Irish Independent - The Lowest Yet
national |
rights, freedoms and repression |
news report 
Thursday April 28, 2005 14:00
by Midlander
The Gutter Press
Readers will likely have heard the very sad story this week about conjoined ('Siamese') twins being born in Dublin. The poor kiddies were too ill to be separated and died within 24 hours of birth. Naturally parents very upset and issued a statement asking for prayers for their babies and begging for privacy from the media.
People will thus not be surprised to hear that the Irish Independent has at present (thursday lunchtime) several news teams prowling the outskirts of a Midlands town trying to find out more about the family. They actually have a name and address they are chasing up. So called 'journalists' from the Indo called at my cousins' house this morning only to be told the 'F8CK OFF' pretty sharpish.
What goes through the heads of these people at all? How can they sleep at night persecuting a family who have suffered such tragedy?
Comments (15 of 15)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15They're no better than the sh*t that writes in the likes of the 'Irish' Sun or the likes! Profit before people!
That's pretty low alright. But then, we probably shouldn't be surprised. Hopefully over time, people will start using independent media sources such as this for their "news" to the same extent they do "for-profit" media. Maybe then the motivation for this sort of "reporting" will diminish?
That's a joke. This so called 'independent media' is so left-wing biased that it makes the Guardian seem like the offical newspaper of the BNP! No space for Conservatives in theis brave new media, eh?
Right... well you've clearly missed my point. Whether a particular reporter is "conservative", "liberal" or whatever else, if there is no "ching-ching" in sight, there is far less motive to take transport to the midlands to go chasing some poor indivicuals trying to maintain a certain degree of privacy! Do you really think that people would be motivated to do this sort of thing if it weren't for the money? I mean, after all, the story will do little other than satisfy the curiosity of random individuals - I doubt the reporters have an enormous amount of interest in the events themselves, or feel they are furthering any real "cause" here! I'd say it's simply a case of finding a story that will sell. For those interested in the scientific aspects of the events, hospital reports and related material will be of far more relevance.
There's nothing to stop you from starting your own "independent media" site. That's the nature of independent media. I suspect there are plenty of conservative media sites on the net. To be honest, I think you'd get along well with the crowd over in adequacy.org. They don't seem to have many friends though - another thing I suspect you might have in common with them?
Dont stray from the fact that Tony O Reillys lackeys are sniffing around the family involved in this tragedy when they were politely asked to stay away! Dont be turning this into a right Vs left argument! Because its not. Its Right Vs Wrong!
Unfortunately even if they don't get a story they will probably make that the story and so use it as an excuse to invade the privacy of this poor family. Probably print it in their rag tomorrow and then the others will follow.
There's nothing stopping a conservative posting on this board if they want to. In fact, nearly every time I'm on the site, I read something I completely disagree with, written from what I perceive as a conservative perspective. Sure, there's a high chance that such a poster would be roasted, but what's wrong with that? It's called having an opinion...
Why did you publish this as a new story?
NEWSFLASH: Journalists trying to get a story.
Did it ever occur to you that all the other papers the tabloids the times the trib the examiner etc are all doin the same.
You obviously have something against the irish independent as every leftie has. fair enuff thats ur business. but come on! this is what journalists do. not just indo journalists. do you expect widespread shock.
at least they are working on a story and not just publishing some bullshit non story that comes to mind
eg irish independent - the lowest yet
Can't agree with this "story"
1. It's well known at this stage within the media who the parents are, yet their names haven't been published - which demonstrates some sort of sensitivity.
2. Anyone who suggests that the Irish indo would have the resources to send "several news teams" to "prowl" the midlands obviously don't know how Irish newspapers operate.
In the case of the indo, and the Irish Times, one correspondent is employed to cover a region such as the midlands. And they don't get any extra cash on top of their wages for stories like the twins.
Simply put, indo management have a tradition of not spending money on journalistic man or women power. Talk of "news teams" stalking the streets would make most indo hacks laugh.
3. I think you'll find that the guys who knocked on doors claiming to be from the Indo might turn out to be from a different newspaper (ie.. Ireland on Sunday, who have a particularly bad reputation among other papers here when it comes to situations where everyone else is respecting a family's privacy in certain instances)
If any town or community is unhappy with the way they have been treated by any newspaper, tv or radio station they have a simple solution in their own hands.
Stop buying that paper, stop advertising on that station.
The people of Liverpool did this to the Sun after Hillsborough.
Most media outlets are commercial operations, if sales start falling they'll soon try to find out why? and change their behaviour accordingly.
'Hack' is getting very worked up there defending the indefensible. Quite detailed knowledge of the resources of the media and attempt to spin the blame onto a different newspaper as well. A cynic would wonder where Hack's weekly pay packet emerges from?
I'm just letting people know what took place yesterday morning, directly from people who were present, thats all. Since it is related to media activity and topical news it is a suitable news story for an independent media outlet.
Just making a simple few points about your "story" midlander. I'm sure you welcome some reaction, no?
And hardly providing any more detailed knowledge than most people who take an interested in the Irish media would be aware of .
Now, back to writing this week's Irishman's diary....
Of course this action is a case of ignorant invasion of privacy. But for some here to try to pass the buck from O'Reilly's mob to the Daily Mail mob is cheap again.
Ireland on Sunday has certainly garnered a certain reputation for invasive journalism in the past, but its practices are no different than those of the Indo group or the red tops.
The Sunday Indo all but named the poor family involved, and hence the approbrium attached to these activities should in this case be directed towards Indo Towers, not to those other papers which respected the family's legitimate desire to mourn in private.
Skinner, is that you? Reply with some answer only we would know.
By the way - all this menion of 'Indo news teams' is rubbish - the Indo would send one reporter and a snapper at most, as would (and did) the Irish Times, Sunday Times, Tribune and all the others. Such innacuracy belies the unreliability of Indymedia for news facts. Indymedia is a laugh to everyone except the handful of UCD kids (whose education is paid for by daddy's business... oh the irony of it) who have yet to enter the real world of work and responsibility.
Gatz
Nice to read a reality check into how the indo and others work.
But perhaps the idea of "news teams" sounds so much more romantic in terms of the same UCD-types' vision of the evil mainstream media empire.
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