The writer unhelpfully underplays  the fact that Cole was not edged out at Star because of his views or opinions (the Star recruited him for those), but because he acted disruptively at a public meeting. Mixing the public roles of journalist and advocate are explicitly rejected in the Star's ethical guidelines. A better question: can mainstream journalism survive  this kind of "amalgame", as the French describe throwing all complaints  together indiscriminately, as Denise is wont to do?