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File photo: Man reading The Irish Independent newspaper Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland

'The question of media ownership is important whether it's Rupert Murdoch or Denis O'Brien'

Independent Catherine Murphy TD said Ireland’s media is at a transition point.

INDEPENDENT TD CATHERINE Murphy has said it is right to ask questions about media ownership in Ireland.

Speaking to TheJournal.ie in a wide-ranging interview, Murphy said “you have different layers of checks and balances in a democracy”.

One of those layers is the role of the media, she said.

It is not the first time Catherine Murphy has raised the issue of media ownership and, speaking under privilege, the issue of the sale of Siteserv (a company associated with Denis O’Brien) to IBRC (formerly Anglo Irish Bank).

Subsequently, O’Brien launched legal proceedings against members of the Dáil Committee on Procedure and Privileges over the panel’s decision that Murphy did not abuse her parliamentary privilege when making claims about his banking deals.

The Social Democrats TD backs a renewed call from the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) for the establishment of a commission on the future of the sector, arguing that the media in Ireland is at a transition point.

Earlier this year, the Guardian reported how NUJ’s Irish secretary Séamus Dooley told Limerick University students that media dominance in Ireland is not a new issue.

During his talk, he noted how a former NUJ president, John Devine, raised the problem with the government in the mid-1970s following the acquisition of Independent Newspapers by Tony O’Reilly.

File Photo DIGITAL ADS HAVE picked up the slack from File photo: Man reading The Irish Independent newspaper Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Today, Murphy believes the landscape of the media in Ireland is changing once again due to the rise of online media and the pressure on funds and resources that is impacting on the output of strong investigative journalism.

The media has a role in holding people to account and we have an issue with our defamation laws that needs to be properly evaluated.

Ireland’s tough defamation laws were also called into question on World Press Freedom Day this year.

The representative body for the national newspaper industry, NewsBrands Ireland, highlighted the significant challenge they pose to freedom of expression. It said the level of awards made in defamation cases are concerning as they are much higher in Ireland compared with the rest of Europe.

24/9/2015 Social Democrats Candidates Catherine Murphy TD Leah Farrell Leah Farrell

“Where lawyers are playing a stronger role in the outcome rather than journalists, you do have to stop and say ‘hold on here a second, some of our checks and balances are skewed’,” said Murphy.

I think the ownership of the media is important whether that is Rupert Murdoch or Denis O’Brien or whoever.

“I think you have to keep the balance of that right and I think it is valid to question that, because it is one of the checks and balances.”

  • Read the full interview with Catherine Murphy on TheJournal.ie tomorrow at 7.45am. 

Read: ‘I was shocked when I was told I had an alcohol problem. I thought I was normal’>

Pearse Doherty: ‘Despite my passion to be part of Sinn Féin, being a TD is something I may regret’>

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34 Comments
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    Mute Paul Dunning
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    Jun 5th 2020, 8:09 AM

    Hopefully the cases dont spiral . And people still social distance. We also need the economy up and running.and a bit of normality

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    Mute Logan Shepherd
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    Jun 5th 2020, 1:29 PM

    @Paul Dunning: True Paul, and seeing the affect of community spread of the virus, is the best indicator of how soon we get a degree of normality back.

    14
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    Mute finbarr walsh
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    Jun 5th 2020, 9:05 AM

    In your survey 15% would not wear face masks on public transportation! Seriously I can’t figure what goes through some peoples minds

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    Mute CazzoA
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    Jun 5th 2020, 1:26 PM

    Win for Cork people!

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    Mute Anne Marie Devlin
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    Jun 5th 2020, 2:43 PM

    I think this is a big step forward. However, the travel restrictions should just be scrapped. I live on the border of two counties yet I can travel 200 km throughout one county, but only 20 into the neighbouring county. It makes no sense in terms of staying local.

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    Mute BmcG
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    Jun 5th 2020, 2:20 PM

    Plandemic coming to an end soon there will be no second wave

    13
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    Mute Clodagh Nic L
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    Jun 5th 2020, 4:01 PM

    @BmcG: thank you oh wise one

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    Mute Michael Byrne
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    Jun 5th 2020, 4:46 PM

    @BmcG: Does that mean I can take my tin foil hat off now???

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    Mute dowthebow
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    Jun 5th 2020, 4:53 PM

    @BmcG: unless they planned one??

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    Mute BmcG
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    Jun 5th 2020, 5:41 PM

    @Michael Byrne: take your tin foil hat off if you would like your neurons zapped with wireless data while you sleep, rewiring your brain and dampening your senses and leaving you robotic and devoid of sentimentality

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    Mute Liberty Peacock
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    Jun 5th 2020, 9:55 AM

    Brazil reached 3rd highest, of countries not corrupt and not lying about their numbers*

    Correct title

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    Mute Sean Bradley
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    Jun 5th 2020, 10:13 AM

    @Liberty Peacock: Jesus lad what do you know of Brazil? Do a little research to see how corrupt Brazil is. Worse that USA IMO.

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    Mute William Walsh
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    Jun 5th 2020, 3:52 PM

    This in not about a virus anymore. Fianna Gael are trying to find out how far they can go to control the Irish people. We are conforming like puppets on a string.

    The virus is now confined to Dublin while the rest of the country suffers from restrictions of movement which is a violation of our constitutional rights.

    Social distancing was introduced to flatten the curve. (Mission Accomplished)

    I reserve the right to exercise civil disobedience from my freedom to choose in the same way as the women of Ireland chose abortion under the banner “my body my choice supported and encouraged by Varadkar and Harris. Well my freedom, my choice.”

    Time to get people back to work and prevent more businesses going to the wall.

    Protect the elderly and the vulnerable but open up the country again

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    Mute Danny O' Mahony
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    Jun 5th 2020, 2:37 PM

    Disinfected dice. What’s the chances?

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    Mute flamrock
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    Jun 5th 2020, 2:33 PM

    Can’t believe Hollywood is already making a movie about this pandemic.you would think they would wait until it’s over.. “disgraceful.”

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    Mute andy marsh
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    Jun 5th 2020, 2:39 PM

    @flamrock: they always need a sequel……………. the virus fights back

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