Congratulations to The Toronto Star

Since jettisoning my subscription to The Globe and Mail, the self-proclaimed 'newspaper of record,' and replacing it with one to The Toronto Star, I have been consistently impressed with both the scope and breadth of the latter's coverage, coverage that has resulted in many important investigations and changes. I was therefore very pleased to read in today's edition that The Star now has more than 1 million readers per day, making it the most widely read paper in Canada.

I think a large part of its success is attributable to its mandate to cover social issues, as well as the fact that during a period of print journalism contraction, the Star is spending the resources necessary to cover the issues that people need in order to make informed decisions. Unlike the Globe, which promotes a very conservative agenda and seems to have a target audience of the corporate elite, The Star makes no apologies for writing to a broader audience with the goal of promoting the kind of dynamic debate, change and accountability that is essential to a healthy democracy.

I will close by saying that the existence of The Star and its socially responsible agenda provides me with at least a modicum of hope for a better future.