Independent Newspapers: Not so independent anymore

Last Saturday, almost every newspaper in the land covered the constitutional crisis triggered by Denis O’Brien’s ruthless arrogance. The story was so big, so important that global media outlets such as the New York Times and the Guardian gave it top billing.

The only media outlet that practically ignored the issue was the Denis O’Brien controlled Irish Independent.

Buried deep in the issue on page 22 ‘Journallist’ John Downing outlined in an article of only 402 words a series of sentences and quotes surrounding what is one of the most imortant political stories of recent decades. There was no analysis whatsoever.

When asked about this on RTEs Saturday View Downing, with great indignance, repsonded:

There is coverage and there is a photograph of Catherine Murphy and I personally wrote this and was very careful to give fair ball to everybody.

He then adopted the same strategy as Denis O’Brien’s lacky James Morrissey of throwing a bucket of red herrings to avoid criticising his master.

Libel laws, legal compensation industry, conflict between judges and polilticians and ended his rant with this bizarre question:

Which brings us back to the question, why is there only one Monopolies Commission?

The increasingly desperate struggle by ‘journalists’ in Independent Newspapers to portray themselves as objective and professional is really becoming a bit sad.