Rachel Marsden

Infobox Person
name = Rachel Marsden


image_size = 150px
caption = Marsden photographed in 2008.
birth_date = Birth date and age|1974|12|02
birth_place = Vancouver, BC, Canada
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = columnist, political commentator
salary =
networth =
website = [http://www.rachelmarsden.com RachelMarsden.com] [http://www.grandcentralpolitical.com GrandCentralPolitical.com]

Rachel Marsden (born 1974cite web
url = http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1086039/bio
title = Biography for Rachel Marsden
author = Agent
publisher = Internet Movie Database
accessdate = 2008-01-13] ) is a Canadian conservative political columnist and television commentator based in New York City, United States.

Career

Marsden first broke into print journalism in the early 2000s, writing for conservative web sites and "The Washington Times". In 2002, she worked for the Free Congress Foundation, and resigned when her employer learned of a harassment charge against her.cite news
url = http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20041013-0819-harassmentcase.html
title = Woman pleads guilty to harassment of former radio personality in Canada
work = The San Diego Union-Tribune
publisher = Associated Press
date = 2004-10-13
accessdate = 2008-01-19]

Prior to the 2004 federal election in Canada, she was hired by Gurmant Grewal, a Conservative member of the Parliament of Canada, to assist his constituency office with press releases.cite news
url =
title = No regrets hiring Marsden: Grewal
author = Marisa Babic
work = The Surrey Now
publisher =
date = 2004-05-10
accessdate = ] She was a regular "National Post" columnist for two monthscite news
url = http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=184518
title = Ont. anti-terror officer investigated on leak allegations
author = Stewart Bell
work = National Post
date = 2007-12-19
accessdate = 2008-03-05] in 2005 before joining the "Toronto Sun" as a weekly opinion columnist, a position held until November 2007. In 2006, she moved from Toronto to New York. Her political commentary has been reprinted by other journals, including the "New York Post" and NewsMax Media.

Marsden was a frequent guest on "Dennis Miller Live" when she was spotted to become the Canadian pundit for "The O'Reilly Factor" on the Fox News Channel. Marsden was employed by the Fox News Channel from 2004cite web
url = http://www.rachelmarsden.com/bio2.asp
title = About Rachel Marsden
publisher = Rachel Marsden
accessdate = 2008-01-13] to May 2007. [cite news
url = http://www.nypost.com/seven/05312007/gossip/pagesix/eye_opener_pagesix_.htm
title = Eye-opener
work = New York Post
date = 2007-05-31
accessdate = 2008-01-13] She was promoted to panelist on "Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld", a late-night talk show. A producer on "Red Eye" praised Marsden, saying that "she has very passionate opinions...she's articulate, intelligent, and we get a lot of favorable mail about her". Marsden has been compared to Ann Coulter in opinion, presentation and appearance.cite news
url = http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/10/arts/television/10gutf.html?pagewanted=all
title = At 2 A.M., Dark Humor Meets the Camera Lights
author = Campbell Robertson
publisher = New York Times
accessdate = 2008-03-06] On May 30, 2007, Marsden was dismissed from "Red Eye" and escorted out of the Fox studio by security guards. She commented that her departure was due to a change in the show's format, and that being escorted out is standard procedure. [Canadian Press, " [http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/220115 Toronto columnist Marsden ousted from Fox News] ", "Toronto Star", May 31, 2007]

In October 2007, she was a panelist on CNN's "The Situation Room". [cite web |url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0710/31/sitroom.03.html |title=CNN Transcripts- The Situation Room, October 31, 2007 |accessdate=2008-03-23 |publisher=CNN ]

In 2008, Marsden launched Grand Central Political, a website that attempts to mix political columns with job opportunities and resumes for the "politically-minded". Nathan Tabor's web-based consulting firm TCV Media was involved. [cite web
url = http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/50858
title = Rachel Marsden and CPAC: There's a New Sheriff in Town
author = Jim Kouri
publisher = American Chronicle
date = 2008-01-31
accessdate = 2008-03-05]

Personal life and education

Marsden grew up in the Vancouver suburb of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. She was an avid competitive swimmer. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in science from Simon Fraser University, Marsden earned a diploma in broadcast journalism from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Marsden has said that growing up listening to flamboyant Canadian radio personality Jack Webster inspired her move into journalism.cite web
url = http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/03/29/marsden/index_np.html
title = Fox's Ann Coulter 2.0
author = Rebecca Traister
publisher = Salon.com
date = 2007-03-29
accessdate = 2008-01-20] She also attended the National Journalism Center. [cite web
url = http://www.opinioneditorials.com/freedomwriters/marsden_20040504.html
title = "Screwing the Vote" is Not the Answer
author = Rachel Marsden
publisher = OpinionEditorials.com
date = 2004-05-04
accessdate = 2008-01-20] As a student, Marsden came to public attention when she was at the center of the Simon Fraser University 1997 harassment controversy, in which she and a swimming coach publicly accused each other of sexual harassment. [cite web
url = http://www.fraserinstitute.org/commerce.web/publication_details.aspx?pubID=2527
title = Liam Donnelly's Conviction by Prejudice: Lessons for Harassment Policy
author = David Finley
publisher = The Fraser Institute
date = 1999-08-01
accessdate = 2008-01-13] [cite news |author= Siri Agrell|title= Ms. Marsden's cyberspace breakup: tit-for-tat-for-T-shirt|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080304.wlbreakup04/BNStory/lifeMain/home |publisher= Globe and Mail |date=2008-03-04 |accessdate=2008-03-06 ] The coach was initially dismissed but later the university re-hired him.

In 2004, Marsden was given a conditional discharge with one year of probation for criminal harassment of her boyfriend, a Vancouver radio show host, following a breakup. [cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2002/11/21/bc_marsden20021121.html|title=Vancouver woman charged with harassment|date=2002-11-21|work=CBC News] [cite web|url=http://www.provincialcourt.bc.ca/judgments/pc/2004/03/p04_0369.htm|title=Regina v. Rachel Marsden, Reasons for Sentence of the Honourable Judge W. J. Kitchen|publisher=British Columbia Provincial Court (Criminal Division)|date=2004-10-12|accessdate=2006-12-30] [cite news |first= Neal|last=Hall | title= Rachel Marsden pleads guilty, gets probation|url= |work= Vancouver Sun|date= 2004-10-13 |accessdate=2007-03-04 ] [cite news |first=Steve |last=Berry |title= 'Immature' Marsden guilty of harassing former lover |url= |work= The Province |publisher= |date= 2004-10-13|accessdate=2007-03-04 ] In September 2007, a relationship between Marsden and an Ontario Provincial Police officer ended. She posted his photo and identified him on her blog as an anti-terrorism officer who had leaked secret anti-terrorism documents to her. At the same time, in an email to his superiors, she described the nationality and activities of the targets of an investigation in Ontario involving the OPP, Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and problems encountered by those investigators. The officer filed a complaint of criminal harassment against Marsden with the South Simcoe Police but this did not result in criminal charges. The OPP's criminal investigations branch cleared the officer of criminal wrongdoing with regard to Marsden's accusations of leaking classified information. A separate internal investigation into the matter is currently ongoing. [ [http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/03/12/wales-wikipedia.html Wikipedia founder accused of agreeing to alter page: report ] ]

On more than one occasion Marsden asked Wikipedia to delete her biography on the site. Her concerns led her to contact Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales in 2006, claiming that it was wrong and libellous. He reviewed her biography and, deeming that it was not up to standard, reportedly helped her to clean up the entry. On February 29, 2008, the technology gossip blog Valleywag claimed that they had entered into a relationship, and published instant messaging chats that they had allegedly exchanged. On the following day Wales announced on his Wikipedia user page that he was no longer involved with her. In return, Marsden, who claimed to have learned about the breakup by reading about it on the Internet, turned to eBay and put up for auction a t-shirt and sweater with white stains that she claimed belonged to Wales. [cite news
url = http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/03/02/marsden-breakup.html
title = Canadian pundit, Wikipedia founder in messy breakup
author = Siri Agrell
publisher = The Canadian Press
date = 2008-03-02
accessdate = 2008-03-06] [cite news
url = http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080304.wlbreakup04/BNStory/lifeMain/home
title = Ms. Marsden's cyberspace breakup: tit-for-tat-for-T-shirt
author = Siri Agrell
publisher = The Globe and Mail
date = 2008-03-04
accessdate = 2008-03-05] [cite news
url = http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,334652,00.html
title = Wikipedia Founder's Fling With Columnist Ends in Nasty Public Breakup
publisher = FOXNews.com
date = 2008-03-03
accessdate = 2008-03-05] [cite news
url = http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3475722.ece
title = Fury of a woman scorned – on Wikipedia
publisher = The Times
date = 2008-03-04
accessdate = 2008-03-05] cite news
url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/web/ex-takes-her-revenge-on-mr-wiki/2008/03/04/1204402405901.html
title = Ex takes her revenge on Mr Wikipedia
publisher = The Sydney Morning Herald
author = Asher Moses
date = 2008-03-04
accessdate = 2008-03-05] [cite news
url = http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2008-03-04-wikipedia-wales_N.htm?csp=34
title = Wikipedia's Wales defends breakup, expenses
publisher = USA Today
date = 2008-03-05
accessdate = 2008-03-05] [ [http://www.nypost.com/seven/03042008/news/regionalnews/one_wild_and_wiki_breakup_100324.htm One Wild And Wiki Breakup - New York Post ] ] [ [http://www.stuff.co.nz/4425281a28.html Ex takes her revenge on Mr Wikipedia - New Zealand's source for technology news on Stuff.co.nz ] ]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.rachelmarsden.com/ Rachel Marsden] – official website
* [http://www.grandcentralpolitical.com/ Grand Central Political] – business website
* [http://knol.google.com/k/rachel-marsden/rachel-marsden/1rp80h7cnk6am/2# Marsden's knol.google.com page about herself]

:"This article uses content licensed under the from deleted revisions of Wikipedia's article on Rachel Marsden. A list of previous authors of the page can be found at ."