Ed Reilly

DrIndy · 01-03-2005 8:13pm #1

From the TCDSU message board - copied because threads have a habit of disappearing from the TCDSU message board.......Comments?

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Hey all,
While opinionated journalism is all well and good (hell, we're students) the article that appeared in page two of today's Record about Ed Reilly was truly vicious. I don't normally knock the paper (in fact, it's a damn good publication), but I don't think it's fair that a journalis should report on a candidate's "failure to win the affection (and more importantly the support) of the Trinity electorate for a second year running" with such glee. Nor is it the place to proclaim that Reilly "was using a position on the union executive as a stepping stone towards the presidential office he has craved for the past two years". It's even more unfair when the man you're performing a character asassination on isn't even given the chance to answer the accusation made in the article.
Instead, free reign is given to an anonymous SU source to hold forth about Reilly, dragging his reputation further into the mud. If the source felt as strongly as they profess to do, they should be comfortable having their name attatched to their statement. Predictably, Reilly wasn't given a chance to answer his anonymous accuser. I'm not defending Reilly's resignation but, given that he is in 4th year and has been involved in a very hard-fought campaign for the last two weeks, his claim that he's resigning to salvage his degree shouldn't be dismissed out of hand. Nor do I agree with the principal of emailing every class rep to bolster a campaign. But savaging him in this fashion, using anonymous sources, not giving him a chance to defend himself, but still confidently coming to the conclusion that "one can only question how genuine his commitment to student representation can be" is despicable practice.
Readers can sneer at Trinity News all we like, but we have not yet received a complaint that we have treated people unfairly in our news coverage and we have always given the option to people, ranging from SU officers to lecturers facing suspension, to defend themselves. We don't use our news coverage as a tool with which to smite our enemies either. Kicking a man when he's down isn't nice, performing a character asassination in the Union paper is simply nasty. I'm appalled that one cent of my capitation fee should subsidize the SU using its official paper to persecute one of it's own members. If this message isn't censored, I hope that some class rep will have the stomach to bring it up in council. I, for one, have never been more sickened to be a part of this Student Union.
Derek Owens
News Editor, Trinity News,
D. U. Publications Office,
TCD.

Boston · 01-03-2005 9:20pm

Everybody knows ed reilly is a tool. But your won stef,

01-03-2005 10:20pm

DrIndy wrote:

copied because threads have a habit of disappearing from the TCDSU message board...

When? Some spam ones get deleted from time to time, but nothing else really gets deleted/edited, bar the zookeeper debacle.

Hitchhiker's Guide to... · 01-03-2005 10:20pm

DrIndy wrote:

From the TCDSU message board - copied because threads have a habit of disappearing from the TCDSU message board.......Comments?

I'll post my reply here aswell, to save it 'falling' off TCDSU ...

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Well said Derek

- it's thrash journalism at its very worst...

very poorly written, very unfair. it should have been written as an opinion piece, if at all.

who is the 'journalist' Jennifer Davis anyway? There is no-one on TCD peoplefinder by that name. Did someone else write the article, and were they too ashamed / sneaky to put their name to it?

01-03-2005 10:33pm

Boston wrote:

Everybody knows ed reilly is a tool.

Maybe he go for ISO for his own benefit, as well as Publicity Officer in TAS and other positions, but he didn't do sweet **** all for the whole year. Ed did some great work during freshers week for international students, really made a lot of them feel welcome. When you actually talk to him, he seems like a very genuine guy, though, to be honest to the guy, a bit misguided. Still, I wouldn't like to have my face and name brought up in that context in any paper.

wayfarer · 01-03-2005 10:34pm

I thought the choice of picture was quite shrewd aswell. Although after flicking through the rest of the paper, I have doubts as to whether it was intentional. (How apt it was include a pic of the pav taken from th opposite side of the cricket pitch when the article is about its interior :rolleyes: )

Hitchhiker's Guide to... · 01-03-2005 10:46pm

would have thought there would be some mention of the Trinity Ball line-up, seeing as that was the TN headline story...

also, nice to see they're still claiming credit for breaking the pav accessibility story - basta**ds!

wayfarer · 01-03-2005 11:15pm

Roundtower2 wrote:

also, nice to see they're still claiming credit for breaking the pav accessibility story - basta**ds!

Sounds like you have an affiliation with a rival college publication

Seems like the only people who are going to criticize the article are those who have a vested interest (and who know Ed personally

). Students really are an apathetic bunch

EDIT: w00t, 100th post

Hitchhiker's Guide to... · 01-03-2005 11:22pm

wayfarer wrote:

Sounds like you have an affiliation with a rival college publication

you may be right!

Crash · 01-03-2005 11:23pm

well, i'm gonna wait til i pick up the article tomorrow before judging it.

DrIndy · 02-03-2005 3:14am

There is no such person as Jennifer Davis in either the student finder or staff finder - thus the question remain - who is she? Does she exist? Why is her identity masked? Who wrote the article.

Pet · 02-03-2005 8:35am

It's an alias. *shifty eyes*

The Record were never renowned for excellence in journalism though were they? They've always played second fiddle to TN. And judging by the response to this article, they aren't trying too hard to improve things.

aodh_rua · 02-03-2005 11:57am

Pet wrote:

It's an alias. *shifty eyes*

The Record were never renowned for excellence in journalism though were they? They've always played second fiddle to TN. And judging by the response to this article, they aren't trying too hard to improve things.

That's a bit of the generalisation - not so long ago the Record was walking with as many if not more national Student Media awards than TN.

Hitchhiker's Guide to... · 02-03-2005 12:37pm

aodh_rua wrote:

That's a bit of the generalisation - not so long ago the Record was walking with as many if not more national Student Media awards than TN.

do you have an interest in the matter?!

without doubt, the record in your year, and in Katie's year was extremely good - didn't you win a smedia? i think this thread is more about the unprofessionalism of this specific story

sleepingbeauty · 02-03-2005 2:11pm

well i think ed seems like a nice guy... dunno why people are being so mean

celingfan · 02-03-2005 2:29pm

The guy lied and abused his position in a desperate attempt to get what he wanted. Never laughed so hard at him when I questioned him in the JCR thing not too long ago.I then pissed myself even further when I heard he lost. To you Ed RiellyHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
That is all.

dermot_sheehan · 02-03-2005 2:34pm

celingfan wrote:

The guy lied and abused his position in a desperate attempt to get what he wanted. Never laughed so hard at him when I questioned him in the JCR thing not too long ago.I then pissed myself even further when I heard he lost. To you Ed RiellyHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
That is all.

Regardless of the merits or demerits of the particular candidate, it's simply wrong that a union institution should be used to attack a union member in such an underhand and insidious manner.

I think an emergency motion might be appropriate, something along these lines:

Emergency Motion:

This motion did not make the deadline due to the article being condemned in it only being circulated this week.

Council:

Notes the personal and anonymous attack against an election candidate in the University record.

Is concerned that Union institutions should be used for anonymous attacks union members.

Recognises that by allowing such anonymous personal attacks, the Union is exposed to legal action.

Council therefore mandates:
That the Deputy President apologise on behalf of the Union to the candidate referred to.

That the record in future publish with each article, the name of the person who authored the article. If due to space limitations this is impracticable, the Record should release the name to any person on demand.

That the Deputy President publicly identify the author or authors of the attack on the election candidate.

That all authors of the record sign an indemnity, indemnifing the union for any legal action that may result from their written piece for the record

Hitchhiker's Guide to... · 02-03-2005 2:57pm

very interesting ... there would be quite a bit of support for that.

Maybe the motion could be slightly reworded to take out the last section as legally the Record cannot be indemnified even if something is signed by an author. It could also scare away potential contributors. It is up to the editor to remove anything potentially libelous...

dermot_sheehan · 02-03-2005 3:01pm

Roundtower2 wrote:

Maybe the motion could be slightly reworded to take out the last section as legally the Record cannot be indemnified even if something is signed by an author. It could also scare away potential contributors. It is up to the editor to remove anything potentially libelous...

Ok, strike that section then. It's primary purpose would have been to re-inforce to contributors the seriousness about publishing and remind them of the consequences if they get it wrong.

Hitchhiker's Guide to... · 02-03-2005 3:05pm

Is EduCat going to comment?

I see that you are viewing the thread. (EduCat: Registered User: Last Activity: Today 13:53: Viewing Thread Ed Reilly @ 13:53)

Hitchhiker's Guide to... · 02-03-2005 3:08pm

p.s. sorry if this is putting you on the spot!

xeduCat · 02-03-2005 3:09pm

Mr. Roundtower, you are quite pathetic. I'll comment if and when I want to - I don't believe I'm accountable to ex-hacks for what I read!

;-) :eek:

Geez, some people.

Anyway, since you asked, I don't have anything worth adding right now, except that emergency motions can't contradict the SU constitution, and that anything given to me will be checked carefully etc, so please do so as far in advance as possible.

Hitchhiker's Guide to... · 02-03-2005 3:13pm

EduCat wrote:

Mr. Roundtower, you are quite pathetic.QUOTE]

I really am, amn't I?! Sitting in the office trying to do research now, and it is driving me spare. Think very carefully about your research topic before starting your postgrad!

Although, there is an important issue here. The Record shouldn't be used for anonymous attacks on union members.

xeduCat · 02-03-2005 3:15pm

It won't be Business Studies anyway...

Hitchhiker's Guide to... · 02-03-2005 3:16pm

EduCat wrote:

It won't be Business Studies anyway...

we may not let you in business studies!

xeduCat · 02-03-2005 6:14pm

Ruth's been in touch with Ed today and has posted this (on the TCDSU.org website) - copying here as some of the similar themes are covered - and by the way, threads are not deleted on tcdsu.org because we disagree with them! Whoever said that is just stirring it...

In response to all of the above -

Publishing any article without corroborating the story was a serious error in judgement on my part, for which I accept full responsibility.

I have contacted Ed Reilly, apologised, and offered him full right of reply in the next issue of the Record along with a printed apology. Ed has fully accepted this apology and agreed to submit a response.

As far as naming the contributor is concerned, there is a long-standing precedent in both college papers that contributors occcasionally publish work under a pseudonym. Based on the nature and indeed the small size of the college it is vital to the existence of a free press that this practice be allowed to continue and for that matter be protected. As editor I take full responsibility for all content published, be it under a pseudonym or otherwise.

Ed has accepted my apology in full, and has stipulated that he does not want the issue turned into a public row.
I trust that this clarifies the situation as requested.

DrIndy · 02-03-2005 6:16pm

What this sets is a very ugly precedent where in collusion with an Editor of a newspaper (who BTW does bear FULL responsibility for all publications) - people can not merely post anonymously - but under a FAKE NAME - pretty much anything they like about anyone, stopping just short of the libel laws.

This sets a precedent where journalistic ethics go out the window in the context of a major publication and a concept I find highly disturbing.

Publishing under FAKE NAMES may be acceptable in a case of investigative reporting to hide the true identity from punitive action.

Publishing a SLANDER piece does not constitute investigative reporting. In fact, it does not constitute journalism.

I fully support the motion.

Boston · 02-03-2005 7:19pm

Roundtower2 wrote:

EduCat wrote:

Mr. Roundtower, you are quite pathetic.QUOTE]

I really am, amn't I?! Sitting in the office trying to do research now, and it is driving me spare. Think very carefully about your research topic before starting your postgrad!

Although, there is an important issue here. The Record shouldn't be used for anonymous attacks on union members.

What the **** do you mean union member.

wayfarer · 02-03-2005 7:48pm

Boston wrote:

What the **** do you mean union member.

Ok, Ill take this nice and easy so that you can follow

1. Ed Reilly is a student in TCD*.
2. Every student in TCD is a member of the TCD Students Union (aka the SU).

Therefore, Ed Reilly is a member of the TCD Students Union, or to phrase it differently, is a union member.

I hope thats all cleared up now.

*TCD is short for Trinity College Dublin btw

Boston · 02-03-2005 8:01pm

wayfarer wrote:

Ok, Ill take this nice and easy so that you can follow

1. Ed Reilly is a student in TCD*.
2. Every student in TCD is a member of the TCD Students Union (aka the SU).

Therefore, Ed Reilly is a member of the TCD Students Union, or to phrase it differently, is a union member.

I hope thats all cleared up now.

*TCD is short for Trinity College Dublin btw

Why don't you just say student. Also, and I'll take this slowly for you, not every student in TCD is a member of the union. Their is no requirement to join the student union.

wayfarer · 02-03-2005 8:13pm

Taken from th SU website
So, what's it all about Alfie? The Students' Union(SU) is here to help you any way we can during your time at Trinity. As soon as you register as a student at TCD, you automatically become a member of the Students' Union. The SU provides a number of services, along with advice and information on a range of issues that may or may not affect your time at Trinity.

...