Media silence over Niall Collins story

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120512310#Comment_120512310

Twitter is the platform of choice for the permanently outraged. It attracts a huge amount of malcontents and morons.

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120511979#Comment_120511979

I reckon if you dig enough you might find SF funds The Ditch.

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120512072#Comment_120512072

Just nobody from Sinn Fein

Guildenstern

The activities of The Ditch remind me that what they are unearthing should be done by our mainstream media.

Is it no wonder RTE was always referred to as Pravda and while it may be bordering on conspiracy theory paranoia to allege that the newspapers are in the pocket of government, it is frustrating that they just don't investigate to this level.

Yurt2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120512460#Comment_120512460

Would be odd as the Ditch have published stories on SF councillors and TDs in the exact same manner as they have gone after governing parties. The stories on governing parties have attracted more ink as they have resulted in a couple of high profile ministerial scalps.

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120512452#Comment_120512452

Oh for sure!

Ben D Bus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120512002#Comment_120512002

Every single Tweet by Irish media or government today is flooded with references to Collins. This is not normal.

The Ditch doesn't seem reliable in itself. And a blanket suppression of reporting elsewhere seems like wild consipiracy.

2 possibilities. The rest of the media is engaged in due diligance to avoid a crippling libel suit, or the story is bollox.

Topgear on Dave

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120512521#Comment_120512521

It should be done by the media but who buys papers anymore? It takes money and time to let journalists off to enquire and investigate things.

Most of the print media will be gone in a few years, a large chunk of it is gone already!

Larbre34

The Ditch is nothing but a vehicle for our Narcissist Laureate Paddy Cosgrave and a few lackeys to try and gain revenge on the larger parties in Ireland for the perceived slight on him by not treating him and his speed dating event as the second coming of the Messiah.

The Ditch is not objective, does not follow good journalistic practices and amounts to a glorified episode of Gossip Girl. The next thing I suspect to hear is that Collins is suing them for some aspect of reputational damage.

Its really funny to see the shinnerbots and the paid useful idiots on Twitter trying to gain some traction on social media with this crap and failing badly. Bunch of morons and amateurs.

Yurt2

What I don't get is what the Twitterati want from the story from here on out? The information and 'scoop' is out in the wild. That's what they want correct? Either the opposition will pick it up and make hay of it or they wont.

They're trying to concoct a populist conspiracy theory that there's some black-hand protecting Collins. The reality is Collins' solicitor may be busy firing out letters, and the Ditch may be in receipt of one when the postie comes tommorow bright and early.

I'm not saying that's right or wrong. But media outlets have to cover their backsides. Defending High Court actions and indeed settling High Court actions is an expensive business. A paper or radio station gains nothing from re-reporting the Ditch's output - they stand to lose 6 figures at least if they get it wrong.

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120512628#Comment_120512628

The Ditch have a proven record as evidenced by the dodgy politicians that they have already forced to resign.

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120512628#Comment_120512628

I am no fan of Cosgrave, but I am pretty sure what they have reported is factual? I know other TDs have threatened to sue but yet nothing seems to have happened on that front? Odd that.

It has gained traction massively on social media. Quick check...it is currently number 2 trending, failing badly to gain traction? This is a number of days after the ditch posted the story.

Maybe also look under every open post by FF TDs recently, Niall Collins and a lot of others have comments closed.

Yurt2

I have no objection to the Ditch publishing their story about Collins. That's what a free and open media sector is supposed to do. They'll live and die as an outlet on the accuracy of their reporting, and to keep it between the road markings legally in doing so.

But as for the weird online swell spamming threads, the "msm" owe nothing to the online swarm. There are probably very good reasons they are holding their fire, and most pertinantly, the opposition are holding their fire as well. That should probably give pause for thought.

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120512742#Comment_120512742

Aye, but traction that hasn't yet left Irish Twitter, is nay traction at all.

Count Dracula

A long long time ago ... in a rural Limerick town where mick hourigan trained racehorses... there was a bit a land that LCOCO thought might fetch a decent price before the crash. A website alleges they sold it to the wife of one of the co councillors who approved the sale.

Nothing happened for 15 years, until a rent defaulter and a radical republican scribe, were asked by a deluded meddler, who was never battered hard enough at school, by the monks, who did a bad job of learning him how to mind his own business, no matter how successful it was?

Paid fanatics, who have been motivated to believe that their futures are being enabled by a gang of cranks, who reckon they are half way up a mountain they didn't bring a rope to climb with and are getting dizzy thinking about it... now spend their waking lives pretending to be upset about everything the Irish government does. If you listen closely they sound like bored dead wood employees. They actually believe that they are part of a new wave of Ireland, as in waving it down the sink.

The End.

I get that mainstream journalism in Ireland is a cliquey closed shop. I don't particularly like that either. It would be great to see some alternative interesting journalism being created - with respect to all at no 44.

But I really couldn't give a fiddlers phuck about some culchie TD, whose wife might have gotten her paws on a site of land, for the price of an education at Glenstal Abbey, almost 2 decades ago?

Do we really want this country to be run by a gang of cranks, who spend their time running around the schoolyard seeing who is dropping the litter, before running hysterically to the teacher to tell them they saw who did it?

What a gang of spas?

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120512940#Comment_120512940

You literally said it wasn't gaining traction on social media.....I pointed out it has plenty still and it is days after the story was broke. Look at pretty much any Irish media tweet or facebook comments, this is way beyond "paid useful idiots" and "shinnerbots" as you put it.

It feels like death by a thousand cuts on Collins, how many dodgy shady things has he been caught up in now?

GerUpOttaTa

It's very worrying when you see how serious the issue with Collins is that the story can be shut down so easily by our media. We deserve better.

Yurt2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120513009#Comment_120513009

If it's been shut down, how are you aware of it?

Topgear on Dave

There must be some kind of legal issue that all the media are staying away, even paul murphy not saying much in the tweets.

Will a TD ask questions in the dail? The same restrictions dont apply (I think)

Flaneur OBrien

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120512978#Comment_120512978

I'd really like a country that's governed by people that are not corrupt.

If you're ok with letting those in govt help themselves to whatever, that says an awful lot about you (and nothing good)

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120513009#Comment_120513009

I think the fact it hasn't been covered in the main print media or their websites, has nearly helped to fan the flames on this occasion. If it is eventually covered expect the usual plonkers will be wheeled out to defend/deflect, maybe Hugh O'Connell (his sister in law is FGs Kate) or that muppet Fionnan Sheahan (who I would say might keep a low profile for a bit after his disaster of an appearance on The Tonight Show, where he came across second best against someone called Spice bag lol)

Yurt2

Rapidly heading towards USA style Punch and Judy media nonsense in Ireland it seems.

With online cranks are involved in a daily conspiracy theory punch-up about what does and doesn't get covered to their narrow satisfaction.

The information is out there, has been published, no one has censored it. Get over yourselves.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120512742#Comment_120512742

I am no fan of Cosgrave, but I am pretty sure what they have reported is factual?

On a very basic level she wasn't his wife when this occurred and he didn't vote to sell it to her, it was put up for public sale.

This is not to suggest nothing untoward happened, just that their journalist practices are poor and they aren't to be trusted.

Yurt2

Just had a nosey on Twitter to see what QuinnsworthAnon are saying. Here's a choice cutlet that happened to be the first comment up when I searched Niall Collins:

"Irish media are literally paid fuckin shills. It’s absolutely disgraceful they haven’t reported this Niall Collins situation. And we see you. We see you all you cowardly snakes. People will not let this go. This **** been going on for years. Time they face some consequences"

Pizzagate level lunatics

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120513135#Comment_120513135

It was only put up for public sale because his now wife (and I am guessing then partner?) expressed interest in it and he along with other council members voted to sell it. If that is factual (no indication it isn't) he should have ruled himself out of the vote.

It isn't that one story though, there is the dodgy planning permission application (which has a few layers), his intervention in a dodgy planning decision, probably a few more with a quick Google.

Yurt2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120513188#Comment_120513188

All fine and dandy.

But the thrust of this thread, and indeed the loopers going on the warpath on Twitter and elsewhere, isn't about the substance of the story at all. They are alleging there is some dark conspiracy with the media, government and indeed the opposition that they are silencing the latest revelations from the Ditch.

No they aren't.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120513188#Comment_120513188

It was put up for public sale, which rather suggests it went for fair market value. The Ditch are going to lengths to suggest otherwise - as I said, there may be some merit to the story but they are not an impartial news source, have dodgy journalistic practices and are not to be trusted. Which is not surprising given their source of funding.

There is no point saying its a factual story when there are two gross and easily identifiable errors - he did not vote to sell land to his wife because a) it wasn't his wife and b) it went to public sale.

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120513207#Comment_120513207

I can honestly only speak for myself. I don't think there is some dark conspiracy at all, but some papers etc have their historic favourites around certain individuals and parties let's not be blind to that.

Floppybits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120513285#Comment_120513285

So you say The Ditch are not to be trusted, why? Is it because of Paddy Cosgraves involvement or is it simply not to be trusted because it is exposing some dodgy practices carried out by TD's and some of the establishment parties are not liking it? Correct me if I am wrong now, but if a publication such as the Ditch or any other media publish information that is not correct then they can be taken to court and sued? If they are publishing incorrect information why haven't they been sued? I am just trying to understand why they can't be trusted but the likes of the independent or Irish Times can be?

Yurt2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120513308#Comment_120513308

Well for one thing, it appears to be bankrolled by Paddy Cosgrave. And he's a nuclear powered f*cking dose that is offended that world hasn't recognised his genius yet. (btw, Hi Paddy, we know you're reading this thread).

They can publish away and do all the muck raking they want. I'm still not ranking it as a 'quality' source of journalism in a month of Sundays. The fact that it has thrown a wrench in the gears of a few low-level politicians doesn't particularly move me all that much.

Publish away - but they appear to be a one-gear outlet, muck raking and very little else.