in Diverse Societies'' (University of Toronto Press, 2011), p. 96.</ref> The paper has aligned itself over the years with the progressive "Atkinson principles" named for publisher [[Joseph E. Atkinson]],<ref name="Wallace">Kenyon Wallace, [https://www.thestar.com/trust/2018/05/24/how-the-star-is-making-its-political-endorsements-more-transparent.html How the Star is making its political endorsements more transparent], ''Toronto Star'' (May 26, 2018).</ref> who was editor and publisher of the paper for 50 years.<ref name="Harris">Tamar Harris, [https://www.thestar.com/anniversary/2017/11/04/through-constant-change-atkinson-principles-endure.html Through constant change, Atkinson Principles endure], ''Toronto Star'' (November 4, 2017).</ref> These principles included [[social justice]] and [[social welfare provision]], as well as [[individual rights]] and [[civil liberties]].<ref name="Harris" /> In 1984, scholar Wilfred H. Kesterton described the ''Star'' as "perpetually indignant" because of its social consciousness.<ref name="Winter" /> When Atkinson's son Joseph Story Atkinson became president of the ''Star'' in 1957, he said, "From its inception in 1892, the ''Star'' has been a champion of social and economic reform, a defender of minority rights, a foe of discrimination, a friend of organized labour and a staunch advocate of Canadian nationhood."<ref name="Harris" />

Another of the "Atkinson principles" has been a "strong, united and independent Canada"; in a 1927 editorial, the paper wrote, "We believe in the British connection as much as anybody does but on a self-respecting basis of equality, of citizenship, and not on the old basis of one country belonging to the other."<ref name="Harris" /> The paper was historically wary of American influence,<ref name="Harris" /> and during the debates over the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]], the paper was frequently critical of [[free trade]] and expressed concerns about Canadian sovereignty.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Andrea M.L. |last=Perrella |title=Editorials and the Free Trade Agenda: Comparison of Law Press and the Toronto Star Quebec Under Free Trade: Making Public Policy in North America |journal=Quebec Under Free Trade: Making Public Policy in North America |editor=Guy Lachapelle |publisher=Presses de l'Université du Québec |date=1995 |pages=276–79}}</ref> The paper has been traditionally supportive of [[Official bilingualism in Canada|official bilingualism]] and maintaining Canadian unity in opposition to [[Quebec sovereignty movement|Quebec separatism]].<ref name="Harris" />

In the 1980s, [[Michael Farber]] wrote in the ''[[Montreal Gazette]]'' that the ''Star''{{'}}s coverage was Toronto-centric to the point that any story was said to carry an explanation as to "What it means to [[Metropolitan Toronto|Metro]]."<ref>{{cite news |last=Farber |first=Michael |date=August 27, 1985 |title=Stock deal ends talk of takeover |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19850827&id=haIkAAAAIBAJ&pg=2529,3244467&hl=en |newspaper=[[Montreal Gazette]] |page=A-3}}</ref> Conversely, Canadian sociologist Elke Winter wrote in 2011 that the ''Toronto Star'' was less "Toronto-centric" than its rival, ''The Globe and Mail'', writing that the ''Star'' "consciously reports for and from Canada's most multicultural city" and catered to a diverse readership.<ref name="Winter" />

The advent of the ''[[National Post]]'' in 1998 shook up the Toronto newspaper market.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.macleans.ca/economy/business/as-the-globe-turns/ |title=As the Globe turns – Macleans.ca |date=July 9, 2009 |work=Macleans |access-date=November 14, 2017}}</ref> In the upheaval that followed, editorial spending increased and there was much turnover of editors and publishers.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2007/02/black200702 |title=Black Mischief |last=Orth |first=Maureen |work=The Hive |access-date=November 14, 2017}}</ref>

====Election endorsements====
In the 50 years to 1972, the ''Star'' endorsed the [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal Party]] in each [[List of Canadian federal general elections|federal general election]].<ref name="English">Kathy English, [https://www.thestar.com/news/politics/federalelection/2008/10/11/why_do_newspapers_endorse.html Why do newspapers endorse?], ''Toronto Star'' (October 11, 2008).</ref> In the fifteen federal elections between 1968 and 2019, the ''Star'' has endorsed the Liberal Party eleven times, the [[New Democratic Party]] twice, and the [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative Party]] twice.<ref name="Wallace" />

Elections in which the ''Star'' did not endorse the Liberals took place [[1972 Canadian federal election|in 1972]] and [[1974 Canadian federal election|1974]] (when it endorsed the Progressive Conservatives), and [[1979 Canadian federal election|in 1979]] and [[2011 Canadian federal election|2011]] (when it endorsed the NDP).<ref name="English" /><ref name="Wallace" /> In the 2011 election, the ''Star'' [[Newspaper endorsements in the 2011 Canadian federal election|endorsed the NDP]] under [[Jack Layton]],<ref name="Toronto Star endorses the NDP" /> but to avoid [[vote splitting]] that could inadvertently help the Conservatives under [[Stephen Harper]], which it saw as the worst outcome for the country, the paper also recommended Canadians [[Tactical voting|vote strategically]] by voting for "the progressive candidate best placed to win" in certain ridings.<ref name="strategicvoting">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/2011/04/30/but_vote_strategically.html |title=But vote strategically |work=Toronto Star |date=April 30, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140321014354/https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/2011/04/30/but_vote_strategically.html |archive-date=March 21, 2014}}</ref> For the [[2015 Canadian federal election|2015 election]], the ''Star'' endorsed the Liberal Party under [[Justin Trudeau]],<ref name="2015endorsement">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2015/10/09/for-justin-trudeau-and-the-liberal-party-editorial.html |title=Toronto Star endorses Liberal leader Justin Trudeau for prime minister |work=Toronto Star |date=October 9, 2015}}</ref> and did so again [[2019 Canadian federal election|in 2019]]<ref name="2019endorsement">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2019/10/16/liberals-are-the-best-choice-for-canada.html |title=Liberals are the best choice for Canada |work=Toronto Star |date=October 16, 2019}}</ref> and [[2021 Canadian federal election|2021]].<ref name="2021endorsement">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/the-star-s-editorial-board-endorses-liberals-for-2021-federal-election/article_e66a7040-3654-5e04-9eb1-1ca63a69d833.html |title=The Star’s editorial board endorses Liberals for 2021 federal election  |work=Toronto Star |date=September 19, 2021}}</ref> The ''Star'' endorsed the Liberals under [[Mark Carney]] for the [[2025 Canadian federal election|2025 federal election]].<ref name="2025endorsement">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/in-a-time-of-crisis-mark-carney-is-the-steady-hand-canada-needs/article_aefe9436-1dfc-491a-93dd-bb285a23abb8.html |title=In a time of crisis, Mark Carney is the steady hand Canada needs   |work=Toronto Star |date=April 26, 2025}}</ref>

In Toronto's [[Nonpartisanism|non-partisan]] mayoral elections, the ''Star'' endorsed [[George Smitherman]] [[2010 Toronto mayoral election|in 2010]]<ref>{{cite news |title=The Star's choices for Toronto mayor: George Smitherman |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/876268 |work=Toronto Star |date=October 17, 2010}}</ref> and [[John Tory]] [[2014 Toronto mayoral election|in 2014]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2014/10/21/john_tory_is_the_best_choice_to_lead_toronto_editorial.html |title=John Tory is the best choice to lead Toronto: Editorial |work=Toronto Star |date=October 21, 2014}}</ref> [[2018 Toronto mayoral election|2018]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2018/10/19/john-tory-is-the-best-choice-for-toronto-now.html |title=John Tory is the best choice for Toronto now |work=Toronto Star |date=October 19, 2018}}</ref> and [[2022 Toronto mayoral election|2022]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/john-tory-best-to-lead-toronto/article_ab142f68-235d-53de-af4d-e7f8e409153b.html |title=John Tory best to lead Toronto  |work=Toronto Star |date=October 22, 2022}}</ref> The ''Star'' endorsed [[Ana Bailão]] in the [[2023 Toronto mayoral by-election]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/ana-bail-o-is-the-best-choice-to-lead-toronto/article_a2236210-ebe6-5c84-b99c-ac79a735b0ca.html |title=Ana Bailão is the best choice to lead Toronto  |work=Toronto Star |date=July 19, 2023}}</ref>

===Features===
The ''Star'' is one of the few Canadian newspapers that employs a "[[public editor]]" ([[ombudsman]]) and was the first to do so. Its newsroom policy and journalistic standards guide is also published online.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/publiceditor/article/1098344 |title=Toronto Star Newsroom Policy and Journalistic Standards Guide |work=Toronto Star |date=December 7, 2011 |access-date=August 17, 2013}}</ref>

The ''Star'' favours an inclusive, "[[big tent]]" approach, not wishing to attract one group of readers at the expense of others. It publishes regular features on real estate, individual neighbourhoods, style, business and travel.