Another great day for Independent newspapers

Z

Z100

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Their front page story today about the man who died in the (so far) mysterious accident in Lucan at the weekend contains the following line:

"It is understood the 24-year-old victim was known to gardai and had a number of previous convictions."

RTE reported this on their 7am radio news this mornng.

The Gardai have since confirmed that he was not known to them and had no previous convictions. His distraught mother has just been on the news talking about him. He survived two bouts of leukemia and was a volunteer/youth worker. He was, it seems, a good young fella, but he's been made out to be just another toerag by the Indo.

Where on earth did the Indo get its information? Was it the same source that gave them info on Liam Lawlor's crash?

I know you can't libel the dead, but I really wish his family could go after the Indo for this.
 
Just one more example to throw back at the print editors and journalists when they begin their self-serving bleat about Ireland's "draconian defamation laws".

Apart from a handfull of lawyers speaking in the broadcast media I hear very little defence of our defamation laws. I have yet to read an article in the print media which defends our current defamation laws.
 
John Waters has spoken about the lack of balance in the editorials of the print media about our defamation laws.
 
ajapale said:
Just one more example to throw back at the print editors and journalists when they begin their self-serving bleat about Ireland's "draconian defamation laws".

Apart from a handfull of lawyers speaking in the broadcast media I hear very little defence of our defamation laws. I have yet to read an article in the print media which defends our current defamation laws.
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I don't know enough about our libel/defamation laws to say if they're as draconian as is claimed, but I certainly don't want laws that protect those who don't deserve to be protected (eg crooked politicians, etc) because they muzzle the press.

But this case is just about shocking journalism, although I would love to know where the reporter got their information. Did it serve someone well to blacken the name of the victim?
 
Purple said:
John Waters has spoken about the lack of balance in the editorials of the print media about our defamation laws.
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Waters actually 'benefited' from our libel laws when he won that case against the Indo. To this day I still don't know how he won it. He specialises in personal attacks on those who don't agree with his agenda (Carol Coulter most recently), but when someone responded in kind he headed straight to court. People in glasshouses.............
 
So they were aware they might possibly be publishing something that wasn't true??!!
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Indeed. Why else would they use the phrase "It is understood"..." , which incidentally is regularly used by all media sources in this country, most prominently RTE.
 
ubiquitous said:
Indeed. Why else would they use the phrase "It is understood"..." , which incidentally is regularly used by all media sources in this country, most prominently RTE.
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Yes, "it is understood" is commonly used, but in acceptable enough contexts like 'it is understood Mr Smith has agreed to stand for Fianna Fail in Laois/Offaly', etc, ie harmless enough speculation that is well enough sourced. It is unacceptable to use it to try to cover your ass because you know there's a chance the information you're about to reveal will prove to be utterly untrue!
 
Bushfire said:
Yes, "it is understood" is commonly used, but in acceptable enough contexts like 'it is understood Mr Smith has agreed to stand for Fianna Fail in Laois/Offaly', etc, ie harmless enough speculation that is well enough sourced.
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Well, Paul Reynolds, RTE's crime correspondent say "it is understood that the victim was known to Gardai" and even "it is understood that the victim was not known to Gardai" pretty much every time a shooting is reported on the news


harmless enough speculation that is well enough sourced.
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An oxymoron, perhaps?
 
ubiquitous said:
Well, Paul Reynolds, RTE's crime correspondent say "it is understood that the victim was known to Gardai" and even "it is understood that the victim was not known to Gardai" pretty much every time a shooting is reported on the news
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I could be wrong here, but I don't ever remember Paul Reynolds getting it wrong when he claimed a victim was known to Gardai, do you? And isn't that the key point here? Are you saying that because the Indo used "it is understood" before a false allegation against the victim, that that's okay?

ubiquitous said:
An oxymoron, perhaps?
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True, 'well sourced speculation' does indeed rival 'military intelligence' in the oxymoron stakes, but I assume you got my point? "It is understood Enda Kenny will appoint ?? as his ?? spokesman," is hardly the same as what appeared in the Indo today.
 
Bushfire said:
Yes, "it is understood" is commonly used, but in acceptable enough contexts like 'it is understood Mr Smith has agreed to stand for Fianna Fail in Laois/Offaly'
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Not necessarily - some people might find that insinuation defamatory.

Bushfire said:
I could be wrong here, but I don't ever remember Paul Reynolds getting it wrong when he claimed a victim was known to Gardai, do you?
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Whatever about actually having previous convictions what does "known to Gardaí" actually mean and why does it matter?
 
ClubMan said:
Whatever about actually having previous convictions what does "known to Gardaí" actually mean and why does it matter?
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Good point. I always take it as meaning the Gardai knew he was a good for nothing lowlife, but couldn't find a shred of evidence to prove it.

In this report, though, the victim was not only "known" to the Gardai, but also had a "number of previous convictions". Incredible.
 
It is understood ...
Bush
Iraq have weapons of mass destruction--so its therefore ok to bomb the country to bits and then say you got it wrong?
Or Chemical Ali saying to the faithful
Our defenses are holding up well! and then be the first to leg it when the tanks arrive!
I dont understand. Since was it understood to spread mis-information! ;-)
 
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Luternau said:
It is understood ...

Chemical Ali saying to the faithful

Our defenses are holding up well! and then be the first to leg it when the tanks arrive!
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:D Maybe that's what Chemical Ali's doing now, News Editor in the Indo?
 
Bushfire said:
Good point. I always take it as meaning the Gardai knew he was a good for nothing lowlife, but couldn't find a shred of evidence to prove it.
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And I'm sure that most people assume that too. It's a very sinister phrase in my opinion but I guess it suits certain groups to propagate it.
 
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