Monthly Archives: June 2011

Looking south from the top of 1 WTC.

Looking down at the Memorial from the top of 1 WTC.

The 9/11 Memorial Plaza from the PATH station.

The North Memorial Pool.

Looking up toward 1 WTC from the South Memorial Pool.

Last Friday, Gothamist went down to the World Trade Centre site to check the progress of the Memorial and the new 1 World Trade Centre tower in the run up to the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

The plaza and 9/11 museum pavilion seem nearly complete, and 1 WTC is officially a skyscraper, rising more than 70 stories above Ground Zero and visible for miles around.

We asked Chris Ward, the Executive Director of the Port Authority, how so much had gotten done this year. Through a spokesman, he told us “We are building a city within a city. Three years ago, we decided where this project should be on the 10th Anniversary and every year after. Establish clear goals and priorities, then harness the imagination and ingenuity of our builders – that has been the path to progress.” Those builders now include more than 3,000 construction workers— the most who have ever been working at the site.

GALLERY: Exclusive: World Trade Center Progress Tour (Gothamist)

A prescient exchange on last night’s Tonight With Vincent Browne between the host and Paul Clarkson, deputy editor of the Irish Sun.

At the end of a show devoted to the future of the newspaper industry Vincent challenged Paul on the allegations contained in his paper’s exclusive on Louis Walsh, obviously prior to today’s developments.

Vincent Browne: “I think there’s a problem about this story. There’s an allegation being made about Louis Walsh and if it turns out to be totally untrue isn’t his reputation smeared by the publicity given to an unsupported allegation, Paul, huh?”

Paul Clarkson: “I just like to…Obviously the Irish Sun broke this story last Thursday. It’s a story we are quite proud of. It shows that newspapers can still be relevant and breaking stories despite the online challenges. With the Irish Sun we approached this story, basically, and we tried to play it with a straight bat. We were aware of the allegations, we checked the allegations, we put them to Louis Walsh, we put his side of the story and we published. And It’s a simple as that.”

Vincent: “But it’s not as simple as that. Say for instance, I’ll give you an example, somebody is accused falsely of sexually abusing a child and saying that it’s only an allegation and this person denied it. That won’t do. That person’s reputation is marred forever and if it subsequently emerges, when it subsequently emerges that this is totally untrue the damage has been done…”

Paul: “Well this is why it’s so important to give both sides of the story and you give them ample time…”

Vincent: “Paul, Paul

Paul: “I can tell you Louis Walsh is more than able…”

Vincent: “Paul, I don’t think you get my point. Some publications such as this  cannot be undone. The damage has been done. If for instance in incidents of sexual abuse of a child. You have the allegation, somebody is accused of the abuse, you name them, they deny it and even it turns out to be subsequently untrue that person is marred forever.”

Watch full show here. (exchange starts at 30.45).

Earlier: The Gropes Of Wrath