For some time yesterday, RTE and Highland radio websites carried the news that an iceberg could be seen off Arranmore island in Co Donegal. The story was false. The story is now gone from both websites, and at time of writing, neither mentions that it ever existed. The only online news source to carry the… Continue reading Memory Hole
Tag: hoaxes
Muddying the Waters: John Waters and Wikipedia
John Waters complained on RTÉ today that he was libelled on Wikipedia, and told by a lawyer there was no point suing on the interwebs. The trouble with Wikipedia, of course, is its revision history. Even after an entry is deleted or updated, it’s possible to see what once was written. On 30 September 2007,… Continue reading Muddying the Waters: John Waters and Wikipedia
Eyes Only
Gardai question artist under caution: The Irish Times. Police quiz man over naked images of Irish PM in national gallery: The Belfast Telegraph. Cowen artist ‘could be charged’: BBC News. Artist Conor Casby faces jail after Brian Cowen made unwitting model for toilet humour: Times Online (Entertainment section). Irish PM bogged down by nude painting… Continue reading Eyes Only
Bare Faced Cheek
‘The visit by a Garda detective today to the offices of Today FM radio station, demanding that staff from the Ray Darcy Show hand over information they might have had about the artist of these pieces was astounding,’ Labour party Senator Alan Kelly said. ‘Does this investigation really represent the best use of scarce Garda… Continue reading Bare Faced Cheek
The Emperor’s New Clothes
FG Justice Spokesperson Charlie Flanagan criticised the decision by Gardaí to demand emails relating to the artist who painted nude portraits of Brian Cowen hung in two Dublin galleries. ‘At a time when the majority of gangland murders remain unsolved, to have Gardaí spending their time investigating what amounted to a practical joke that offended… Continue reading The Emperor’s New Clothes
The Naked Taoiseach
Yesterday, I wrote about RTÉ removing a film report on caricatures of Brian Cowen smuggled into two Dublin galleries. [Kudos at this point to Maman Poulet, who’s blog tipped me off to the story.] Since them, things have grown more serious. The images on the RTÉ website were removed, copy has been edited, and the… Continue reading The Naked Taoiseach
Bare Arse Biffo
You can tell a lot about the powerful by how they react to satire. In Ireland, the powerful tend to react badly. Older politicians still smart at the memory of Hall’s Pictorial Weekly, and can barely bring themselves to smile through gritted teeth when Scrap Saturday is mentioned. The result is a pale imitation of… Continue reading Bare Arse Biffo
Arse
Press Ombudsman Prof John Horgan warned in a speech this week against ‘journalists plagiarising from the internet and using it as a substitute to leaving the office and finding out about what is happening in the world.’ Here’s why. Sixteen year old Masal Bugduv was heralded recently by the Times as a promising young Moldavian… Continue reading Arse