WE'RE MAKING IRELAND AN ISSUE. GIVE GENEROUSLY Hear nothing JUST a week after attacking those who heckled Callaghan Conor Cruise O' Brien returned to the subject of Ireland in the 22 April edition of the Observer.
This time his message was even more cye-catching. Head. lined 'Where Mr Powell is a moderate', the article went on to culogise Powell's candidature in the North of Ireland constituency of South Down.
Because he thought Cecil Harvey, Powell's United Unionist opponent in election, was a little more extreme, O'Brien decided that Powell was 'force for moderation' But by the time O'Brien" words hit the streets, event had caught up Harves had stood down in Favour of Powell and thrown his 'extremist" support behind this 'force for moderation".
The stupidity of O'Brien's tenant waterus apparent te anyone interested, extremist Harvey had hacked down in favour of Powell, then how could the latter be a "moderate"?
Those obsessed with affairs may claim that O'Brien was appointed editor-in-chief of the Observer just because of his gift for being wrong about Ireland — since that seems to qualifications for editorshipat Socialist Challenge 10 May 1979 page 30 a British newspaper.
He is only among the controllers of the British media in writing often on the subject; otherwise he is completely at one with other editors and TV chiefs in secing it almost as his duty to missport arcano.
Welcome evidence of such misreporting is available in two recently published pamphlets the British media and Ireland, One is produced by the Belfast-based See nothing that Research Unit, the other Dy Information on Ireland.• the Both these published splendid sefore Information on Ireland brought out British Soldiers Speak Out on Ireland, and the Workers Research Unit bulle tin is the sixth in a series which him. has previously tackled such subjects is women in Ireland and repression in the North.
The two pamphlets on the media are in fact complementary, Information on Ireland have an impressive list journalists and contributors. The Research Unit touch on more aspects OE INE ATESS Ireland, including for example Irish içtul run-down alternative Irish press.
Both ire well-rescarched, with a number of case studies Both give a rounded analysis of how and why British preas censorship operates.
John Arden and Margaretta CECE OBEI D'Arcy, writing Information on Ireland pamphlet, come is close as any to pinpointing the ideology under which the media operate: "The tradition is deep in the bones of Britain: if the Trish defend themselves against the their neighbours they are criminals; if they endure it they second class Britons praised only for the virtue of Workers attempting to emulate controllers.
One of the articles in the Workers Rescarch Unit bulletin uses the example of the Guardian to show how this ideology works out in practice. It concludes: "Its reporting and editor alising on the Northero Irist situation illustrates the classic dilemena of liberal commentators when the capitalist state is under attack: how to report the "truth" while at the same time defending the groups have material Speak nothing of continuance of the as under threat..
Workers establishment integral par The Guardian is perhaps somewhat exceptional. At least its reporters in the last years, especially Simon Win chester in the curly days and the improving Anne McHardy today, have tried to carry out the classical function of the liberal терогс: reporring of the former speech was four domineering SUBBEDS are to be Observer, their still goes on. are even 'halanced"
values and continue to have to outstanding examples Media WI.
65р Workers Research Limit, plus 15p The Other system of which the press ten lE sou don't know what h ГВІЗПИ, НИ ВИЧІ ПаТЕ ОТ listenine to Beitish rudio sad the all sides in the
eight countries of the Common Market.
interests. IN FOUR weeks time more elections will be upon us Parliament. They will be held in Britain on 7 June and at various times in the same week in the other Below we look at the nature and purpose of the clections, and the possibility of using them to mount a campaign in defence of international working class national election laws.
They prevent the running of a singie slate — independ it or the nationality of the candidates - in all nine states. the different have placed countless obstacles to the running of candidates.
These supposed defenders of human rights' deny millions of immigrant workers the most clementary civil and political rights, such as the right to vote all the affected Including In immigrant countries they non-European countries.
level.
slate of composed of worker militants countries of the EEC but from countries, representatives of WOTALIS The undemocratic laws in arious countries prever com doing this. But we wi defend this perspective even RELE forced to present slates on the national