Airing Erris: Journalism has been “infected” by “corporate public relations”

At “Airing Erris 2” from left to right: Award winning journalist Ed Vulliamy, Joe Murray (Afri Co-ordinator), and Donal O’Kelly (actor and playwright).

The distinguished Guardian and Observer journalist, Ed Vulliamy, paid warm tribute to the community in Erris who have been resisting the imposition of the Gas Corrib project on their community since 2000, when he spoke at Airing Erris 2 in Ceathrú Thaidhg on Sunday, March 16th. Mr. Vulliamy, the journalist who broke the story of Shell’s supplying large quantities of alcohol to Gardaí in Belmullet, said he was inspired by the courage and commitment of the community and the way in which they have ‘ joined the dots’ in terms of the project and its wider implications. He also described the alcohol to Gardaí in Belmullet story as an interesting bagatelle in context of UN Rapporteur’s claim of excessive use of force by Gardaí against peaceful protesters.

Journalist William Hederman outlined examples of media distortion in relation to the project. For example, the ‘rape tapes’ issue was shamefully mishandled by Gardaí and GSOC and those against whom rape was ‘jokingly’ threatened were utterly failed, let down and undermined by elements of the media.

Richie O’Donnell, whose company Atlantic Stream broadcast the event on line, spoke about plans to ‘be our own media’ of which ‘Airing Erris’ is a very good example.

Airing Erris was hosted by Afri is collaboration with Atlantic Stream. You can watch this event online here. Lorna Siggins wrote a piece about this event in the Irish Times, which can be read here.

Airing Erris 2

Sunday, March 16, 2014 – 3pm – 6pm – An Seanscoil, An Ceathrú Thaidhg, Erris, Co. Mayo

This is the second installment of “Airing Erris”, a seminar on the media treatment of the Shell Corrib issue.

The discussion is evolving to examine the relationship between vested interests and the media and their increasing control and interference in civil issues.

Furthermore, could technological advances spell the end of traditional media and our reliance on them for our news?

Speakers include:

– Ed Vulliamy (The Observer/Guardian)

– Richie O’ Donnell (Director, The Pipe)

– William Hederman (Journalist)

– Andy Storey (Afri chairperson)

You can also join the conversation by tuning into our livestream event at https://new.livestream.com/AtlanticIRL/AiringErris and follow the event on twitter using #atlantic.

More details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1385124438428044/

Airing Erris: The Media and Shell Corrib

From Left to Right: Betty Purcell (former Editor of Features and Current Affairs RTE), Harry Browne (Journalist and lecturer in Media Studies DIT), Joe Murray (Afri Co-ordinator), Lelia Doolan (documentary-maker and former CEO of the Irish Film Board), and Liamy McNally (Mayo-based freelance journalist) at Airing Erris in Co. Mayo on Saturday 18th January.
From Left to Right: Betty Purcell (former Editor of Features and Current Affairs RTE), Harry Browne (Journalist and lecturer in Media Studies DIT), Joe Murray (Afri Co-ordinator), Lelia Doolan (documentary-maker and former CEO of the Irish Film Board), and Liamy McNally (Mayo-based freelance journalist) at Airing Erris in Co. Mayo on Saturday 18th January.  Photo: Dave Donnellan

By Harry Browne

By honoured tradition, we journalists still half-jokingly call public-relations (PR) professionals “the enemy”. But we know they have a job to do, we know they often help us do their job – and we know that if we’re really at war with them, we’re losing.

The basic reason is pretty simple: they’ve got more and more resources (money, time, people) to push the corporate or government line, and we’ve got fewer and fewer with which to filter out the truth from the propaganda.

And when PR people are good and do their job really well, they get the ears of our bosses and make our jobs even harder. Continue reading “Airing Erris: The Media and Shell Corrib”

Introduction to Abjata’s Blog

I am 34 years old award winning journalist and development worker born, brought up and based in dry patched remote northern region of Kenya. Am a development worker, community educator, mobiliser, community journalist, activist and advocate for social justice.

I am currently working with non- profit development organisation, KENYA PASTORALIST JOURNALIST NETWORK. But my activism and community work started way back when I was a young boy after witnessing human rights violation, armed attacks, brutality among others that gave me courage and determination in empowering my pastoralist community.

I undertake many activities and work in northern Kenya and among them are: Human rights Education and awareness campaigns, Human Rights Defenders work and program, Human rights profiling, reporting and monitoring, Conflict resolution and management through mediation and traditional mechanisms, Peace education through community radio and traditional media like folklore, traditional dance, oral narratives, storytelling, non -violence means and education, Women rights education and campaign, Women empowerment projects,
Women radio listening project, Gender equality, Climate change

education and adaptation, Climate change projects like tapping clean solar energy, community food security program, Using indigenous knowledge in addressing climate change , Climate justice project, Anti-human trafficking campaigns, Refugee rights, Eradication of small arms and light weapons ,Health rights and education, Fighting environmental crimes and organised groups like terrorist outfits and armed militias, Rehabilitation of ex-combatants ,civic education and undertaking anti-corruption campaigns and education. Apart from above mentioned activities, I am a member of various national and international networks.

I was born and brought up in a village called Wagalla in Wajir, Kenya. One incident that happened on 10th, February 1984, changed my life and built my resolve to create change, educate and empower my community and building their capacity to attain social justice.

On 10th February 1984, contingent of Kenya army invaded Wagalla village and flushed the residents out of their homes to an empty field where we were subjected to severe beatings, women and girls gang raped by the army in full watch of the besieged residents, we were surrounded in the open field without food / water and under scorching sun.

In the Wagalla field people started dying of hunger, dehydration and severe bleedings from bullets wounds and gun butt injuries. After some days under siege some victims broke the cordon and snatched guns from the security men surrounding us in the field. Other officers panicked and started spraying bullets to the people and it’s here they
killed many people. Others managed to escape including me, while others were walking and dropping dead while escaping due to bullet

wounds and bleeding. I was saved by a brave and daring Italian Nun late Analina Toneli, who was rescuing escaping victims, and offering them water and first aid. She was killed some years ago by forces that executed and ordered the Wagalla massacre.

The security forces collected the dead bodies and dumped them some 200 kilometres for hyenas to feed on them.

This violation and armed attacks from politically instigated conflicts, raids, security operations in our village moulded what I am today and what I do today.

I started asking myself what will you do to address your community sufferings and offer them dignified and normal life built on social justice. This made me to start active activism at age of 16 years and fighting for my community and seeking education under difficult conditions so that I can get knowledge to change.

Many other heinous acts perpetrated by armed militia like abduction of young girls to act as their comfort women in conflict zone, militia inserting gun butt and bottles in women victims private parts and gang raping devastated my upbringing as it was happening in my village and surrounding areas on daily basis.

All these atrocities, heinous acts, human rights violation, gang rape as tool of humiliation and embarrassment and the number of people killed in state sponsored massacres, armed conflicts, security operations and extra judicial killings made me to pursue journalism and use media in educating my people and give them platform of knowledge and information generation, sharing, dialogue and circulation and also I pursued development studies to initiate community developments, offer counselling and build my community capacity in fostering change and usher development.