Fergal started his journalism at The Limerick Leader where one of his first stories was the uncovering of racism in the city. In 1979 the Savoy Nite Club refused admittance to blacks.
The editor at the time, Halligan, supported him and the story ran in spite of it not being popular with many of the paper's readers, advertisers, supporters and some of the newspapers own staff.
He stressed that it is the job of the journalist to establish the facts.
"Right now there is a battle for control of public thought. We need outsiders and we need mavericks," he said.
"If you're wrong say it and no human being, no institution is free of bias and the first thing a journalist must always do is challenge her or his bias.
"Social media hoaxers are so successful becasue they say what people want to hear and believe.
"What better alibi than to have God on your side."
The award winning journalist stressed the importance of the primacy of facts.
"The only thing a journalist can be an activist about is the truth."
He said that these days nobody takes Fox News seriously but that there is a special niche for angry white men.
The head of Journalism at UL, Mary Dundon chaired the event, which was held in the lecture theatre of the Computer Department.
The Cork man spoke to a full house.
1 comment:
There are a lot of people which feel that's things are heading into a direction which isn't healthy (i.e. GMO, TITIP etc)
They obviously feel that mainstream press wears a corset of politcal correctness or doesn't want to make certain financiers unhappy ...so that they can't find the answer which they are looking for.
Before the internet-time the public media had more or less control over the info that was published (even more os after 9/11) and was able to 'control thoughts'. That changed completely with the upcoming of the internet and it makes them itchy scratchy!
Here a quote from John Swinton - former head of Eiditorial STaff for New York Times (1880):
"There is no such thing, at this date of the world's history, in
America as an independent press. You know it and I know it.
There is not one of you who dares to write your honest opinions,
and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in
print. I am paid weekly for keeping my honest opinions out of the
paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries
for similar things, and any of you who would be so foolish as to
write honest opinions would be out on the streets looking for another
job. If I allowed my honest opinions to appear in one issue of my
paper, before twenty-four hours my occupation would be gone.
The business of the journalists is to destroy the truth;
to lie outright;
to pervert;
to vilify;
to fawn at the feet of mammon, and
to sell his country and his race for his daily bread.
You know it and I know it and what folly is this toasting an
independent press? We are the tools and vassals of rich men behind
the scenes. We are jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we
dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the
property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes."
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