Gemma ODoherty fired from Irish Independent for questioning Garda Commissioner

anncoates

Jester252 wrote: »

Maybe she was fired for improper conduct. She did doorstepping Commissioner Callinans wife at the their home in a matter that had nothing to do with her.

I would be highly surprised if reporters working for a 'as-good-as-tabloid' newspaper like the Indo have never doorstepped anybody in pursuit of a story before.

Jester252

anncoates wrote: »

I would be highly surprised if reporters working for a 'as-good-as-tabloid' newspaper like the Indo have never doorstepped anybody in pursuit of a story before.

She doorstepped someone not involved with the story and we don't know what happen during the event.

Cool_CM

jonsnow wrote: »

it was because she hadn't adjusted to the "digital era".

I can't wait for the Independent to start "adjusting to the digital era" by charging for their online content so they can find out exactly how many people actually view their media and how many people view it because somebody linked to a badly written/stupid article on a forum such as this.

TommiesTank

OP, can you confirm any vested interests you may have here please? Are you a friend / colleague / former colleague of the journalist in question for example?

You seem to have fairly indepth knowledge e.g. quoting the doorstepping conversation which isn't in either of the original links. It is in quotes so presumably you didn't just make up the quotes?

mike65

I remember this "killing". It seemed utterly GUBU even as the news reports of the day were broadcast.

Read this, a tale of low lives and dodgy doings http://frniallmolloy.com/

TommiesTank

OP, where is the link between Father Molloy and her being layed off? Is this pure speculation on your part?

The date on the article is 22 November 2012, when did she finish working for the Irish Independent?

jonsnow

TommiesTank wrote: »

OP, can you confirm any vested interests you may have here please? Are you a friend / colleague / former colleague of the journalist in question for example?

You seem to have fairly indepth knowledge e.g. quoting the doorstepping conversation which isn't in either of the original links. It is in quotes so presumably you didn't just make up the quotes?

I positively affirm that I am not a friend/colleague/former colleague of Gemma ODoherty but am merely an Irish citizen and newspaper reader concerned at the manner of her recent dismissal and the related issues in relation to the freedom of our press. What about yourself have you any "vested interests" in this matter or any connections to INM or An Garda Siochana?.

The conversation in quotes I obviously did make up -22 fake street?? - and it was clearly just an example of the kind of conversation that would flow from a journalist asking someone who opened the door if another person lived there. There is a detailed article in the Phoenix which does go into some detail about the approach made by Ms ODoherty to Ms Callanan but does not provide a transcript.There is a paywall but you can pick it up at all good newsagents.

jonsnow

TommiesTank wrote: »

OP, where is the link between Father Molloy and her being layed off? Is this pure speculation on your part?

The date on the article is 22 November 2012, when did she finish working for the Irish Independent?

I would say that it it is my opinion that continually raising awkward questions about Garda incompetence or complicity in a coverup created tensions with Garda management between the Irish Independent and this in turn created tensions between an editor who has very close ties to An Garda Siochana which did her long term prospects no good at all. Despite the fact that her reports were arguably the best journalistic work that the Indo has done in years.I believe that the breaking of the story which was very embarrassing for callanan was then the straw which broke the camels back in relation to the senior management at INM.

The Phoenix magazine, broadsheet and the National Union of Journalists also appeared to believe that there is a link between these issues.From Broadsheet

http://www.broadsheet.ie/2013/09/05/going-rogue/

The Phoenix is today reporting O’Doherty’s editors were apparently furious with her approach regarding Callinan, with then editor Stephen Rae apparently telling O’Doherty her behaviour was that of a ‘rogue reporter’.

But her pursuit of the Fr Molloy story had already caused tensions with gardai and a government extremely sensitive to Fine Gael connections with the case.

I could be wrong but I believe that there are genuine reasons to believe that a journalist was fired for speaking truth to power and embaressing poweerful people.

I believe that she was fired in April a few weeks after she broke the penalty points story.I used that article bcause I believed that it gave the best general overview. There are many more recent article relating to the case.

jonsnow

Jester252 wrote: »

She doorstepped someone not involved with the story and we don't know what happen during the event.

She was involved with the story as she could confirm the veracity of whether Mr Callanan lived at that address or not which then verified the story vis a vis her husbands speeding and getting penalty points. This is not some sort of massive intrusion into a persons life.People call to houses every day of the week and ask does such and such a person live here.The Irish Times has a great article today where Michael Lynns coworkers and neighbors in brazil have all been doorstepped and asked questions about him. They have given answers which have given a very valuable insight into what he has been up to for the last number of years.

You want to set the standard of privacy to such a ridiculous high level in this country that we would essentially not have a functioning free press at all.

oliverd75

I sympathise with anyone who loses their job and I wish Gemma all the best. However, I find it very childish that everyone who comments on this tread automatically believes that there is some great Fianna Fail/Church/Garda grand conspiracy going on. As far as I can see, there seems to be a certain amount of incompetence involved in the investigation - and that is clearly not acceptable. However, there is no proof of any massive cover up. Did you ever consider that the DPP might not have charged anyone because there is no case? It seems unfair to attack the reputation of the people who work in the DPP's office just because you don't like them.

It is just one of those stories that seems to attract the tin foli hat brigade. It's '9-11 is an inside job' for the Irish middle classes.

splitrmx

http://www.broadsheet.ie/2013/09/16/did-the-editor-have-his-points-quashed/

"You may recall a post concerning the recent dismissal from the Irish Independent of journalist Gemma O’Doherty
The Senior Features writer and Travel Editor was usually in receipt of high praise from her editors.
But this changed, she says, after she discovered in April that Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan was caught speeding while driving his private car, and his penalty points subsequently quashed.

Her then boss Rae reportedly called O’Doherty a ‘rogue reporter’ for calling to Callinan’s house to confirm details in the story.. The publication was eventually delayed by a week and “changed considerably” before it went to print.
Some weeks after the story managing director Declan Carlyle informed O’Doherty that her job was gone.

It has since emerged that among a list of high-profile names who have had points quashed is a Stephen Rae, who was reportedly caught speeding in Belfield, Dublin on the morning of November 5, 2009, and whose two points were subsequently terminated by gardai with no reason given.

[We have contacted Stephen Rea to clarify if this was indeed him. He has not responded to emails and phone calls.]

The cancellation of fixed charge notices,and subsequently penalty points – other than for fire brigade drivers, ambulance drivers, on-duty Gardaí or people driving a car under the direction of a Garda – is not provided for in Irish law.

Gardaí have been using an ‘ad-hoc’ policy of discretion in relation to terminating penalty points which has no statutory basis.
Meanwhile, separately, O’Doherty was also investigating examples of summonses not being served on high-profile people from political, media, sports and legal circles when she got fired.

On May 9, she wrote how three summonses for three different motoring offences were not served on Westmeath Fianna Fail TD Robert Troy. And she was compiling a story in relation to the case of summonses not being served against two high-profile people in legal circles when she was dismissed by INM."

splitrmx

http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2013/sep/17/irish-independent-ireland

O'Doherty's subsequent enforced departure from the Independent has received no coverage in the rest of the Irish mainstream media.

Is there any part of this country that isn't tainted to the core by an untouchable old-boys network? This kind of blatant corruption from politicians and Garda being unquestionable, to the quashing of summons and penalty points is laughable in a 21st century liberal democracy. Sure if you're from his constituency and up in court, even the Taoiseach will write you a letter of character reference.

As the euphoria of the Celtic Tiger economy recedes, all we're left with is the same old backwards country that we had until the end of the 80's. The backwardness never left us, it seems - economic prosperity just meant it was easier to hide.

Alfasudcrazy

TommiesTank wrote: »

You seem to have fairly indepth knowledge e.g. quoting the doorstepping conversation which isn't in either of the original links. It is in quotes so presumably you didn't just make up the quotes?

Its amazing that anyone could take that quote as being the literal transcript - get with the programme please or just watch old episodes of wanderly wagon. :rolleyes:

Alfasudcrazy

What amazes me in this discussion is no mention whatsoever about the whistleblower gardai or their eventual fate. This was not a story unearthed by a hero investigative journalist but from members of the Gardai themselves and it was seen what happened to them in the end - and not a murmur of public outrage over it - unlike this case.

snubbleste

Guardian - Irish police chief's resignation vindicates sacked investigative journalist


I'm guessing we'll find out in time that Stephen Rea's penalty points being wiped is somehow connected to her dismissal

gladrags

Great to see O'Doherty vindicated.

A lot of unanswered questions left by this decision.

What is the Sindo covering up?

nelly17

Power

washman3

nelly17 wrote: »

Power

Fear of losing POWER..
Even worse.!!

The_Valeyard

gladrags wrote: »

Great to see O'Doherty vindicated.

A lot of unanswered questions left by this decision.

What is the Sindo covering up?

Truth, news, Political elite, established order, all the boys with similar point of view on how the country should be run.

Government mouthpiece.

Streetwalker

gladrags wrote: »

Great to see O'Doherty vindicated.

A lot of unanswered questions left by this decision.

What is the Sindo covering up?

Independent media has been covering up for the establishment for years. Any journo with an ounce of integrity wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.

gladrags

Streetwalker wrote: »

Independent media has been covering up for the establishment for years. Any journo with an ounce of integrity wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.

The important point here is,why was GO effectively sacked.?

What was Callinans role and Rea's role in all of this.

The Sindo owes the public,and the NUJ an explanation.

And it needs to be transparent.

Redmen Rafalution

It is a rag of a paper.

Zebra3

And who owns the Indo....? :rolleyes: