1. So yes, the Star's new owners have made many donations to the Conservatives. Does this mean the paper (and the chain) are about to swing to the Right? I don't think so...  (discussed here:) https://www.canadalandshow.com/podcast/264-smelly-rogue/

2. I don't buy this acquisition as a political influence play. Frankly, the Star isn't worth it. If you had $51M to spend on building a right-wing propaganda machine, you would just build one.

3. So I don't think these guys (or whoever gave them the money) bought Torstar for influence and I don't think they bought it for vanity or prestige. I think they bought it to make money, and I think that can only mean picking Torstar's bones clean.

4. The PR rollout of the NordStar acquisition was stage-managed by Navigator to allay the anticipated fears of big L liberals, w David Peterson (!) hastily hustled in as a front-man to vouch for Bitove and Rivett, who waxed on about their love of journalism and social justice.

5. So they are selling themselves as news-friendly "patient capital." But these guys have no publishing experience and make no claims that they have a news-saviour plan or even a single new idea about how to save a drowning newspaper.

6. Why ignore the obvious? There is one way to turn a profit by buying newspapers in 2020, and that is snatching them up as distressed assets and stripping them bare.

7. What these guys bought by overpaying was the blessing of Honderich et al that they are Atkinson-principle journalism champs. Expect layoffs soon.