Are Eoghan and Anne Harris and Sindo a threat to democracy ?

Paddy De Plasterer

Reading the Sindo of late and the disgraceful way it backed Bertie Ahern, even when he was telling lies, and gave free rein to likes of Willie O Dea , I think the Sindo is a threat to democracy. Eoghan Harris of course for a Senate seat from Bertie. His ex wife Anne Harris is now the editor and has much control. The Sindo is also comprised of hacks like Brendan O Connor who wrote in 2007, even as crash was coming, that " Now was he time to buy". And of course there is Jody Corcoran, John Drennan. I think the Sindo is a threat to our state, and its controlled by Sir AJ Reilly.

AeoNGriM

Paddy De Plasterer wrote: »

Reading the Sindo of late and the disgraceful way it backed Bertie Ahern, even when he was telling lies, and gave free rein to likes of Willie O Dea , I think the Sindo is a threat to democracy. Eoghan Harris of course for a Senate seat from Bertie. His ex wife Anne Harris is now the editor and has much control. The Sindo is also comprised of hacks like Brendan O Connor who wrote in 2007, even as crash was coming, that " Now was he time to buy". And of course there is Jody Corcoran, John Drennan. I think the Sindo is a threat to our state, and its controlled by Sir AJ Reilly.

For democracy to be under threat it would first have to exist in this country.

Paddy De Plasterer

But the Sindo helped to undermine it - backing Bertie and his lies, probably the influence of Sir AJ since his Payback editorial. And Sindo thinks SF are the only subversives here .

Paddy De Plasterer

AeoNGriM wrote: »

For democracy to be under threat it would first have to exist in this country.

what little there was is destroyed by Sindo and Harris types, along with their idol Bertie.

plasmaguy

AeoNGriM wrote: »

For democracy to be under threat it would first have to exist in this country.

:rolleyes:

tim_holsters

Stopped reading the Sindo awhile back, made me too angry Sunday is a chill out day after all.

Benny_Cake

I hate the Sunday Independent as much as the next man, but I have to say that if you don't buy it and don't read it, you can quite quickly forget the existence of it. Try not to lose any sleep over it!

Sunnyisland

I don't buy,but sometimes, as I am a happy go lucky sort of bloke, I will read it online just to put me in a bad mood.Just checking my emotions still work.

JMSE

I dont read the Sindo or any other newspaper, I get all my news from the newsroom at Spin103..... I wonder which party owns Spin???

SeaFields

The very strange thing bout the sindo is the amount of people who give out about it yet buy it to read it so they can give out about it.

lividduck

Democracy is a crap system anyway, it's like a political x factor!

Lumbo

JMSE wrote: »

I dont read the Sindo or any other newspaper, I get all my news from the newsroom at Spin103..... I wonder which party owns Spin???

Sorry to have to correct you but Denis O Brien owns Spin, so you could say that Spin owns Fine Gael.

tim_holsters

Lumbo wrote: »

Sorry to have to correct you but Denis O Brien owns Spin, so you could say that Spin owns Fine Gael.

Nice.

mike65

That the Sindo is free to publish its shtick is a mark of a free democracy. Its not a threat, certainly no more than trade unions anyway.

Paddy De Plasterer

The Sindo today is a disgrace, Harris ex squeeze Anne Sullivan-Harris- Fanning has the neck to say the following:
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/anne-harris-proud-to-work-for-a-newspaper-which-takes-on-the-rich-and-powerful-directly-3074200.html

....and she working for Sir AJ Reilly.

Ulysses Gaze

Saying the Sindo is a threat to democracy should be greeted with the same reaction that followed that clown McSharry calling Politics.ie and Boards as subversive threats to the state i.e. total and utter ridicule.

Fighting Irish

Paddy De Plasterer wrote: »

Reading the Sindo of late and the disgraceful way it backed Bertie Ahern, even when he was telling lies, and gave free rein to likes of Willie O Dea , I think the Sindo is a threat to democracy. Eoghan Harris of course for a Senate seat from Bertie. His ex wife Anne Harris is now the editor and has much control. The Sindo is also comprised of hacks like Brendan O Connor who wrote in 2007, even as crash was coming, that " Now was he time to buy". And of course there is Jody Corcoran, John Drennan. I think the Sindo is a threat to our state, and its controlled by Sir AJ Reilly.

We voted in Bertie more than once, we didn't seem to care much at all about money back when things were good, he knew that and he knew the only way for him to keep his job was to keep the majority happy and that's what he did!

seniorstaff

The Sindo seems to be a pro FF rag who has only time for berty and his ex celia larkin, they are waging a war on public sector workers on the behalf of there ibec buddys and there aim is to divide public / private workers

Thet also employ the ex newsreader emer okelly who is on a huge pension from RTE and was strongly rumored to be charlie haughies mistess many years ago
It looks like a jobs club for ff lackys and bedmates;)

Paddy De Plasterer

Benny_Cake wrote: »

I hate the Sunday Independent as much as the next man, but I have to say that if you don't buy it and don't read it, you can quite quickly forget the existence of it. Try not to lose any sleep over it!

Sindo is a dirt rag. Glad to see the OReilly clique gone, hope Harrises are next

WilyCoyote

Paddy De Plasterer wrote: »

Reading the Sindo of late and the disgraceful way it backed Bertie Ahern, even when he was telling lies, and gave free rein to likes of Willie O Dea , I think the Sindo is a threat............................................................................................
........................................... and its controlled by Sir AJ Reilly.

People like you that use "Sir" are a bigger threat

Cody Pomeray

Paddy De Plasterer wrote: »

Reading the Sindo of late and the disgraceful way it backed Bertie Ahern, even when he was telling lies, and gave free rein to likes of Willie O Dea , I think the Sindo is a threat to democracy. Eoghan Harris of course for a Senate seat from Bertie. His ex wife Anne Harris is now the editor and has much control. The Sindo is also comprised of hacks like Brendan O Connor who wrote in 2007, even as crash was coming, that " Now was he time to buy". And of course there is Jody Corcoran, John Drennan. I think the Sindo is a threat to our state, and its controlled by Sir AJ Reilly.

OP things have moved on quite a bit in the sindo and INM generally,which are controlled by Denis O'Brien, not O'Reilly.

There is no doubt but that O'Brien's media influence across radio and the print media represents an unhealthy concentration of power, especially in light of his commercial interests, and political background.

Should we be worried?

well...here is an example of Denis O'Brien's management style:
http://www.irishtimes.com/business/2.790/i-don-t-mind-a-bit-of-an-oul-scrap-every-now-and-then-that-s-me-1.956753

crockholm

I'm sure it would be a threat to democracy if there were a nationwide quiz held every thursday whereby everyone would have to answer questions relating to what was written,and those with low scores would be sent to "re-education" camps.

As it stands,you could just not buy or read it,I found it quite easy to do,and buy a copy of the Sunday Times instead.The other 6 days I do buy the indo.

Summary- No,not even close.

Son Of A Vidic

Paddy De Plasterer wrote: »

I think the Sindo is a threat to democracy.

OP doesn't like a certain newspaper and states that it is a threat to democracy. Oh the irony is strong in this one.

Paddy De Plasterer

http://cdn2.independent.ie/videos/article29311387.ece/ALTERNATES/w300square/drennan_31May.flv+%28Generated+thumbnail%29

This is one of the Sindo's most idiotic clowns. And he gets ample time on RTE too

galwayrush

Stopped buying it ages ago when it turned into a FF / Bertie fetish rag.

tipptom

Cody Pomeray wrote: »

OP things have moved on quite a bit in the sindo and INM generally,which are controlled by Denis O'Brien, not O'Reilly.

There is no doubt but that O'Brien's media influence across radio and the print media represents an unhealthy concentration of power, especially in light of his commercial interests, and political background.

Should we be worried?

well...here is an example of Denis O'Brien's management style:
http://www.irishtimes.com/business/2.790/i-don-t-mind-a-bit-of-an-oul-scrap-every-now-and-then-that-s-me-1.956753

But do you really believe that the Harrises/fannings are genuinly worried abot DOB threat of media monoply while they yearn for the return of Irelands previous arch monopoliser Sir AJ and sons.

Cody Pomeray

tipptom wrote: »

But do you really believe that the Harrises/fannings are genuinly worried abot DOB threat of media monoply while they yearn for the return of Irelands previous arch monopoliser Sir AJ and sons.

They don't worry about his media monopoly, but they certainly care about who their boss is and what his opinions are. Their boss, of course, is Denis O'Brien these days, and there are a number of co-incidences, extraordinary coincidences, surrounding the identity of journalists who find themselves out of work in some of the O'Brien newspapers.

Personally I think the Sindo has taken a massively weaker pro-FF stance in recent times, and can now be characterised as more of a right wing populist newspaper, broadly unsympathetic to Labour and Sinn Féin in particular.

--Kaiser--

To paraphase Frank Zappa:
The Sunday Independent is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read

Loafing Oaf

According to Phoenix, DOB is letting her contract as editor run down because he doesn't want to give her the satisfaction of paying her off, even though it would be a pittance compared to the hundreds of millions he has already poured into INM. But it'll be up soon enough, and presumably herself and her ex will no longer be in a position to endanger our democracy...

Cody Pomeray

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

According to Phoenix, DOB is letting her contract as editor run down because he doesn't want to give her the satisfaction of paying her off, even though it would be a pittance compared to the hundreds of millions he has already poured into INM. But it'll be up soon enough, and presumably herself and her ex will no longer be in a position to endanger our democracy...

surely the logically anterior fact is denis o'brien's position in endangering a free media.

most people don't care about who edits the sindo. if it stops you having to order your coffee from brendan o'connor, be happy.

cml387

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

According to Phoenix, DOB is letting her contract as editor run down because he doesn't want to give her the satisfaction of paying her off, even though it would be a pittance compared to the hundreds of millions he has already poured into INM. But it'll be up soon enough, and presumably herself and her ex will no longer be in a position to endanger our democracy...

I was about to ask why Anne Harris is still ed.Thank you, that makes sense.

Awful rag, and even glancing at the weekly headline (to sum up:THIS GOVERNMENT IS TERRIBLE THEY WANT TO STEAL YOUR CHILDREN BRING BACK FF) is enough to raise your blood pressure.

Interestingly the weekly Indo is not half as obnoxious, which once again points towards the editor's bias.

Duggys Housemate

Benny_Cake wrote: »

I hate the Sunday Independent as much as the next man, but I have to say that if you don't buy it and don't read it, you can quite quickly forget the existence of it. Try not to lose any sleep over it!

This thread may get more readers than an Eoghan Harris column.

Yes he's an idiot. Yes a neo con. But he doesn't matter.

All hail the Internet.

Duggys Housemate

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

According to Phoenix, DOB is letting her contract as editor run down because he doesn't want to give her the satisfaction of paying her off, even though it would be a pittance compared to the hundreds of millions he has already poured into INM. But it'll be up soon enough, and presumably herself and her ex will no longer be in a position to endanger our democracy...

You know. People who disagree with you are not, in reality, a danger to democracy.

Loafing Oaf

Duggys Housemate wrote: »

You know. People who disagree with you are not, in reality, a danger to democracy.

I know, I was sarcastically echoing the OP's OTT rhetoric...

Zebra3

Gene Kerrigan's articles are the only reason to go near their website.

Excellent journo.

ArtSmart

always interesting to see business men line O'Brien and Reilly get involved in one of the riskiest investments possible - the newspaper industry.

must be just a love of risk.


then again, when you own the world, but dont feel loved, owning media/ newspapers does offer a sense of Kingliness - which gives a sense of being loved. I guess.

Nodin

ArtSmart wrote: »

always interesting to see business men line O'Brien and Reilly get involved in one of the riskiest investments possible - the newspaper industry.

must be just a love of risk.
......

Or increased lobbying and agenda setting power.

trashcan

Zebra3 wrote: »

Gene Kerrigan's articles are the only reason to go near their website.

Excellent journo.

Dunno about that (don't buy or read the Sindo) but I got his last novel as a present for Christmas and made the mistake of reading it. Bad idea.

ArtSmart

Nodin wrote: »

Or increased lobbying and agenda setting power.

tut tut.

How can you be so cynical Nodin?










:P

Paddy De Plasterer

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

According to Phoenix, DOB is letting her contract as editor run down because he doesn't want to give her the satisfaction of paying her off, even though it would be a pittance compared to the hundreds of millions he has already poured into INM. But it'll be up soon enough, and presumably herself and her ex will no longer be in a position to endanger our democracy...

Yes I agree with that. Phoennix had same thing a few months ago- that Aldershot Anne was sort of goading O Brien to fire here as she would then get a windfall. Good tactics to let her wind down, so as we will be rid of her and Harristotle Eoghan infestation for all time.

darkdubh

I remember the very nasty personal attacks the Sindo made on John Hume during the peace process.And that American wan whose name I forget who was forced to resign after her trolling comments about the paralympics.The 03 girls.The Keane Edge(half of it was ghostwritten by someone else).I could be on all day listing out reasons why the Sindo sucks.

I am convinced that half the people who read the Independent do so, so they can get annoyed by it they get some sort of visceral satisfaction from it.


I do think we are getting a bit of sense about the media in general.


Anyone notice how all the media commentators on the crèche program tried to provoke the stay at home mammy's against the working mothers and more or less nobody fell for it.

Paddy De Plasterer

Aldershot Anne is some baby. I think Eoghan is still guiding her hand. I see Gavin Reilly has landed a new job looking after some celebs like Dolly Parton. He loves the big ones !

Einhard

I think labelling those with whom you don't agree as threats to democracy is a threat to democracy.

Paddy De Plasterer

Just look at the Sindo, tried to scupper Hume/Adams talks. Changed tack in May 2007 when Sir AJ was called to a meeting with Bertie and Biffo in May 2007 before GE when their coverage and opinion was changed totally. So thats good for democracy ?

Dostoevsky

Cody Pomeray wrote: »

There is no doubt but that O'Brien's media influence across radio and the print media represents an unhealthy concentration of power, especially in light of his commercial interests, and political background.

What I like about this "tax-dodger O'Brien is a threat to democracy" line (which he is) is that it has never been used by the same sycophants to describe tax dodger O'Reilly's oligarchic iron-fist control of the Irish print media for the past four decades. Now, that's agenda-driven journalism for you. The Sunday Independent is horrendous beyond words in every single aspect - it has no redeeming features whatsoever - and it has been made so by a combination of the in-bred Fanning/Harris families and cadet branches of equally inbred families such as the Caden-O'Connor, Ross-Webb lines, all of whom have been supported in their decidedly pro-British/anti-Irish politics by Anthony O'Reilly, tax-dodger, British citizen, egomaniac and threat to Irish democracy for the past four decades par excellence. When the elected Taoiseach and Tánaiste of the day are paying a visit to O'Reilly's home before the 2007 general election in order to get his paper's support, you know there is something fundamentally broken in Irish democracy.

Watching them all crumble after decades of abuse of power is like watching the British Empire fall amid rants of unfairness from its supporters. There is a God. She just can go quick enough on this one (although I do like the idea of Anne Harris finishing her contract so that she cannot get a lumpsum compensation payment. That's style.).

Merkin

Dostoevsky wrote: »

The Sunday Independent is horrendous beyond words in every single aspect - it has no redeeming features whatsoever

^^^This

Dostoevsky

darkdubh wrote: »

I remember the very nasty personal attacks the Sindo made on John Hume during the peace process.

This. Never forgotten. In terms of respect, John Hume received more of it than all of the sub-standard intellects in the Sunday Independent and their tax dodging king, Anthony O'Reilly, could ever muster. John Hume stood head and shoulders above all Irish political figures of the twentieth century with the exception of Michael Collins.

It was 1988, when that attack on John Hume's character started under the editorship of Aengus Fanning and his wife Anne Harris, that the Sunday Independent was last bought in my home. If only all the people who profess to hating it stopped buying it....

Paddy De Plasterer

Dostoevsky wrote: »

This. Never forgotten. In terms of respect, John Hume received more of it than all of the sub-standard intellects in the Sunday Independent and their tax dodging king, Anthony O'Reilly, could ever muster. John Hume stood head and shoulders above all Irish political figures of the twentieth century with the exception of Michael Collins.

It was 1988, when that attack on John Hume's character started under the editorship of Aengus Fanning and his wife Anne Harris, that the Sunday Independent was last bought in my home. If only all the people who profess to hating it stopped buying it....

I agree totally. I have stopped buying it years ago. I detest people who buy it but then complain about it.

Paddy De Plasterer

Dostoevsky wrote: »

What I like about this "tax-dodger O'Brien is a threat to democracy" line (which he is) is that it has never been used by the same sycophants to describe tax dodger O'Reilly's oligarchic iron-fist control of the Irish print media for the past four decades. Now, that's agenda-driven journalism for you. The Sunday Independent is horrendous beyond words in every single aspect - it has no redeeming features whatsoever - and it has been made so by a combination of the in-bred Fanning/Harris families and cadet branches of equally inbred families such as the Caden-O'Connor, Ross-Webb lines, all of whom have been supported in their decidedly pro-British/anti-Irish politics by Anthony O'Reilly, tax-dodger, British citizen, egomaniac and threat to Irish democracy for the past four decades par excellence. When the elected Taoiseach and Tánaiste of the day are paying a visit to O'Reilly's home before the 2007 general election in order to get his paper's support, you know there is something fundamentally broken in Irish democracy.

Watching them all crumble after decades of abuse of power is like watching the British Empire fall amid rants of unfairness from its supporters. There is a God. She just can go quick enough on this one (although I do like the idea of Anne Harris finishing her contract so that she cannot get a lumpsum compensation payment. That's style.).

This is a very true post, a complete pack of family members. I think Sindo suffers from incestual relationships, the word "presstitutes" come to mind.

Stavro Mueller

Paddy De Plasterer wrote: »

I agree totally. I have stopped buying it years ago. I detest people who buy it but then complain about it.

I agree with this. The sad truth though is that the choice of Irish Sunday newspapers is dire. Unless rebadged UK papers with a few pages of Irish content tacked on is your thing, what are you left with?