Before he retired earlier this year, Chronicle-Herald columnist Peter Duffy was internationally renowned for such
groundbreaking journalism as his first-person account of being anally
raped by a ghost, a single-entendre report on the opening of the
Dartmouth Hooters and a softball interview with white supremacist Jared
Taylor.
This week that expertise is being taken to its ridiculously logical
conclusion: Duffy has been hired as a speechwriter and “community
liaison co-ordinator” for Peter Kelly, the perpetually ham-fisted mayor
of Halifax. Considered it the flashback-ridden leading the blind.
Word of Duffy’s new gig came via an exclusive report in the
Chronicle-Herald, and not through normal HRM media channels, a
turn of events that calls into question Duffy’s professionalism even
before he officially steps into the position.
Duffy will make between $42,000 and $70,000 a year, says the
Herald. Duffy will work directly for Peter Kelly, and Duffy’s
salary comes out of the mayoral office budget, not from the budget for
HRM communications, explains Shaune MacKinlay, HRM’s manager of public
affairs. —TB
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This article appears in Sep 3-9, 2009.
Tim, I was going to comment on this but you have summed it up better than I ever could. You’re the cat’s ass, and that’s a good thing in my house.
WTF tag is right.
I’ve read the anal raping by a ghost already but I’d like to check out the Hooters article. Any help?
I’ve read his column on occasion in the CH and this guy is a douche. I couldn’t think of a better place for him than as a speech writer for Kelly. If anything, his speeches will encourage the populace to not re-elect him next time we get the chance
Peter Duffy also printed the picture and name of a gay youth, outing the poor guy to his entire TOWN without permission, causing his life to be turned upsidedown – let’s not forget that one. He’s irresponsible and lacks any credibility, and yet city hall has no problem with this. It makes so angry.
There’s three level of fools here:
1. Peter Duffy for thinking a journalist can do the job of a person educated in Public Relations and Communications. Where journalists get the idea that they can do Communications is beyond me.
2. Peter Kelly for hiring him. See above reason.
3. The people of HRM who will not only pay both of these clowns, but those that might even think either is credible.
This really makes me think something is rotten here. Maybe Duffy has an inside track to good publicity in the Herald – help take the heat of Peter…why else would you hire somebody so unqualified for the job.
ohnogogo– thanks for pointing that out– that column either escaped my notice at the time, or I somehow forgot it. It’s archived here:
http://media.locals.ca/localsconf/viewtopi…
Note that the names were changed by the poster, not by Duffy.
There’s a copy of the two Duffy “Ghost Rape” Columns here:
http://www.theworst.ca/journalism/
Looks like Duffy is pulling in favours from the Chronicle Herald already. They ran a story this morning on his hiring and the comments section was killed after only 10 comments, most of them negative. Don’t expect any hard hitting journalism from the CH regarding Peter Kelly anymore. I’ll bet they give Duffy a heads up and run stories by him before they print them. For shame….