“The ‘public interest’ guise of propagandists, trolls and bullies” by Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair

The ‘public interest’ guise of propagandists, trolls and bullies

We all know, this is a vitally important point and a fact: there exists high profile professional Journalists, Columnists and Presenters who are propagandists, trolls and bullies and they do a grave disservice to our society.

“The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum” – Norman Chomsky.

Imagine, shielded behind a computer screen furiously typing is a Writer hired for their known obsession of attacking a particular ideology, political party or cohort of people. These are the professional propagandists who engage in personalised attacks then scurry back to their lair without facing scrutiny. If challenged, they mock and smear as alleged Trolls and bullies citizens who dare to question their lack of impartiality and bias moralising disguised as providing us with a ‘public interest’ service.

Imagine, sitting behind a different computer screen or telephone is a citizen intent on politely but effectively probing the motives underlying a blatantly bias story that avoided challenging the hypocrisy and immorality of other relevant protagonists.

‘If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about answers’ – Thomas Pynchon

Now, Journalists, Columnists, Commentators and Presenters of integrity know instantly when a particular story is framed to promote a bias narrative. In those circumstances, they have a solemn public interest duty. Namely, ensure they frame their debating of the given story in a manner that objectively explores with all relevant protagonists the particular moral or ethical principle the bias Writer used to attack only a certain ideology, political party or cohort of people.

Look how debates are framed to relentlessly attack the Labour party and Jeremy Corbyn on a supposed “talking to the political wing of IRA terrorists” moral basis.

Contrast the above with the fact, the Tory party and its leader Theresa May are not questioned about the facts that a) all British governments have engaged in terrorism and continue to arm terrorists, b) every British government since 1972 was secretly talking to the IRA and, c) it isn’t the Labour but Tory party that has a Councillor who is a former IRA member?

Look ‘how’ debates have been framed to attack Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill on a supposed “moral hypocrisy” basis. The background being, she expressed sympathy with the victims of the ISIS bombing in Manchester the week following her attendance at a commemoration to 8 IRA Volunteers killed in 1987 during a attack on a British force base.

Contrast the above with the fact, leaders of the DUP expressing similar utterances of sympathy to Manchester victims are not deemed hypocrites despite a number of comparable relevant facts. Firstly, DUP leaders created a number terrorist groups: Ulster Protestant Volunteers; Third Force; and Ulster Resistance whose guns have never been decommissioned, and which party openly consorted with UDA and UVF terrorist gangs. Secondly, the DUP attend British commemorations that glorify RAF state terrorists who deliberately bombed and incinerated a 100k German civilians. Thirdly, the DUP attend commemorations to British forces of Operation Banner who directly murdered hundreds of Irish civilians and colluded with UVF and UDA terrorists in the murder of hundreds more civilians.

I digress somewhat to insert the wise words of the greatly respected and fair-minded British politician Tony Benn, who said:

‘The problem is not an “Irish problem” in the United Kingdom, but a British problem in Ireland. Once you get that straight you can see it quite differently. I am really strongly in favour of getting the British [state] out of Ireland.’

In closing, I maintain that a civilised society must protect the core tenet of the public interest duty we conditionally bestow on our media: act fairly and impartially, and always in the public interest. When professional Writers and Presenters fail to discharge this solemn duty, they abuse their role and lose their right to claim any special form of public interest immunity or protection.