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What Is The Sindo and The Rest of O'Reilly's Empire Doing?

category national | arts and media | feature author Tuesday April 25, 2006 11:29author by Editors - Indymedia Ireland Editorial Group Report this post to the editors

Like any other Open Publishing site Indymedia attracts its fair share of trolls. For some years Indymedia users have been harrassed by an obsessed cyber-stalker going under a variety of names. This troll has abused people through the site, as well as sending intimidating and insulting personal emails to different constributors on our editorial lists (particularly to a woman who contributes to the list). This crackpot's one-person mission to allegedly monitor the (completely open!) workings of Indymedia.ie has also prompted them into going as far as using a popular blogging site to pour deliberately ill-informed abuse on Indymedia contributors including editors.

We do not know the identity of this individual. All we know is that they appear to be admired by neo-Nazis who gather on a separate internet forum of the international far-right. Some of those neo-Nazis carry links to the crackpot blog in their posting signatures. Indeed, so prominent are the links that Tony O'Reilly's Evening Herald carried a story last Wednesday describing this latest website monitoring Indymedia, as a section of the world's most notorious neo-Nazi website "the racist, right wing Stormfront." Unlike the so-called "professionals" who inhabit O'Reilly's publishing empire, we don't mistake a random signature linking to a completely different site, as evidence that both operations spring from the same social betamax. An older posting from a contributor to another far right site prompts further suspicions in asking of the self-styled Indymedia Watch "aren't these crowd neocon supporters?"

Whoever they are, we have busily ignored them for years. They are part of the white noise generated by the internet's ability to accomodate a whole array of derangement. Anyway, who visits this website for anything other than a bout of ridiculing laughter (less shared with our stalker than directed at him)? However, recently we were somewhat concerned to learn that the individual behind Indymedia Watch is offering money for personal information on people featured in media clips on Indymedia's newswire. This person is also seeking photographs and details of those active on the editorial list. Given the admiration among neo-nazis and other more "educated" right wing buffoons on the net for this blog, this is all a little sinister.

The threatening aspect was deepened when, last Sunday, another of Tony O'Reilly's newspapers, the Sunday Independent, ran an article attacking Indymedia and the left of centre Village magazine, which often picks up on articles that appear on Indymedia. This article consisted almost entirely of a cut-and-paste odyssey taken from one of the postings on our stalker's blog. The article contained such pleasant sentiments as an attack on people who care about "deprivation in knackaragua". After providing a huge dollop of publicity for our stalker's blog, the Sindo went so far as to finish their article by saying "we couldn't have put it better ourselves"!

What is the Sindo and the rest of O'Reilly's empire doing? Is it anything other than passing off the sort of abusive commentry that would be deleted from any self-respecting site as media analysis? Why are they trying to drum up publicity for a site which is linked to by far-right websites? Why are the promoting a site which is offering money for personal details of Indymedia users and then posting this on the internet? Could somebody be getting worried about the growing influence and usage of Indymedia?

author by I've a Brown Vinniepublication date Tue Apr 25, 2006 16:29author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Looks like Indymedia Ireland is a shower of people who only want to criticise and sling mud, but can't take it in return, doesn't it? None of this article deals with the issues at hand.

* Firstly, it's correct to say that only some editors took part in its creation, not all seventeen. The posting is misleading, in this regard.

* Secondly, the feature does not deal with a core issue raised by the real Indymedia Ireland Watch (there is no Indymedia Watch section on the right-wing forum, as you say) - i.e., the cosy relationship between Chekov Feeney and Village Magazine, itself a for-profit operation run by someone who already has many outlets for his views - both through privately owned newspapers and the national broadcaster. Why not deal with this issue? There are clear questions to be asked and answered here. I notice you did not disclose for example that Vincent Browne was a speaker at an Indymedia Media Center meeting in Dublin a couple of years ago. Is Mr Browne now lending credence to the same operation that insults ministers by portraying them as KKK or Nazi members by offering them a paper outlet for the same stuff that we see on their newswire?

* Thirdly, this site is nominally open - however, there are may questions to be asked about censorship that the authors don't deal with. Or do you think it's perfect? Indymedia Ireland Watch has raised many interesting points about Indymedia, and if you look around on politics.ie, you will see that some people even consider such contributions as a form or "peer review". You should be be beyond criticism, particularly from a source that is primarily one aimed at lampooning your own po-faced seriousness about "big issues" and their "context" (is that what you mean by "betamax"? - how pretentious - no-one knows this word in this context).

* Fourthly, seeking information about those on the editorial lists (and off) is a perfect example of WMS-baiting. You live in a paranoid world of black helicopters, the NKVD, surveillance, agent provateurs, and the rest - a world which doesn't exist, and which like Edward Horgan, you have no evidence of. More fool you by not earning a few quid by sending a few photographs to the bonkers operators offering a reward...

* Fifthly -" the left of centre Village magazine, which often picks up on articles that appear on Indymedia", Excuse me, "picks up"? I believe many of us would prefer the verbs "fed", "lifts", or "rehashes". Why is it that VM - for profit - can pick up Indymedia contributor's articles, but not say, the Sunday Tribune? Are you knowingly supplying free content for Mr. Browne to make more money - no costs, max profit? I believe you call that "outsourcing". We call it "exploitation", "non-union labour", and "hard neck". Is VM an NUJ-hostile operation?

* Sixtly, - "deprivation in knackaragua". World's Smallest Violin Playing in Backgroud. Another middle class WSM/SWP "activist" exposed. Does Vincent Browne live in Darndale?

* And, lastly, re: "insulting personal emails to different constributors on our editorial lists (particularly to a woman who contributes to the list). Could you possibly be referring to the same woman that was blocked from being an editor, consistently? How insulting was that? What difference should it make she is a woman? That's called "sexism". Indymedia Ireland is a boy's club.

In total, this IMC-inspired article is a pathetic, childish whinge. I believe Mr Browne also went running to his solicitors too. Again, hypocrisy in the MSM and "Indy"media are shown to be very cosy friends indeed.

You've been busted by your own arrogance.

author by Badmanpublication date Tue Apr 25, 2006 16:41author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Dear Ciaran / Indystalker

Your six points are undermined by a common flaw. Your obvious insanity.

Tip: get somebody who is remotely sane to read your arguments before posting them.

author by screen shooterpublication date Tue Apr 25, 2006 16:43author address author phone Report this post to the editors

just because you best friends are Nazis - doesn't mean you are a nazi

just because the Herald says you are a Nazi doesn't mean its true.

but birds do tend to flock together

more info coming soon....

birds of a feather?
birds of a feather?

author by Topperpublication date Tue Apr 25, 2006 16:48author address author phone Report this post to the editors

This guy is utterly psychotic. I mean honestly, how is it possible for a human being to be so jaw-droppingly, staggeringly deranged?

(cue self-pitying bleat "oh look now you're trying to stigmatise me as a lunatic because I challenge you CENSORSHIP CENSORSHIP LEAVE ME ALONG YOU STASI MONSTERS STOP TORTURING ME I WON'T GO QUIETLY TO YOUR FOUL SOCIALIST GULAG I'M BEING OPPRESSED I'M BEING OPPRESSED!!!!!" and he calls us paranoid....)

author by Mark Ppublication date Tue Apr 25, 2006 16:57author address author phone Report this post to the editors

1) It is interesting that neither the Sunday Independent bile piece nor our friend in his response above deals at any stage with the meat of the criticisms of Jim Cusack's Sunday Independent articles raised by Chekov Feeney and others in the pages of Village and elsewhere. Under the bluster, sound and fury all they've been able to come up with are ad hominem attacks. Curious isn't it that no defence of the articles in question has been mounted?

2) Everyone has to earn a living. Criticising an Indymedia editor for also accepting paid work writing for a for-profit magazine is like criticising other volunteer activists for having jobs, utterly nonsensical. There are a small number of left wing activists who take the view that working for any company or any state agency is essentially selling out to "the man", but such people are few and far between and certainly few if any of them are regular contributors to Indymedia.ie. By the way, Village, while certainly a for profit business, is as far as I know unionised. The two people I know who contribute to it regularly for instance are NUJ members.

author by Topperpublication date Tue Apr 25, 2006 17:12author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Sorry, just reading back over the rant there, and I was genuinely baffled by the allusion to the NKVD, apparently part of a "paranoid world" that "doesn't exist". I know the NKVD changed its name to the KGB in the fifties, and it's now called the FSB, but is Indohackloon really saying that it doesn't exist? Was the Gulag all a lie too?

Get back to Russia you dirty commie!

author by Barrypublication date Tue Apr 25, 2006 17:20author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Jim Cusack clearly left himself looking like a stuttering , lying clown on that interview with Chekov after the Dublin riots . Utterly woeful and incompetent he was unable to back up any of his nonsensical claims when challenged. Rubbish He deserves the sack from any worthwhile news paper for that dreadful performance as theres no way anyone can ever take any of his reports seriously .

And to be honest referring to parts of Dublin as "knackeragua" entitles this punter to a well deserved smack .Thats the sleazy right wing level hes operating from .

author by readerpublication date Tue Apr 25, 2006 17:24author address author phone Report this post to the editors

The blog that shall not be named is gone.

author by Chekovpublication date Tue Apr 25, 2006 17:30author email chekov at indymedia dot ieauthor address author phone Report this post to the editors

Firstly, it's correct to say that only some editors took part in its creation, not all seventeen. The posting is misleading, in this regard.

No it's not. It went through the normal approval process and nothing in this posting implies anything else. It got 5 approvals and no objections from editors - two more than required. All of this is, as usual, archived publically and anybody can check it themselves.

Secondly, the feature does not deal with a core issue raised by the real Indymedia Ireland Watch (there is no Indymedia Watch section on the right-wing forum, as you say) - i.e., the cosy relationship between Chekov Feeney and Village Magazine, itself a for-profit operation run by someone who already has many outlets for his views - both through privately owned newspapers and the national broadcaster. Why not deal with this issue? There are clear questions to be asked and answered here.

There are, in fact, no clear questions to be answered here. I certainly don't know what they are, but if somebody puts questions to me I normally answer them (as long as the questions aren't barking mad).

I notice you did not disclose for example that Vincent Browne was a speaker at an Indymedia Media Center meeting in Dublin a couple of years ago.

Not only did we disclose it, we splashed it on our web page, put up posters, distributed leaflets and printed programmes announcing the fact. Or, in your exalted journalistic opinion, do you feel that every time any individual is mentioned, the entire history of that individual should be relayed. How often, for example, do Independent newspapers remind us that Mary Harney is married to the boss of IBEC?

Is Mr Browne now lending credence to the same operation that insults ministers by portraying them as KKK or Nazi members by offering them a paper outlet for the same stuff that we see on their newswire?

As both you and our stalker know well, this site uses an open publishing model. As long as articles do not breach these guidelines, they remain on the site. This means that there is a large volume of material here which none of the editors agree with. Thus when you say that this "operation" insults ministers, you are incorrect. It is interesting that this dishonesty is the standard one used by our stalker who routinely pretends that every comment on the site represents the indymedia collective.

Thirdly, this site is nominally open - however, there are may questions to be asked about censorship that the authors don't deal with.

This site is nominally and factually open. We have clear editorial guidelines and we make every effort to apply them objectively. Sometimes we fail to live up to our aspirations, but we are generally ready to hear an appeal if somebody feels that we have not applied our guidelines properly. Anybody is free to ask any questions that they want on our editorial lists and anybody can go through our archives and check our record of addressing issues themselves.

Indymedia Ireland Watch has raised many interesting points about Indymedia, and if you look around on politics.ie, you will see that some people even consider such contributions as a form or "peer review".

Our stalker is deranged and pretty much everything he has ever published has been deliberately dishonest and malicious. He allows no comments on his saddo site and the only person who I recall every commenting favourably on him was his sock puppets and a few freedom fries lunatics.

You should be be beyond criticism, particularly from a source that is primarily one aimed at lampooning your own po-faced seriousness about "big issues" and their "context" (is that what you mean by "betamax"? - how pretentious - no-one knows this word in this context)

We are generally against malicious lies presented as fact, as is reflected in our editorial guidelines and practice. When people spread malicious lies about us, many of us become unhappy about it. Such is life.

Fourthly, seeking information about those on the editorial lists (and off) is a perfect example of WMS-baiting. You live in a paranoid world of black helicopters, the NKVD, surveillance, agent provateurs, and the rest - a world which doesn't exist, and which like Edward Horgan, you have no evidence of. More fool you by not earning a few quid by sending a few photographs to the bonkers operators offering a reward...

I have failed to extract any sense from this point. Is it just me or are is it just gibberish?

I believe many of us would prefer the verbs "fed", "lifts", or "rehashes". Why is it that VM - for profit - can pick up Indymedia contributor's articles, but not say, the Sunday Tribune?

Simply because Village offers money in exchange for articles from time to time to indymedia contributors. The Sunday Tribune or any of O'Reilly's newspapers have never done similarly, but if they did the author of the article would be entirely free to engage in a similar cash for labour arrangement. Somehow I suspect that we will continue not to hear from them.

Are you knowingly supplying free content for Mr. Browne to make more money - no costs, max profit? I believe you call that "outsourcing". We call it "exploitation", "non-union labour", and "hard neck". Is VM an NUJ-hostile operation?

I call it "completely made up". All content that is posted to indymedia is done so under a non-commercial licence by default. The authors retain the copyright over all content for commercial use and are free to license their work to anybody else - which is their business and indymedia have nothing to do with it. In terms of our own ethics, the editors generally agree that any and all commercial use of indymedia material must be paid at at least the union rates. I am unaware of anybody ever undercutting union rates by giving indymedia material to commercial operations without payment.

Furthermore, as you should know, the president of the NUJ spoke at the same Indymedia event that Vincent Browne attended, as you mentioned above.

Sixtly, - "deprivation in knackaragua". World's Smallest Violin Playing in Backgroud. Another middle class WSM/SWP "activist" exposed.

That can speak for itself.

And, lastly, re: "insulting personal emails to different constributors on our editorial lists (particularly to a woman who contributes to the list). Could you possibly be referring to the same woman that was blocked from being an editor, consistently? How insulting was that? What difference should it make she is a woman? That's called "sexism". Indymedia Ireland is a boy's club. In total, this IMC-inspired article is a pathetic, childish whinge. I believe Mr Browne also went running to his solicitors too.

Now time for your questions.

  1. How are you so sure of the identity of this person when none of these personally insulting and abusive emails are in the public domain. As far as I am aware only a few editors know of them?
  2. How do you know about Mr Browne "running to his solicitors"
  3. Are indymediairelandwatch, Ciaran Byrne and yourself one and the same person?
  4. Why has the indymediairelandwatch website suddenly been removed from blogger?

author by Seán Ryanpublication date Tue Apr 25, 2006 23:03author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Sorry folks for the hassle my picture has caused.

However I stand by every single word I wrote, and I'd publish it with the same picture again if I had it to do over.

I've been watching this troll for some time and was dismayed at the way my piece was strategically quoted to misrepresent what I had to say.

I'm delighted that McDowell doesn't like me, the feeling's mutual. I note that he had nothing to say about the piece itself. I'll refrain from reposting the picture or link to the story here so as not to stir up any more trouble than I've already caused. But I'm tempted.

Anyways, well done, this is a fine article and I can't wait for more revealations.

author by Seán Ryanpublication date Wed Apr 26, 2006 00:01author address author phone Report this post to the editors

I made a mistake in the above post, I meant to refer to the troll who doesn't like me not McDowell. But just for clarity's sake I still don't like McDowell. (whether he likes me or not)

author by EWIpublication date Wed Apr 26, 2006 00:40author address author phone Report this post to the editors

How could anyone forget Eoghan Harris...?

author by barrapublication date Wed Apr 26, 2006 01:18author address author phone Report this post to the editors

These trolls that snipe at people’s views/ personal attacks etc….. does indeed chip away from the quality of Indymedia journalism. I know people who would contribute to indymedia but don’t because of the negative feedback articles (half baked n roasted agitating statements, not to be confused with a fear of constructive criticism).

Indymediawatch is a pathetic cowardly site but there are many sites like this internationally.

The principles of the site should not be compromised because of personal attacks to its editors.

I always taught indymediawatch was a healthy thing, something to laugh and joke about, except for its cowardly personal attacks.

I believe in free speech to all until I came across the violence the B.N.P/ fascists inspire. I don’t believe attacking fascist structures is a attack on freedom of speech its defending it.

I am not saying indymediawatch is a fascist structure (obviously the work of some bitter mad man/men woman/women).

author by Seamuspublication date Wed Apr 26, 2006 11:13author email twtone at lycos dot comauthor address author phone Report this post to the editors

Sean Ryan, any chance of getting a softcopy of that great nazi McDowell picture? You can email it to me if you like.

I have a great desire to print large sticker versions of it and to use it to lets say 'decorate' some of his election posters which the generall public will be forced to look at in the winter coming. Think it would be a great way to expose him for the nazi he is, would no doubt irritate him no end which can only be a good thing.

Go raibh maith agat,
S

author by Dumbpublication date Wed Apr 26, 2006 11:47author address author phone Report this post to the editors

What does screen shooter's post mean? Can anybody explain it to me?

author by Barrypublication date Wed Apr 26, 2006 12:04author address author phone Report this post to the editors

I personally believe these crackpots such as Harris , Cusack and co have done immeasurable harm to Irish society for decades . I would compare the situation in Ireland vis a vis democracy and the media to that of Venezuela . These loonies essentially controlled virtually the entire mainstream print , radio and television media . Combined with decades of section 31 , the infamous Keating branch of the NUJ in RTE under Harris , the Cruiser , Synon , OReillys grip on the media and the whole bunch of them preaching daily this small group of people weilded an ordinate amount of power in the sphere of opinion forming and agenda setting . There were virtually no voices out there able to contradict them , with state censorship they fully supported and in Cruises and Harris case oversaw the implementation of . Extremely unhealthy for a small country to have been under the unanswerable grip of these crackpot bastards for decades .

author by M Cottonpublication date Wed Apr 26, 2006 15:41author address author phone Report this post to the editors

"Looks like Indymedia Ireland is a shower of people who only want to criticise and sling mud, but can't take it in return, doesn't it?

That would explain why your criticism has remained up on this thread, then?

Name the newspaper anywhere that requires seventeen editors to approve every article for front page-featuring. Name one which guarantees that every editor is routinely informed of all editorial decisions with opportunities for each to discuss and object to any decision, if they choose. Name one that does not proceed in the face of an objection until a consensus has been arrived at. Name one that includes contributors and others in that process too. Name one whose content is 99.99% made up from the news and views of the general public, without any editorial interference and without any prior notification of what will be published.

"Secondly, the feature does not deal with a core issue raised by the real Indymedia Ireland Watch ...i.e., the cosy relationship between Chekov Feeney and Village Magazine..."

I'm not sure if this isn't the most embarassing part of your comment. For all the very obvious reasons explained above, and very prominently on our website, it's completely immaterial to Indymedia, or Village for that matter, what sort of relationship Chekov Feeney has with Vincent Browne or anyone else.

"Is Mr Browne now lending credence to the same operation that insults ministers by portraying them as KKK or Nazi members by offering them a paper outlet for the same stuff that we see on their newswire?"

It's not in the gift of Vincent Browne to 'lend credence' to Indymedia. Indymedia has acquired it solely on the merit of what it is - the only properly independent national news source in Ireland. It's no use affecting condescension about it when, really, you are annoyed that a lot of people like that independence - unaffected by commercial or political influence. Again, It is the readers and contributors who are responsible for this state of affairs. And people are converting to us in ever-increasing numbers because they are tired of the miserable failure of what, with too few exceptions, laughably passes for 'investigative' journalism and news reporting in 'mainstream' media.

You'd do better to worry about how ministers are insulting their voters. Indymedia is made up of contributors most of whom are fed up of the insulting behaviour of ministers and TDs. For example, those who cravenly allow Irish people to be taken without charge and in secret to another jurisdiction for interrogation and possible torture. Those who force motorways through national heritage centres against the wishes of people, nationally and internationally. Those who bully and dissemble their way to building deadly incinerators against the wishes of the affected populations. Those who give away ALL of our natural resources at the expense of every person in the country, while we have crises in hospitals and chronic underfunding of almost every single public service - and the most deadly roads in Europe on which billions of euro have been spent to no corresponding effect. Where'd the money go? What about those who have thrown our universities to the coporate wolves and who are destroying third level education in the process? And to cap all that, what about those who are introducing one piece of legislation after another to ensure that only the political class and their corporate backers will have any 'legal' say in how the country is run, in future. One of these days, a politician (probably Harney or McDowell) is just going to come right out with it and say 'go away you bunch of plebs, we don't give a toss about you and there's nothing you can do about it now, because we've fixed it nicely for ourselves and our paymasters'.

If you want to spend your life genuflecting and simpering to people like these, and spectacularly failing to notice what is going on around you, that is a matter for you. God almighty, some people would have it that we are not even allowed to laugh at them! And you tell us that we are po-faced!

"Thirdly, this site is nominally open - however, there are may questions to be asked about censorship that the authors don't deal with. Or do you think it's perfect? Indymedia Ireland Watch has raised many interesting points about Indymedia, and if you look around on politics.ie, you will see that some people even consider such contributions as a form or "peer review". "

Censorship! You mean editing nonsensensical and abusive comments that have no news element to them? You mean referring people to the publicly accessible editorial list to discuss editorial issues, because they are not news? Where else will you find any other newspublisher with publicly available archives of all editorial decisions ever taken?

Let's talk about real censorship, shall we? Why is it that virtually every stink eminating from almost every corner of public life in Ireland goes unreported in the mainstream press? Serious courrption in universities, millions of planning law breaches, deaths in garda custody, unaccountable professionals, unaccountable business men, unaccountable politicians, useless tribunals, support for illegal war, massive incompetence in public adminsitration - why is it that only a tiny fraction of all this gets reported? Why is that even when it does, it is almost always couched in timid and apologetic asides and skirts around the really serious and urgent questions? Because mainstream newspapers are self-censoring in order to preserve their political and commercial allegiances. Because most journalists are lazy and disinclined to do the job they are supposed to do, preferring the life of privileged access and off-the-record lunches in Buswells which make them feel important, presumably. Very cosy indeed. We see acres of fulminating about 'balanced' newspaper reporting when everyone knows that this is really code for not reporting anything that would make you unpopular. Look at the stories McDowell made up about Frank Connolly! Where were FC's colleagues in the MSM? Instead we see coy little reports of Mary Hanafin with cartoon television characters from education correspondents, for instance. We see Latvians and other 'foreigners' blamed for the death rate on the roads, for God's sake. We see fearless and searching double-page spreads devoted to the 'dilemma' of what to do with SSIA dividends. We see government press releases faithfully reproduced as 'news' . And you want to quibble with us about taking down stupid remarks and perserving the site for what it is intended. There is more outrageous censorship in the average newspaper in respect of its daily letters page alone than there has ever been on Indymedia in the years it has been operating.

"Fourthly, seeking information about those on the editorial lists (and off) is a perfect example of WMS-baiting. You live in a paranoid world of black helicopters, the NKVD, surveillance, agent provateurs, and the rest - a world which doesn't exist, and which like Edward Horgan, you have no evidence of. More fool you by not earning a few quid by sending a few photographs to the bonkers operators offering a reward...

You make it all sound so very exciting. The reality is more banal, though: a few trolls, obsessives and other undesirables annoying us collectively and privately from time to time...

* Fifthly -" the left of centre Village magazine, which often picks up on articles that appear on Indymedia", Excuse me, "picks up"? I believe many of us would prefer the verbs "fed", "lifts", or "rehashes". Why is it that VM - for profit - can pick up Indymedia contributor's articles, but not say, the Sunday Tribune? Are you knowingly supplying free content for Mr. Browne to make more money - no costs, max profit? I believe you call that "outsourcing". We call it "exploitation", "non-union labour", and "hard neck". Is VM an NUJ-hostile operation?

All this excitability about absolutely nothing! Like it or not, Indymedia is now a significant news source. It is scrutinised by other news publishers, as is the convention among news publishers, for new stories and angles and I'm know Village is not the only publication that has pinched an idea or two. You have really never noticed, how almost all the print papers report the same issues, every day?

Anything published in Village is paid for by Village. I have seen articles appear in both the London and New York Review of Books that were also published in Village. I have seen articles in the New Statesman that also appeared in the NYRB. Beginning to get the picture? This is all very normal. And at the strong risk of feeding your paranoia, I have had an item published in Village myself (note to VB - could you hurry up with that cheque, btw. Small though it is, I'd appreciate it).

There is nothing sinister here.

"And, lastly, re: "insulting personal emails to different constributors on our editorial lists (particularly to a woman who contributes to the list). Could you possibly be referring to the same woman that was blocked from being an editor, consistently? How insulting was that? What difference should it make she is a woman? That's called "sexism". Indymedia Ireland is a boy's club."

As the woman in question, I can confidently tell you that Indymedia is no more prone to sexism than any other Irish group. But since you've raised the subject, I'll go to the trouble of painting the true picture. I've found a news publisher which exists specifically for news of the real life events which I can report directly, without interference or having to beg for them to be covered. I can also comment directly on anything reported, without interference. I am appreciative of Indymedia for creating a so far unique and important national news forum for the more than one million people affected by disability in Ireland.

Your jealousy-inspired comment is nothing more than a pathetic, childish whinge.

author by chekov - 1 of Indymedia Ireland Editorial Grouppublication date Wed Apr 26, 2006 15:56author email chekov at indymedia dot ieauthor address author phone Report this post to the editors

What does screen shooter's post mean? Can anybody explain it to me?

It shows where the visitors to our stalker's site were coming from. Note the high number of visitors from shitefest.

author by Saoririseoirpublication date Thu Apr 27, 2006 02:51author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Here's one from 11 months ago - relevant article about news as propaganda, and toneore puts in a distractive appearance. Plus le change, plus c'est le meme chose.

Related Link: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/70076
author by PAMpublication date Thu Apr 27, 2006 19:19author address author phone Report this post to the editors

There is no point blaming this paper as though it were being produced for the sake of it. The fact is, it sells well. This tells you quite a bit about what kind of people the Irish really are. I moved here over a year ago and work in a job that deals with the general public. From my experiences here, I think The Independent (not to be confused with the more intelligent UK paper of the same title) is a good representative of Ireland.

author by SFMpublication date Thu Apr 27, 2006 20:59author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Now were getting somewhere Pam. Indymedia and indeed Left wing publications in the main have been ever more getting more obsessed with the mainstream right wing media, look it doesn’t matter what you say or do about it, it ain’t changing - people know it’s shit not because Indymedia tells them but because of wider knowledge they get in society - conversely some people think it’s good/alright because of what they gleam from society or because it does reflect the interest of there position. Now articles that show up how the papers do not reach journalistic standards are alright now and again, but even if these publications did the line would come through not from the answers their getting but from the questions they ask and into what areas of society they inquire.

Please can Indymedia get back to reporting about real now happening social conditions and political events rather then being drawn into media navel gazing and historical ranting. The Sindo DOES reflect the views of a majority of Irish people - they do vote for Fine Gael and Fainna Fail and a tiny minority are attracted to the sick philosophy of the PD’s. Get on with mobilising ideological discussion in wider society - that’s how you change the media.

author by Cart, meet Horsepublication date Thu Apr 27, 2006 21:41author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Mainstream Media doesn't just reflect opinion. It creates it. By a combination of framing, selective reporting and outright lies. If your only news source was the Independent or the Irish Times or RTE or whatever then you'd get a pretty distorted view of the world. There are undoubtedly a lot of those people.

Luckily ARPANET and its descendants have turned into something that allows people to spread information at a fraction of the cost than obtained in the past.

It's useful and important to remind people of the more obvious and outright feats of propaganda perpetuated by the MSM both in the past and the present.

author by Badmanpublication date Fri Apr 28, 2006 01:28author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Embarrased guys?

Here's what we hear: "Just let us make up whatever old bullshit we like. Stop focusing on it. It's so boring."

Do you know how I know you're talking such shite?

"Please can Indymedia get back to reporting about real now happening..."

When was the last time that indymedia ran a feature that wasn't about real now happening? Long time ago now. Youse just don't like being questioned.

A little birdie tells me that ye ain't heard nothing yet.

author by Badman #2publication date Fri Apr 28, 2006 01:31author address author phone Report this post to the editors

"There is no point blaming this paper as though it were being produced for the sake of it. "

Who's blaming the paper? People are complaining about lies and vilification. Who cares what paper it's in - it's still lies and vilification and it's still damned worth complaining about.

(see we can play sock-puppetry too - but we're honest about it)

author by supppublication date Sun May 07, 2006 03:32author address author phone Report this post to the editors

http://www.thepost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqid=140...1.asp

‘‘The advantage of Corrib is that the taxpayer won’t have to pay for it, and the consumer won’t have to pay for it; it will be paid for by Shell,” said Fitzgerald(ESRI)

http://www.thepost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqid=140...1.asp

Tony O’Reilly Jnr, head of Providence Resources, agreed that searching for oil and gas around Ireland has come back in vogue.

‘‘There is significant interest in Ireland,” he said.

‘‘Companies are increasingly concerned about security of supply.

‘‘You have issues with Bolivia, Venezuela and the Ukraine.

“International oil companies are asking: ‘Where can we go in the world where we can find hydrocarbons and be sure that we can develop them and have a secure supply chain?’

‘‘Ireland has that.”.

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