Political censorship at The Kerryman

Saturday April 26, 2003 18:18

by Ailin

The media is an arm of Government - and nothing illustrates the point more than the act of the Kerryman newspaper in its issue of 18th April last when it featured a front page story on how Provo TD Martin Ferris was aware of an alleged threat against a mother by a gang of drug dealers from Limerick.

The interesting aspect of this story is that the woman and her family who were threatened lives two doors away from the Provo Deputy - yet it was local officials from Republican Sinn Féin who first raised the issue with the media. In fact on Monday 14th April Republican Sinn Féin chairman in Tralee John Mangan issued a statement to the Kerryman newspaper outlining the threats against the woman and her family and calling on the police to tackle the drug gangs instead of harassing Republicans. Of course his statement was a truthful one - and truth is not of interest to the news journalists on the Kerryman judging by the way they featured the story. After contact with RSF North Kerry spokesman John O'Shea, the newspaper asked for contact to be made with the woman.

The resulting story however played up the role of the Provo TD and failed to mention that Republican Sinn Féin has first alerted interest in the story. In fact the efforts of Republican Sinn Féin officials to alert the media was not even mentioned in the article. Such is the freedom of the press in Kerry!

The claim by the Provo TD that he had been aware of the threats against the family is interesting - as the woman at the centre of the story says: "If he was so aware of it why did he not take any action - why did he not come to me and offer assistance - it was only when Republican Sinn Féin stepped in that the newspaper took an interest."

The episode illustrates how the so-called free press plays puppet to the politicians - and will not embarrass politicians like Ferris with stories on their doorstep exposed by Republican Sinn Féin.

While Republican Sinn Féin engages in a widespread campaign of media relations and issues statements almost every week on issues of local and national importance, the censorship imposed by newspapers like the Kerryman indicates how the media fear an alternative political viewpoint. The act of political censorship by the Kerryman shows the petty steps they will take to suppress any view contrary to that pushed by the politicians they support.

In future when people buy newspapers like the Kerryman they should bear in mind that such organs are serving and subservient to the ruling class - readers should consider again what has been ignored or suppressed by the so called free press! Let those who connived in this distasteful censorship examine their role - and let them ponder the meaning of freedom of expression and upholding the public's right to know - another Kerry joke!