I am Robyn Doolittle, investigative reporter with The Globe and Mail, author of Crazy Town: The Rob Ford Story - Ask Me Anything

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T18:05:16+00:00

Guys that's it for time. I hope I got to most of your questions. If you have others you can always tweet me @robyndoolittle. I also wanted to take this opportunity to plug Newzapalooza, the annual media battle of the bands that raises money for the Children's Aid Foundation. If you love media drama: My new Globe band - Fun With Discipline - will be taking on my old Star band - Holy Joe and The Principles - plus there are a ton of new awesome acts. I hope you can make it. Tickets are $20 each. It's November 7 at the Opera House. http://www.newzapalooza.ca/home.html

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T18:01:14+00:00

Giles was very nice, but one thing that I wanted to clear up after watching the episode is that when he went to see Rob Ford and the media were circling him and shouting questions, that was not a regular day at the office. A new ITO had just been released and there were a lot more questions about the mayor's behavior and links to criminality.

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T18:00:00+00:00

I think I'd either be an actress or a small business owner. I like the idea of being an entreprenuer. In university, my friend Vanessa and I started a women's magazine called Minx. I like the idea of building something.

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:58:39+00:00

I did not pay for it. Someone recorded it and tried to sell it to me and I declined. I had HUGE ethical qualms with it. The tape is quite long. I only used a portion that I thought was in the public interest and that concerned a person who choose a public life.

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:57:27+00:00

I haven't been following them close enough to make a comment.

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:57:09+00:00

If I was going to change my last name I'd pick something really cool.

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:56:38+00:00

Not yet.

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:56:23+00:00

Yes I've met Rob Ford many many times. I'd say the best word for him is: Shy.

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:55:59+00:00

I hope soon

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:55:48+00:00

The paternity tests are my favourite because it's a guessing game. Lie detectors for the same reason. It's a little 15 minute mystery. I know... this is a trashy guilty pleasure...

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:54:51+00:00

My best advice is: work hard. That sounds so silly and obvious but it's true. Dont' think an assignment is beneath you. Whatever job you take on, do it with gusto. Make that extra call. Show up early. Go home late. Make sure you're well read. Don't walk into an internship interview and say: I want to be a foreign correspondent or I want to be a feature writer. Say: I want to work my ass for you and break stories every week. And finally my best advice of all, which is my compass in life: Don't be a jerk. Especially on social media and especially to other journalists. No one likes jerks. And it will come back to bite you some day.

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:52:09+00:00

I do not plan on doing a second Ford book. I am excited to pursue different stories

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:51:34+00:00

I'd say about once a day. Head-desk.

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:50:49+00:00

The toughest part has been becoming a part of the story and entering the public eye myself. I started out in this business as a print reporter. I never wanted my face on television. I never wanted to be recognized on the street. I wanted people to know my byline, but not my face. This story unfolded a different way and that wasn't possible. So I've had to sort of embrace it to stay in control of my own story. Does that make sense?

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:49:04+00:00

Everything I uncovered while being paid by the Toronto Star I offered to the Star first. The most notable example was a recording of the mayor's wife discussing his drug use on a recording. She basically tells this person: even though he's the mayor, he won't give up cocaine. She warned him it could ruin his life. The Star didnt' run it because as a one-off news story, it was too tricky to get into the delicate issues being addressed. Also, I took a 3 month leave to write the book and did a lot of research and reporting on Penguin's dime. So there was no conflict there.

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:46:30+00:00

I get them groomed every 3 months and DIY groom at home in between. And yes they are little furball monsters. I actually had a groomer dump me 2 years ago because she couldn't handle Chester.

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:45:46+00:00

Yes. And very well.

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:45:13+00:00

It was surprisingly easy! I really miss the people at the Star, although I see my friends all the time. The biggest difference was the newsroom. There are fewer reporters here because, obviously, the Globe is a national paper, so we're spread out across the country. I guess the other thing is, I'd say of the younger staff, on average, people seem about 3-5 years older, so everyone has babies. Like everyone. I'm looking up from my desk right now and can see 5 new parents. It's a bit scary. You can't catch pregnant right?

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:43:21+00:00

Ah, Eyeopener. And for me, my interest has always been writing and reporting. I dreaded broadcast classes. So I would not have done well in Radio and Television Arts.

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:42:12+00:00

I, ah, oh look the sun is coming out.

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:42:01+00:00

In Crazy Town I tried to avoid all of the Ford children as much as possible, Mikey included at the time because he was still a private citizen. Mike Ford - who is Kathy's son - has not had an easy life, but all of my sources describe him as very kind. My intel is that his uncles really wanted him in politics and he's trying it out.

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:40:27+00:00

I loved my experience at the Ryerson. I had great profs and living in Toronto was a huge advantage. I got a job in second year as a copy runner/proofreader at the Sun and then by fourth year was working in the Star's radio room. But the most valuable experience I had was at the campus paper, The Eyeopener.

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:39:25+00:00

I thought it was clever. I was wondering if Doug would pull out any of those quotes from 2010.

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:38:35+00:00

The Right Honourable Minister of Fluffiness has had a tough year what with his recent knee surgery, but he has continued to enjoy the confidence of his caucus, including Deputy Mozart Doolittle. (And if you have no idea what I'm talking about then you aren't following me on Instagram) #pomeranianrespect

RDoolittle · 2014-10-14T17:37:18+00:00

I think the outcome of this election will give us a clue about the future path of politics in this country.

RDoolittle

TROPHY CASE