Sean Gallagher's Sunday Independent 'whistle blower' is convicted fraudster

by Kevin O'Kelly Mon Mar 12, 2012 13:45

Fine Gael minister Leo Varadkar on RTE 'liberal bias' - News at One Radio One 12th March 2012.

Wants all callers to programmes 'checked' - call the Gestapo (or expand the duties of the new ministry of the Internet). He thinks RTE coverage of where US Republican candidate Mitt Romney's money coming from not fair, because no reference to where Barak Obama's is from - but the coverage was on the Republican Party primaries in the US.

And so the witch hunt begins - blue shirts will link up with FFers to try and re-shape the media agenda, dumb down RTE and create space for Fox news type right wing hysteria, all in the name of 'balance'. The discussion is designed to condition RTE. Sunday Independent story all part of the scenario.

Roll on reaction.

by opus diablos - the regressive hypocrite party Mon Mar 12, 2012 13:55

..the Rupert 'n' Tony 'n' Dinny Uno Voce Uno % Inquisition...not that RTE fRTE are far behind on the corporate hymnsheet..but like everything public...down with that sort of thing..into our pockets.

by indyfan Mon Mar 12, 2012 14:05

Who cares about this either way.

By blowing this story up here you're no different from the sindo. And if we fall for it we're just as stupid as the sindo buying audience.

this is yet another stupid gallagher distraction thread which should be locked. Read the sindo if you want to read crap about sean gallagher. read indy if you want to read about real stuff we should be paying attention to.

by opus diablos - the regressive hypocrite party Mon Mar 12, 2012 14:30

One of the main things needing scrutiny is the media cartel of consensus...its the front line in many ways..from Madison Ave back.

Its not about Gallagher, its about the disinformation spindustrialists.

by Sindo not fan Mon Mar 12, 2012 17:24

So, so-called 'indyfan', you want the story 'locked' off so we can't consider the assault on free speech that the Gallagher story represents. Because the establishment media cover it, that means the story is not important, then why do they cover it?

I'm sure the Sindo would agree with you. Don't criticise the Sindo here. Ignore it and let it get on with communicating with hundreds of thousands each week without any critical comment.

Sindy and indyfans can unite on that one - count me out.

by indyfan Mon Mar 12, 2012 18:08

"Because the establishment media cover it, that means the story is not important, then why do they cover it? "

They cover it to distract the public and fill column inches without having to cover real stories that matter. Its just bread and circuses. A distraction from other more pressing matters. Who cares about gallagher. Why are we wasting our valuable resources and energy talking about this non entity? Thats my point. Not that we should not criticise bias in the media.

Your critical skills would be better used pointing out bias in rte about the fiscal treaty, bank bailout , rossport, ODS eviction etc etc etc.

Not on their take on sean gallagher.

By continuing the sindo debate on sean gallagher, we are feeding into that mass distraction strategy. We could be dealing with more important things.

by Sindo not fan Mon Mar 12, 2012 19:43

.... do all those important things, and stop wasting your time here?

We can keep being distracted by this example of media bias, if you don't mind.

by Ex-Corkman Mon Mar 12, 2012 19:51

This is an important story. There is an all out assault on RTE by the Sindo, FG and FF. That needs to be covered here.

The fact that the Sindo are using a convicted conman (as well as neo-CON Eoghan Harris) is an interesting development in the story.

Lets see neo-CON Harris wriggle out of that!

by Media Past Mon Mar 12, 2012 23:15

Discussion points:

Are there any similarities between then and now?
What is the attitude of broadcasters, researchers, journalists?
Where is their voice? Are they permitted to speak?

Irish Independent 25 October 1974 reports Conor Cruise O'Brien attack on RTE - and workforce response

by Ex-Corkman Tue Mar 13, 2012 01:08

Back in the days when Eoghan Harris was an anti-imperialist. These days he supports internment and attacks RTE on behalf of Sir Anthony.

I remember the days when Harris was a trade union activist and ran training courses for trade unionists on how to interact with the media. Now he attacks unions.

by Kepi Tue Mar 13, 2012 03:04

Here is what Varuka actually said regarding the (South Dublin) Liberal bias on RTE.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieHF2fXyr5o

by Ned Stapleton - The Group Tue Mar 13, 2012 08:47

Came across this article that explains why Conor Cruise O'Brien attacked Eoghan Harris in 1973 and 1974

"Eoghan Harris fed the hand that bit him - Conor cruise O'Brien sidelined the man who later idolised him"
Village Magazine (Dublin) September 2009
http://gcd.academia.edu/NiallMeehan/Papers/113360/

Eoghan Harris and RTE were the target of attack in 1974 - today he is attacking RTE - Village September 2009

by Mick Butler Tue Mar 13, 2012 21:21

This issue is an important element in the for want of a better term, 'class war' and the hustle for hegemony by the billionaire controlled media.

O 'Reilly and O' Brien are tracking the Gallagher 'story' closely. Anything that will undermine publicly owned (for all of it's flaws) broadcasting, is in their cross-hairs.

A few weeks back O'Brien's multi million euro loss maker Newstalk, lashed out a lot of dough on full page advertisements in the papers lacerating RTE's 'bogus tweet'.

Indymedia readers will not be surprised that the same outfit dish out mountains of lies, (even more so than RTE) on "social welfare fraud" and by the way, no one takes them to task on it. That may change. The mass media, whether we like it or not can make or breakk issues by distortion, occlusion or whatever it takes, Rossport is a perfect example and of course RTE is in on that one big time as well. OBrien and co would love a Fox type effort in situ here.

Control the story and its flow and you set and shape the agenda. I know that is ABC stuff but it often seems to get lost on activists who work away a lot of the time it seems, effectively in a bubble.

by lefty Tue Mar 13, 2012 23:06

RTE is not much better than the sindo on most things
To call it public broadcasting in the public interest is a joke.

They are totally on message most of the time.

The government control the licence fee etc and RTE do pretty much what they believe their masters would wish them to.

The only reason the gallagher thing happened was because it was live tv and they got caught.

There is no reason for the right / corporates to attack RTE because they are both heads on the same hydra.

This faux division is just a distraction. As is this story.

by Rational Ecologist. Wed Mar 14, 2012 12:01

It wasn't the tweet that did the damage to Gallagher but his response to it and the subsequent realisation by the electorate that they were about to elect a FF President.

by catholic worker Wed Mar 14, 2012 19:19

I dont know who is more of an undesirable so to speak , sean gallagher or that other pric*

by Watcher 3 Wed Mar 14, 2012 22:43

Plenty of distraction about sure is not that the name of the game, bread and circuses and all that lark, but you get a private monopoly effectively running the show and as the song goes "Baby, you ain't seen nothi'n yet".

by michael p Fri Mar 16, 2012 09:51

I am not really concerned whether Gallagher is left, right, or centre. He is entitled to his views, as are his critics and supporters.

None of this gets around the disturbing allegation that employees of the taxpayer-supported public-service broadcaster have been engineering controversy and manipulating what appears on this programme. It needs to be investigated to see whether these allegations are true, and if so, to recommend safeguards to protect the integrety and impartiality of RTE from the political sympathies of its own employees.

RTE is not the Independent nor Indymedia - neither of which are public service media, and whose respective biases are manifest. RTE is a public service paid for by public money. And, by the way,there IS a perception that RTE promotes social values which are more liberal than that of the political centre and the political sympathies of the majority of our population. On the other hand, its commentary and coverage on the economy is generally quite conservative and supportive of the economic orthodoxy. It is no co-incidence that recent scandals in RTE have arisen where reporters with strong views and preconceptions were allowed pursue their personal hobby-horses without adequate oversight or editorial scrutiny.

I make this contribution knowing that Indymedia always welcomes diverse viewpoints.

by lefty Fri Mar 16, 2012 15:09

michael, you say:

"RTE is not the Independent nor Indymedia - neither of which are public service media, and whose respective biases are manifest. "

then later you say:

"I make this contribution knowing that Indymedia always welcomes diverse viewpoints."

Ahem.... ;-) taking the piss a bit here aren't we?

However I agree with this:

" On the other hand, its commentary and coverage on the economy is generally quite conservative and supportive of the economic orthodoxy."

which is most alarming and means that FG have had way too smooth a ride giving away billions of our money to bondholders, imposing crushing austerity, eviscerating services and rolling over so the EU masters can scratch their political tummies.

by Harry Belafonte Sun Mar 18, 2012 15:56

"RTE is not the Independent nor Indymedia - neither of which are public service media, and whose respective biases are manifest."

You can comment on Indymedia stories.

Where is the acknowledgement by the Sunday Independent that their story last week promoting a conman was a dud? Nowhere, because it is edited by a political conwoman, Anne Harris. It is half run by Eoghan Harris, who today launches his usual ludicrous defence of censorship of RTE under Section 31 of the Bradcasting Act and, as usual, witch-hunts RTE staff. The paper is given over to another anti-RTE fest this week.

On page one today (18 March) another anti Labour Michael D Higgins, RTE non-story - Labour supporter asks David Norris a question on Frontline during presidential debate.

The rest of the paper is more of the same boring nonsense dressed up as news.

Michael D Supporter asks David Norris a question - big news for right wing nuts

by Ex-Corkman Sun Mar 18, 2012 18:59

Another all out attack on RTE by a platoon of Sindo writers (don't call them journalists).

Eoghan Harris now wants the DG of RTE and the Chair of the RTE Authority sacked.

Why?

No its not the tweet. These two apparently are protecting Provo Hush-puppies who are keeping Eoghan Harris and Kevin Myers off RTE!

Eoghan Harris is just the crazed lead pitbull terrier of Tony O'Reilly. Whatever the faults of RTE we cannot allow the bean baron to decide the editorial line of RTE or who works there.