Paul Williams: Investigative journalist and force for good or scumbag opportunist

magma69

I despise Paul Williams. This guy and his sensationalising of gang land crime in this country is, in my opinion, actually exacerbating the problem yet he goes on like he is some kind of hero of the people "exposing" these gangsters. All he is doing is giving them street credentials. If the guy seriously wanted to fight crime he should have joined the guards.

I'm all for investigative journalism but Paul Williams is simply preying on the dysfunction of society. He is doing what he is doing because it sells, which is why he recently moved to the "only newspaper who will expose there criminals :rolleyes:" the paper whose integrity and ethics every decent citizen should aspire to, The News of the World.

Someone told me he invented a nickname for some scum bag to make him sound more notorious. I can't back that up as I refuse to read the drivel he writes in his books but apparently the gangster testified he never heard that nick name in his life until our national crime fighting hero Paul Williams mentioned it in his book.

So what is your opinion of Paul Williams. I think he is almost as bad as the people he so loves to write about.

magma69

Can a mod correct my mispelling in the title. My sheer hatred of the man made me rush through the post.

Joey the lips

I dislike the man myself. I believe all his information comes from touts and informants and they are not the most reliable sources especially when your paying them.

However credit due.... His books were well written and a nice read. So no matter what...

Dennis the Stone

He writes sh*te for money. He helps to glamorise crime and apparently his 'books' are very popular amongst criminals. Also, many people believe that his sensationalist guff often has the effect of stoking the fire and reigniting feuds between gangs.

Kasabian

I agree with you , he is like a PR man for these sh1te.

michael999999

williams recycles the same old storys about the same old people to sell hes papers and books.there is never any new storys,if he really wanted to expose these so called gangsters why doesnt he name and show there pictures.im sick of hearing about the bloody familys from limerick.he should stop glorifying them!

rednik

He is a high powered journalist who drives a high powered car and has many high powered guns and by the way he loves all things high powered.

DublinWriter

As reporters go, I'd classify him as 'embedded' as his copy appears to come exclusively via both off and on the record garda sources.

It's hard to find a happy-balance of sources from both sides of the fence, look what happened to poor Veronica Guerin.

nucking futs

Sometimes I actually think he's trying to get himself killed like Veronica Guerin, as a sort of martyr for his cause

Dennis the Stone

http://www.theormond.ie/villagemagazine/?p=305

Joey the lips

nucking futs wrote: »

Sometimes I actually think he's trying to get himself killed like Veronica Guerin, as a sort of martyr for his cause

Thats ****ing nuts......

Jay D

Paul Williams is to news stories as Tiesto is to dance music and as Gazza is to football.

magma69

Jay D wrote: »

Paul Williams is to news stories as Tiesto is to dance music and as Gazza is to football.

You summed up what I said in four paragraphs a million times better in a nifty sentence. I salute you.

galwayrush

Nothing he writes shocks me anymore, and it should, but at this stage i just can't take him seriously.

joewicklow

Was there a bomb found under his car once? It was strange that the bomb was found the night before he was launching another book.

I saw a billboard today for the News Of The World with a picture of him on it. Once I saw it I vowed never to buy that paper again. (not that I bought it much anyway)

destinybabe

Exploitation and sensationalism at times on Paul Williams part methinks :rolleyes: makes for exciting reading for purchasers though-besides the probable exaggeration there is a large aspect of truth to it but you gotta admit those lads he reports about must love the publicity, the clever criminals are the quiet ones obviously.

Absurdum

most of what he writes is horse****e

Insect Overlord

Jay D wrote: »

Paul Williams is to news stories as Tiesto is to dance music and as Gazza is to football.

At least Gazza was talented...

galwayrush

Insect Overlord wrote: »

At least Gazza was talented...

He was ****e playing the flute.:D

yosemite_sam

The hatchet job he done for Shell on TV3 was enough for me, you really could not take him serious after that muck

JerryHandbag

You have to wonder, does he REALLY want to clean up crime, as he puts it....cos if he does, then hes gonna have nothing left to write about!!

Mr Trade In

I can't stand the guy, he glorifies Junkies and Gangsters, I wouldn't even use the News of the World to house train my dogs now,if the guy wants to investigate some criminals why doesn't he go after Anglo Irish Bank, and Bertie Ahern.

Bodhisopha

Paul Williams: Cúnt

yosemite_sam

Mr Trade In wrote: »

I can't stand the guy, he glorifies Junkies and Gangsters, I wouldn't even use the News of the World to house train my dogs now,if the guy wants to investigate some criminals why doesn't he go after Anglo Irish Bank, and Bertie Ahern.

That is Mickey Mouse stuff compared to the great Corrib give away 500 billion and Ireland wont see a cent

ascanbe

I just saw him standing in the shadows of a dank back-alley, hands plunged deep in his leather jacket, zip at full mast and a look on his face that suggested serious wrong-doing was afoot. I got the impression that he very much intended to help bring those responsible to book.
He told me i could read his response to all allegations made against him in this thread only in next sunday's News of the World.
It's an exclusive, he stressed.

barakus

The stories are bollox half the time as well: 'One of Limericks most hardened gangsters' buying a pint of milk and a fukcin breakfast roll. Who gives a sh1te about this stuff. The sense of self satisfaction practically radiates off the fukcer as well!

nucking futs

Joey the lips wrote: »

Thats ****ing nuts......

Yeah, ha ha ha, etc. You're now the fourth person to come up with that oh-so-brilliant reply, congratulations to you

SeaFields

w@nker!

that is all

CoalBucket

Paul Williams Exclusive Headline in News Of The World 2 weeks ago was Wayne Dundun is going to get lyposuction. Is that journalism? All he is doing is making celebrities out of scumbags

CoalBucket

By the way, the same newspaper that employs bertie to write about sport !!!!

jd007

Bodhisopha wrote: »

Paul Williams: Cúnt

Simple, yet effective. I like it!:pac:

arybvtcw0eolkf

Personally I think he's a bit of a prick, doesn't care about the gangsters 'nor their victims - actually 'mercenary' comes to mind, he's just in it to make money off someone else's misery.

OutlawPete

Wanker extraordinaire.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055865710

dragonbet

nucking futs wrote: »

Sometimes I actually think he's trying to get himself killed like Veronica Guerin, as a sort of martyr for his cause

He's no Veronica Guerin anyway, she wasnt such a sensationalist...!!!

aidan24326

Jay D wrote: »

Paul Williams is to news stories as Tiesto is to dance music and as Gazza is to football.

Er, Gazza was actually very good at football??!

Mr Trade In wrote: »

I can't stand the guy, he glorifies Junkies and Gangsters, I wouldn't even use the News of the World to house train my dogs now,if the guy wants to investigate some criminals why doesn't he go after Anglo Irish Bank, and Bertie Ahern.

I suppose tackling real issues like that would involved real journalism, rather than the sensationalist crap you get in The Sunday World and the NOTW. Like you say, all he seems to be doing is glorifying low-grade thugs that we'd otherwise never even have heard of. These guys must love the jazzed-up nicknames bestowed on them, walking around thinking they're Al Capone thanks to the constant coverage they've been getting in the SW, when in reality most of them are no more than small-time hoodlums.

StupidLikeAFox

Used to find his articles interesting, and read a few of his books, but lately i just get the image of all these criminals rushing to the shop on a sunday morning to see if they got a mention. Every week theres a similar story except the criminals nicknames are switched around.

Classic example of what he does is how he portrayed the General, as a darling ordinary decent criminal, sure he never touched drugs and always took care of his family. Fair enough he nailed some young fella to a pool table but sure didnt he bring him to the hospital after?

He is to journalism what Anna Kournikova is to tennis, or what Sarah Newman is to high powered business people (i like this game)

magma69

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0WmBG5mFLw

For those who haven't seen this disgusting ad.

Re Gazza: I think it the comparison can be made because both are good at what they do, but they are classless (off the pitch for Gaz). As someone said, his books are well written, he could be a decent journalist if he covered something else or if he went about his crime reporting without the sole intention of making money/getting more popular. Bit like Lady Gaga actually :pac: She could have been awesome too but she chose popularity over using her talent to make decent music (in my opinion of course, I'll shamelessly admit I am a music snob).

Anyways, I'm a bit wrecked (understatement:D) and waffling, I'm sure there has been bad grammar and spelling but it's 4:02 on a Sat night/Sun morning so it's forgivable to you understanding lot isn't it? So expect more random tangents to come out! :pac: Because everyone has left the party and I ain't going to bed for a while yet!! Onward bound to more waffling I say! ! *cue epic suitable "onward bound" music (a bugle sounds appropriate at this moment, don't ask why, it just does!)

Anyway here is a clip of Gazza showing both his class and his not so class moments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3JSpzMTnlQ

I'm gonna regret this post tomorrow but what the heck! Being in the glass half full state of mind I am in, I shall look on the bright side, there are worse places to make a fool of myself than boards!

goingpostal

barakus wrote: »

The stories are bollox half the time as well: 'One of Limericks most hardened gangsters' buying a pint of milk and a fukcin breakfast roll. Who gives a sh1te about this stuff. The sense of self satisfaction practically radiates off the fukcer as well!

LOL. "Crime to Five" was the headline if I remember rightly. It sure looked like a tasty breakfast roll though. And a pint of milk to wash it down. Heavenly! I wonder did he put ketchup on it or not?

Mister men

You have'nt made it as a criminal until Williams writes a book about you. Fact.

Duggy747

Everytime I see that cùnt's face on TV I feel like throwing whatevers in my hand at it.

What a load of sensationilist bullshìt!!

Everyone wins because of this pathetic excuse of a journalist, he gets his money from the gobshìtes that'll employ him and the scumbags get their big heads from being compared to Tony Montana.

Way to "expose" these thugs, you dickhead!

M cebee

DublinWriter wrote: »

As reporters go, I'd classify him as 'embedded' as his copy appears to come exclusively via both off and on the record garda sources.

It's hard to find a happy-balance of sources from both sides of the fence, look what happened to poor Veronica Guerin.

it sems like some of these crime reporters are embedded with the guards alright

guess they decide better to be on that side of the fence

sometimes that RTE guy seems like hes a bloody spokesman for the guards

goingpostal

M cebee wrote: »

it sems like some of these crime reporters are embedded with the guards alright

guess they decide better to be on that side of the fence

sometimes that RTE guy seems like hes a bloody spokesman for the guards

Was just about to make the same point. Paul Reynolds deserves a mention in this thread. That guy is pathetic, always towing the garda line. Why bother employing him, when all he ever does is read out Garda press releases? Thats not journalism, thats being a parrot. Tony Connolly was the same during the Gaza war of 08/09, reporting that war from Jerusalem(!!) and just reading out Israeli government press releases. It is their smug, self-important tone that really drives me around the twist, as if they are hard hitting journalists, rather than just poodles for those in power.

RMD

Reading his books and pieces in the newspaper made my want to pack in my 9 to 5, sell my house and buy a nice little ex-council one in West / North Dublin and start selling Heroine for a living, just to get my mention.

Conor Bourke

rednik wrote: »

He is a high powered journalist who drives a high powered car and has many high powered guns and by the way he loves all things high powered.

Haha rednik, for some reason that reminds me of Ron Burgundy "I have many leatherbound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany" kinda style!

But I agree, he's glorifying these scumbags. Can't stand him.

PeterIanStaker

He's like Ireland's Jeremy Kyle - he needs mindless violent scumbags and their antics to earn a living.

orourkeda

Joey the lips wrote: »

I dislike the man myself. I believe all his information comes from touts and informants and they are not the most reliable sources especially when your paying them.

However credit due.... His books were well written and a nice read. So no matter what...

How could he print any lies. Is it worth paying the like of Fat Freddie for defaming them

Joey the lips

orourkeda wrote: »

How could he print any lies. Is it worth paying the like of Fat Freddie for defaming them

Please re-read my post... I never said he prints lies. He prints what was told....what was told might not be the truth though

OutlawPete

Does anyone remember the night he was on the Late late about ten years ago.

He was talking about his friends the Guards and said they had showed him child pornography photos, the crowd lapped this up and he could tell.

He then went on to say something I can't post here, not even if I spoiler it.

The audience gasped in horror.

I would love to have that clip as it showed him for what he is.

The man thinks he is the ****ing Equalizer.

Said it before but for years he slated British newspapers as being the "Gutter press" everywhere he went and now he as jumped ship.

UrbanSea

What did he say? Go on.

OutlawPete

greetings wrote: »

What did he say? Go on.

I honestly can't say.

I really believe I would be banned and my clean record means a lot, which is why I am always polite, shy and retiring in my posts

Seriously though, it wasn't good.

He said it to try and impress everyone.

Why he was taken into that section of Harcourt St and had to see those photographs, I have no clue. Could they have not just told him what the photos were like?

Then again, maybe the guards were of the same breed and trying to impress him in turn.

Bigdeadlydave

Ah Jayzus! I'm really curious now!