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Henry McDonald, The Godfather and the Real IRA

category international | arts and media | opinion/analysis author Wednesday September 15, 2010 08:41author by Paul Larkin - Paul Larkinauthor email offworld_98 at yahoo dot comauthor address 100 Cuarbhothar Thuaidh Report this post to the editors

The Guardian Ireland correspondents "exclusive".

Paul Larkin sent the following complaint to the Guardian's editorial standards editor today in reference to Henry McDonald's "exclusive" interview with the Real IRA. The article can be read here - http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/sep/14/real-ira-targe...nkers

Complaint regarding Guardian article - "Real IRA says it will target UK bankers" - Tuesday 14 September 2010 21.03 BST

Your Ireland correspondent Henry McDonald describes his interview with the Real IRA as an "exclusive", yet it is common knowledge amongst journalists in Ireland that this tiny dissident group is desperate to talk to anyone who will listen to them. Exactly when did the Guardian decided to adopt this tabloid approach to journalism, where everything is described as an exclusive, even when it patently is not? The description of the interview being similar to a scene from the Godfather is laughable and, in my personal view, a lowering of Guardian standards.

Furthermore, and as on previous occasions, Henry McDonald chooses to quote anti peace process dissidents in an attack on a leading Sinn Féin member (Martin McGuinness) labelling him as a "British Crown minister" who is administering the Queen of England's writ in Ireland. Leaving aside the Real IRA's natural inclination to abuse Martin McGuiness as a "Brit", this statement is technically incorrect. The Good Friday Agreement has set up new institutions in Northern Ireland, which make a clear distinction between Britain and Northern Ireland. In short (and much to the annoyance of many unionists) the GFA has rubber stamped the nationalist argument that Northern Ireland is not British.

In normal professional journalist fashion, your correspondent should have sought a quote from McGuinness and/or Sinn Féin to counterbalance what is in effect a free hit for the Real IRA, an organisation that has almost zero support in Ireland.

Is the editorial staff at the Guardian actually aware that Henry McDonald is a long standing and vociferous opponent of Sinn Féin (please refer to his multitude of books and articles on this and related subjects)? This is common knowledge in Ireland even if it is not widely known on what McDonald now chooses to call the "mainland".

Given McDonald's openly declared political stance where he has described his crusade against Sinn Féin as an ideological "battle", is it not incumbent upon the Guardian to ensure that, at the very least, normal journalistic checks and balances are applied to his copy in order to avoid the whiff of propaganda? Without this kind of balancing, the net effect of this kind of article in the Guardian (whether McDonald intends this or not) is to act as a cheerleader for the Real IRA.

 #   Title   Author   Date 
   McDonald addresses his 'oxygen of publicity' critics     Séamus    Thu Sep 16, 2010 07:55 
   The "exclusive" Henry McDonald     Paul Larkin    Thu Sep 16, 2010 08:35 
   comment     J McIvor    Fri Sep 17, 2010 12:26 
   Why target bankers?     Redundant Republican    Fri Sep 17, 2010 22:51 
   No, please...target the bankers     JC    Sat Sep 18, 2010 00:51 
   easy to critisise..     kelly    Sat Sep 18, 2010 17:38 
   @kelly     easy to criticise??    Sun Sep 19, 2010 15:02 
   thats wack     kelly the penguin..    Sun Sep 19, 2010 16:45 
   adams     kelly the penguin    Sun Sep 19, 2010 16:50 
 10   Financial Wizards     Redundant Republican    Sun Sep 19, 2010 20:17 
 11   what is an exclusive ?     joemcivor    Wed Sep 22, 2010 16:20 
 12   peace in ireland thanks to gerry     wewillnotforget    Wed Sep 22, 2010 20:25 
 13   sinn fein achieved the impossible     chun bas no saol    Wed Sep 22, 2010 20:41 
 14   peace for all of us     for ourselves    Wed Sep 22, 2010 22:05 
 15   @ the three previous posters     joe mcivor    Thu Sep 23, 2010 11:14 
 16   desperate talks     In Your Head .. All in Your Head ..    Thu Sep 23, 2010 11:57 
 17   Henry McDonald was a member of WP     Belfastman    Thu Sep 23, 2010 22:44 
 18   No proof of Gerry Adams' financial ability     Jacqueline Fallon    Thu Sep 23, 2010 22:48 
 19   The Guardian's Ireland Correspondent - Henry McDonald and censorship     Paul Larkin    Fri Sep 24, 2010 09:57 
 20   The Orange Bigots Say 'NO'.     THE END IS ALWAYS NIGH BITTER UNIONISTS    Fri Sep 24, 2010 14:55 
 21   I Cant Believe It's Not Butter..     Rory    Fri Sep 24, 2010 18:11 
 22   british phone tapping..     kelly    Fri Sep 24, 2010 18:19 
 23   sunday nasties     fishtrawler    Sat Sep 25, 2010 18:21 
 24   Time to come clean     Paul Larkin    Sat Sep 25, 2010 21:34 


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