CAJ Prez & Freeholder Editor Hugo Rodrigues Burns Source on Twitter by Jamie Gilcig – NOV 21, 2014

CAJ Prez Hugo Rodrigues
CAJ Prez Hugo Rodrigues

CORNWALL Ontario – The Canadian Association of Journalists and Sun Media’s Standard Freeholder Editor Hugo Rodgrigues burned a source live on Twitter this morning.

Incensed over his interpretation of a CFN story Mr. Rodrigues went on the war path on social media calling out this writer and calling moi a liar after we tipped the Freeholder off to Mayor Kilger & his campaign manager Pat Finucan giving a thank you contract to Cornwall Community Police Chief Dan Parkinson and Deputy Chief Danny Aikman before their term finished.

The Mayor lost the election to former councilor Leslie O’Shaughnessy who quit this term over allegations of Mayor Kilger lying and a lack of accountability, in particular over illegal in camera meetings.

Link to our story yesterday.

The quote in question, which we both ended up tweeting was:

Thursday, after our source leaked the contract to us we sent a note the chief asking for a quote.  We also sent the tip to Hugo as a courtesy.  The chief did not respond, but the Freeholder confirmed the story and ran the story in detail including a quotes from Police Board Chair Pat Finucan

“I’m happy to say the board has signed new agreements with the chief and the deputy,” said Cornwall Community Police Service board chair Pat Finucan on Wednesday.

Hugo did not email and ask for a clarification. He just blasted away on twitter burning his source in a display of over twenty tweets back and forth including this gem.

The elected officials contacted were shocked and surprised to find out about the Chief’s new deal as many expected any possible deal to be one after the new council and police board took place. A few were irate and said they’ve be investigating the details further.

I contacted the Dean of Journalists in our city, Claude McIntosh and asked him about “Burning Sources” as Mr. McIntosh has worked in journalism for over forty years including decades at the Freeholder.

I’ve never burned a source.  It’s dangerous in a small town.   If someone gives you something you don’t share who they are whether there is an agreement or not.   You just don’t do those things.

While I practice Gonzo journalism I do stick to facts and have always respected my sources.  Not sure where the President of the CAJ picked up his chops?

 

Hugo continued:  

Asked for a comment for this story Hugo insulted CFN viewers by responding:

As I don’t trust anything I would say would be fairly represented, I have no further comment beyond what I said on Twitter this morning.

Hugo
Long time viewers of CFN know that we don’t play games with quotes and use raw video without hatchet cuts to twist what people say.   We also have a Mission and Vision statement which are quite clear.  Even Mayor Kilger sent in a statement once to rebut a point which was published unedited.
The bigger question is why the Police Board was holding back this information and even if contacted by a media source that they instead would not have issued a press release and practice proper protocol?
What do you think dear CFN viewers?  You can post your comments below.

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11 Comments

  1. Well, well Hugo. I guess he doesn’t like getting scooped on stories. Like Claude said you do NOT burn sources. Do that a few times and your sources will dry up.

    As to why the police board held back a media release on the new contracts who knows. But it probably has something to do with them wanting the contract issued soon, but without fanfare (media release). Previous contracts with the police board have always been accompanied with a media release.

  2. I will wait for the smoke to clear and the truth to emerge before saying anything about this local media(“twitter war”)
    What seems most disturbing is the letter from the Chief of Police.In a world where CIA directors emails get published this note to his officers seems just a tad petty in my view.

  3. All i get from this is that there is no news in cornwall. I mean, these “articles” are all starting to bleed together for me. He said she said. I would however, like to see Brock Frost get nailed to the wall and Jamie take a good strip out of him. Ya, it’s personal.

  4. Cornwall is so mighty polluted and corrupt to the core. When the chief of the Barney Fife PD is renewed and salary increases many times more than they deserve wait until the taxes rise and you cannot help but for taxes to rise significantly. Who is going to pay for the roads, etc. Many people will ditch everything and leave. Wait very soon because there is another Greater Great Depression coming and most people will lose everything. In the words of Gerald Celente of TrendsResearch.com “When people lose it they really lose it” and what is happening in Ferguson Missouri is hardly the beginning of things to come. Many will be living on the streets and going hungry and the cops getting six figure salaries higher than what they are getting now and people are hungry and cold, etc. No this won’t bide at all – there will be hell to pay.

  5. Mr Jamie
    It sure makes me wonder when freeholder editor Hugo, who says he only deletes comments that are flagged,has taken down every mention of his chat with you on twitter yesterday
    While you wrote the Hugo burns source story in this newspaper(with all details) each time its mentioned under SF stories it disappears. Its almost like they have something to hide

  6. Author

    Well Mel Hugo does have something to hide. You can’t be President of the CAJ; cast a wrongful accusation and admit repeatedly to burning a source. Even in Cornwall there are people upset about that one.

  7. Jamie
    Try not to multiple comment but now I’m ticked off
    A certain lady used to post here often
    Under the new “house” rules you have to give your real name at CFN so she is gone.Fair enough
    But now she is over at Standard Freeholder trashing this site blaming your investigations for ruining Cornwall
    I had better stop now but to quote from that site WOW just Wow Stella
    Its under Headline story>>>No time to sit

  8. Author

    Melman I have felt that many of the user id’s on the Freeholder belong to staff there. I once caught one; but they no longer work at the Freeholder.

    I only use my name or admin to post on CFN or the Freeholder. I believe Hugo most likely doesn’t use a pseudonym, but am not quite so sure about a few others and some of our other media darlings.

    What I’m a bit concerned about is a former radio news guy who may be working via his news site while collecting employment insurance premiums. IE my tax dollars are paying him to compete with me. To top it off he refers to stories on the Freeholder and SN, but refused to link to CFN content even though I’m on Bourque Newswatch and National Newswatch. The petty little man is a example of what’s wrong with out city.

  9. Stella is attacking Jamie and CFN? Now I lost all respect for her and anybody who trashes Jamie. Thanks for posting that and will no longer bring up Stella again. I have said it many times that many people are jealous of Jamie because he doesn’t jump to the tune of anybody and tells it like it is. The toilet papers of record are corporate owned and they are told to feed the lies to the sheeple. If you look at CNN the weather channel is ahead of them (I got that from the Yanks on line) and the toilet paper of record New York Times is in trouble. A great deal of papers are in trouble and Ariana Huffington sold her paper the Huffington Post. Jamie gives you the real scoop and I have a great deal of respect for this good man.

  10. The Standard-Freeholder and the Cornwall Police Service sitting by while other news outlets and police forces across the country reexamine the suspiciously high rate for sex assaults labelled “unfounded” — a ridiculous 38% in Cornwall. Cornwall’s press and public protectors in cahoots again?

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