A NOW Magazine cover with an image of Rob Ford's head photo-shopped onto another man's nearly naked body stirred up controversy at city hall today.

The image accompanied an article called "The Naked Truth about Rob Ford."

The controversy occurred when Lorraine Pickett, a custodial service supervisor at city hall, emailed staff members to say the mayor's office had requested all NOW newspapers be removed from City of Toronto locations and facilities.

The mayor's office later said the email was a miscommunication, and that a staffer was upset about the magazine cover but never asked for it to be removed.

Enzo DiMatteo, associate news editor at the magazine, said he believes there was some misunderstanding about what directive was actually given, but the proof is in the email sent. He said that perhaps the mayor underestimated the reaction.

"I think if we perhaps didn't have this email, they could say they were offended. Now it's essentially become a story about the mayor deciding to remove or censor the magazine as opposed to being offended by the images," he said.

All of this comes on a week when the mayor's office has been highly criticized for its lack of communication with the media. The NOW controversy comes just days after a discussion at a committee meeting about tighter rules for media access to councillors' offices.

Counc. Shelley Carroll told CTV Toronto's Naomi Parness that she thought the magazine had crossed the line, but that the mayor does need to be more open.

Carroll suggested that perhaps the mayor could make peace with the media and start talking to them on a daily basis.

DiMatteo said he hopes it was the picture and not the written words in the article that caused the problem.

"If it was the words, we'd really have a problem. I mean, either way, I think we live in a society where different points of view should be tolerated."

Parness reported that the real reaction from the mayor was to laugh at the issue, and that his staff says he is used to criticism.