‘Everything About Him Has To Be Vetted And Proofed’

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Denis O’Brien leaving the Four Courts last year after he lost his case against the Dáil and State over statements made by in the Dáil about his banking affairs; a tweet by former Communicorp journalist Jessie Magee

Further to Denis O’Brien-owned Communicorp banning all journalists from The Irish Times contributing to its radio stations…

Mark Tighe, in The Times Ireland edition, reports today about journalist Jessie Magee, who worked for Communicorp stations for ten years, deciding to quit last week.

He reports:

“I was unhappy with the management culture there for a while,” Ms Magee said. “It’s not a happy work environment.”

She also said that there was always extra concern about covering stories about Denis O’Brien on Newstalk or Today FM.

There have been stories over the years on Esat or O’Brien suing newspapers or the Dáil and there is a fear about covering them.’ Everything about him has to be vetted and proofed . . . There was huge concern about how, or if, we could cover those stories.”

Communicorp declined to comment.

Communicorp radio staff ‘embarrassed by ban on Irish Times journalists’ (Mark Tighe, The Times Ireland edition)

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43 thoughts on “‘Everything About Him Has To Be Vetted And Proofed’

  1. Charger Salmons

    Mmm,10 years.
    It took Ms Magee a long time to find her conscience unless she was being very short-sighted.
    In which case she should be Ms Magoo.

    1. MoyestWithExcitement

      “I was unhappy with the management culture there for a while,”

      That doesn’t imply that the situation that he’s saying pushed him out has been going on for 10 years. Learn to read better. You too, Psycho Rob.

    2. cluster

      She didn’t say that she had suddenly found ‘her conscience’ but rather suggested that the management culture had become worse over that time, specifically in relation to DOB. She was ‘unhappy for a while’ rather than from day one.

      Anyhow, O’brien has an ownership in a serious number of media outlets. Are you suggesting that all journalists except those without a conscience refuse to work there? They need to earn a living too.

      10 years ago was 2007. O’Brien’s dominance of Irish media really only began in 2007. Today FM came in late 07. A controlling stake in INM was achieved in 2012.

      1. Rob_G

        “Anyhow, O’brien has an ownership in a serious number of media outlets. Are you suggesting that all journalists except those without a conscience refuse to work there? “

        – that’s kind of what an ‘act of conscience’ is. I’m sure that all the journalists who work for RT or NewsCorp justify it to themselves by the fact that they have to earn a living (and they would have a point), but I’m sure it gives them a nagging feeling now and again.

        1. MoyestWithExcitement

          Huh? What point do you think you’re making there? You seem to acknowledge the fact that there are very few employment options for journalists but then imply that they don’t *really* care about the issues if they don’t quit their jobs? Man, you’re just into point scoring against the peasants, aren’t you. You’re clearly just making this up as you go along.

          1. Rob_G

            Would you go and get a job for one of Dennis O’Brien’s media outlets – if not, why not?

            Rob_G: explaining the world to Moyest one comment at a time.

          2. cluster

            @Rob_G

            I’m not a journalist but if I was, I would accept a job at one of O’Brien’s outlets.

            It wouldn’t be my ideal & I’d be looking for other options but I’d still need to eat & gain experience in the meantime.

            You might pretend otherwise but you would too.

          3. MoyestWithExcitement

            Rob doesn’t actually have a clue how anything works in the real world. He’s actually quite the virtue signaller. He doesn’t appreciate the real world difficulties of making ends meet. He’s very much a black and white ideologue.

          4. Rob_G

            @ Cluster –

            I would have to think about it, you are right.

            But everyone has known about the chilling effect that D’OB’s ownership has had over the Irish media landscape since at least Sam Smyth being forced out of Today FM, if not before. So it is a bit strange to work for half a decade under these circumstances, and then come out strongly against it all of a sudden.

  2. john

    God, why the constant need to validation? She not only announces her resignation on Twitter but makes sure FOT and Dil see it too. We get it, Communicorp are terrible, and you figured it out after a decade!

    1. GiggidyGoo

      But, Varadkar tweets all sorts of rubbish too, and has put €5m into his spin machine to help more rubbish get out.

      1. cluster

        What does that even mean?

        Twitter’s millions of users include everybody from bored office workers to eminent scientists.

        1. wellness

          Of course. Not all users are bored or eminent , but the biggest user of twitter is Trump, so yeah it does seem to net every screecher in town.

    2. cluster

      What’s wrong with sharing something publicly if you’re not happy with it? Especially with others who have felt the brunt of the same problem in recent times?

      Nobody is forcing you to agree with her but it seems like an odd point to make.

      1. MoyestWithExcitement

        Pro-tip; generally speaking, accusing someone of virtue signalling is in itself virtue signalling. You’re saying ‘That guy says things he doesn’t mean. I’m not like that’. You’re welcome. No charge.

  3. bad@memes

    Anyone who bleats ”…oh why did it take 10yrs. etc…”
    Why don’t you try to get a job as a Journalist?
    Tell us how you get on.

  4. Jonsmoke

    Whenever her name was pronounced on the radio I always heard it in a Dublin accent……’jesee MaGee’ translated to ‘did you see my gee’…….and had a little laugh to myself. Am I a bad person?

    1. bad@memes

      You’re not the worst Jonsmoke.
      I never heard of her until today and I’m typing this with only one hand, if you know what I mean, wink, wink.

    2. Charger Salmons

      @Jonsmoke
      I thought my joke at the top of this folderol wasn’t bad but yours has topped it.
      Well done sir.

  5. Charger Salmons

    Finton O’Toole certainly lives up to his name.
    Insists he’ll never appear on Newstalk again and urges fellow journalists and TDs and ” anyone with a conscience ” to boycott the station and to hell with the affect it might have on the jobs of journalists who work there.
    And then when DOB agrees to his request and puts a permanent ban on him and the rest of the neo-liberal stazis on the Irish Times he bleats about freedom of the press.
    O’Toole is the living embodiment of why the Irish Times is such a dreadful rag.

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