CALGARY — Press Progress editor Luke LeBrun has addressed speculation he resigned from the NDP-linked media outlet due to financial fallout from the Caylan Ford defamation trial saying on Friday night he “left on his own terms.” LeBrun's name had disappeared from the Press Progress website masthead on Friday, where he had been listed as editor the previous day. The site's masthead now lists former associate editor Rumneek Johal as executive editor..Interestingly, the masthead on Press Progress’ official website says the Alberta reporter, Stephen Magusiak, is “on leave.”Magusiak and LeBrun are both involved in the $7.65 million lawsuit brought by Ford, a former United Conservative Party nomination candidate, over articles published during Alberta's 2019 provincial election campaign, in which she was accused by Press Progress and other media outlets of holding racist and "white supremacist" views based on private Facebook Messenger conversations that had been leaked..On Tuesday, the Broadbent Institute — of which Press Progress is the publishing arm — told the Western Standard it had “made the difficult decision to reduce two full-time staff positions in light of recent financial challenges,” adding that the layoffs were "actually due to budget pressures.".LeBrun now says he had voluntarily stepped down at the beginning of the week."Trolls are celebrating, but that's a proof point of how much my journalism got under their skin," LeBrun said on social media."I left on my own terms, was not fired or laid off. It was not due to the 'financial pressures' or a lawsuit. I'm a-ok.".LeBrun urged Broadbent Institute executive director Jen Hassum to use the salary savings from his resignation to reverse the staff reductions."When I submitted my resignation, I encouraged Broadbent Institute Executive Director Jen Hassum to use this newly available salary space to cancel two layoff notices and put people back to work," he said."I'm hopeful this can save my colleagues' jobs."He also announced a new project he is creating called “The Watchdog” and that its editorial mission is to “is to protect the public and defend democracy through original public interest watchdog journalism.”The Western Standard has reached out to Press Progress for comment regarding LeBrun's departure.
