Wills should not be published in the newspapers

Is every will published in newspapers??
The Sunday Indo publishes a summary of about 20 wills in a side column every week. I assume just the larger estates. No details - just "Pinoy adventure, Howth, Co. Dublin left an estate valued at €15,056,600 in his will.

Quite separate to this, some newspapers will occasionally publish fuller details from a well known person's will - this may include beneficiaries.
 
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The Sindo weekly wills list is also accompanied by a note explaining inter alia that the sums listed are not to be understood to represent cash amounts
 
The Sunday Indo publishes a summary of about 20 wills in a side column every week. I assume just the larger estates. No details - just "Pinoy adventure, Howth, Co. Dublin left an estate valued at €15,056,600 in his will.

Quite separate to this, some newspapers will occasionally publish fuller details from a well known person's will - this may include beneficiaries.
I’ve seen some before but didn’t think it was a regular occurrence,mostly for larger amounts.
 
If newspapers were dedicated to serious news only (or for the most part), as they were decades ago, then it would be appropriate.

When the likes of the Sindo publish this information alongside celebrity gossip headlines etc, then I'd say there's an issue. The target audience of these rags is the prurient / the opposite of those reading in the public interest.
 
If newspapers were dedicated to serious news only (or for the most part), as they were decades ago, then it would be appropriate.

Decades ago newspapers were dedicated to protecting the powerful by concealing anything damaging to their interests. They were also dedicated to attacking anyone who sought to expose the powerful or speak out against their abuses. They ignored and suppressed knowledge of the abuses of children and "immoral" women. Instead they published "serious news" glorifying those who were perpetuating the abuse.
 
Decades ago newspapers were dedicated to protecting the powerful by concealing anything damaging to their interests.
Same thing today.

The point was not that newspapers have ever been perfect. The point was that at least back then there was more intention to focus on serious issues (Whether you agree with how the issues were covered etc is not the point) - in contrast to today when celebrities, gossip etc are more likely to grab headlines. Many of these papers are little more than gossip/lifestyle magazines with a few genuine stories here and there, but mainly they're in the business of entertainment as opposed to serious journalism.
 
The Sunday Independent stopped publishing values for some time then recommenced publication. Most of the estate values are in the €1 - 2 million category. Would this be the median value of an estate or are these values in the minority. I am aware jointly held property is excluded from the value of an estate. Certain British newspapers do likewise. I expect that is why Ireland does likewise and its not just the Sunday Independent which publishes this information. I see no issue with it as it is a matter of public record.
 
When the likes of the Sindo publish this information alongside celebrity gossip headlines etc, then I'd say there's an issue.
They don't do that though, so by your measure there is no issue.
Their page 2, where the wills lists have been published for decades, has never been a page for celebrity gossip headlines.
The target audience of these rags is the prurient / the opposite of those reading in the public interest.
No, you're confusing the Sindo with the tabloids.

When did you last buy it?
 
@Early Riser
Decades ago newspapers were dedicated to protecting the powerful by concealing anything damaging to their interests. They were also dedicated to attacking anyone who sought to expose the powerful or speak out against their abuses.
They still are.
They ignored and suppressed knowledge of the abuses of children and "immoral" women. Instead they published "serious news" glorifying those who were perpetuating the abuse.

They still do.
 
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No, you're confusing the Sindo with the tabloids.
The point more generally is that such information should be found in the right place, rather than in a mixed bag where the main focus is on entertainment etc than on actual journalism - how I'd describe the Sindo.

When did you last buy it?
Fair enough. I haven't read it in probably 15 years. It may have improved since then (I doubt it but I could be wrong). I have glanced at headlines in shops sometimes.
 
They don't do that though, so by your measure there is no issue.
Their page 2, where the wills lists have been published for decades, has never been a page for celebrity gossip headlines.

No, you're confusing the Sindo with the tabloids.

When did you last buy it?

I took out a year's subscription to the online version of the Indo/SIndo about 9 months ago and have no intention of renewing it. While the daily paper is just about acceptable, much of the Sunday edition would have to ascend a high ladder to even reach tabloid standards; although one or two of the columnists - including a recent arrival - are worth reading.

(In recent times the Oirish hind-tit part of the Sunday Times has become equally shoddy and that's another sub that I will not be renewing.)
 
The point more generally is that such information should be found in the right place, rather than in a mixed bag where the main focus is on entertainment etc than on actual journalism - how I'd describe the Sindo.


Fair enough. I haven't read it in probably 15 years. It may have improved since then (I doubt it but I could be wrong). I have glanced at headlines in shops sometimes.
It hasn't improved in the past 15 years, but the fact remains that the main focus of their page 2 where they list the wills is most certainly not entertainment. The same goes for their obituaries page.

It's certainly a junk paper but I've never noticed a distasteful juxtaposition on either of those pages.
 
I am no fan of the Sindo/Indo but that is totally irrelevant. They have the right to publish publicly available information, in the same way as the The Sunday Business Post or The Ballymagash Lapdancer. (I could say I only get it for the Wills!)
 
The values in a will (that could potentially be published), does it include these values:
- Jointly owned savings plans/house of the deceased and their spouse?
- Value of Pension funds owned by the deceased, but where the deceased nominated their spouse as beneficiary before death?
- Life insurance policies on the life of the deceased, but where the deceased nominated their spouse as beneficiary before death?
 
There was a case a few decades ago where a long serving Dublin Corporation Councillor of outwardly modest means died and the processing of his estate revealed substantial and previously undisclosed wealth. This received considerable media coverage in the context of possible planning corruption and an investigation into it later formed part of the work of I think the Flood/Mahon Tribunal.

No way should reporting of cases like that be suppressed.

I well recall that controversy. Kudos to Frank McDonald who was the journalist responsible.

(I can also recall a disapproving letter appearing in the Irish Times a few days later from an ostensibly shocked John Wilson TD (who was the Tanaiste at that time!) Evidently Wilson assumed that the deceased councillor in question had won it on the horses!
 
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