Taxi driver to sue RTE over "Prime Time Investigates"

darkman2

Not sure where to put this but if this is the wrong place I hope a mod will move it to a better board.

Anyway remember the taxi driver pursued on PT Investigates some months back for allegedly renting out unroadworthy cars?

RTÉ to be sued for defamation by taxi driver over 'Prime Time' programme

A TAXI driver featured in RTÉ’s Prime Time Investigates programme intends to sue the national broadcaster for defamation following his successful legal challenge against a decision by the National Transport Authority (NTA) to suspend his public service vehicle licences.

For several years Oluwaseyi Okerayi operated a business by hiring out both taxi plates and cars to others. Last May the NTA suspended the 25 public service licences he held after the Prime Time programme, which alleged he rented out cars that were unroadworthy to individuals who did not have licences.....

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0107/1224309942352.html

Another screw up by RTE? Or good reporting on a dodgy character?

The problem with these legal actions is it actually makes it more and more difficult for RTE to do investigative journalism if they are increasingly scared of litigation IMO. This society needs more, not less, investigative journalism. But that is my view.

P.S the whole priest thing was a disgrace but it seems to be encouraging others down the legal route.

Kristopherus

There's already a thread on this.;)

Lapin

Come hither lad.

darkman2

Oh right, sorry:o

Spook_ie

Ah but it's not a thread on television :eek:

However, it does raise the question of when does investigative journalism cross the line into sensationalism and trial by media?

expectationlost

i woner who the producer was during all these incidents, did PT change how and what they did at some point?

Spook_ie

Dunno who was on the Priest one but Dodgy taxis was

Reporter Paul Maguire
Prod Manager Rhona O'Byrne
Producer/Director David Doran
Exec Producer Brian Paírcéir
Editor Kevin O'Shea

Edit : Just found this though, not sure if Ken O'Shea is Kevin O'Shea but could be a mistake in the Independent

RTÉ NEWS managing director Ed Mulhall and current affairs editor Ken O’Shea have agreed to step aside from their roles during an inquiry into the Prime Time Investigates programme which defamed a Co Galway priest.

In addition, two others involved in the programme, reporter Aoife Kavanagh and executive producer Brian Páircéir, will not be involved in any on-air programming for the duration of the inquiry, RTÉ has confirmed.

The announcement came yesterday as the broadcaster’s governing body warned there could be “no cover-up and no rush to self-protection”.

The RTÉ Authority broke its silence following a board meeting to say it had a legal duty to establish for licence-payers why Fr Kevin Reynolds was falsely accused of raping a minor and having a child by her while working as a missionary in Kenya.