In
keeping with its commitment to bringing free speech and press freedom issues to
the public, the New Jersey Pro chapter of the Society of Professional
Journalists presented a talk by Irish journalist Ed Moloney on Monday, Oct. 20,
at the Guarini Institute at St. Peter’s College in Jersey City.
Moloney
covered The Troubles in Northern Ireland for many years for various Irish
publications and was later part of an oral history project at Boston College.
The
Troubles and how they were covered by the Irish and British press aren’t a
history lesson, Moloney said. They are an object lesson. The Irish press mostly
parroted the party line. The British press was a little more objective, he
said. Still, the full story didn’t come out.
Moloney
discussed the parallels between the Irish press becoming complicit with the
government and the American press being cowed by the government. He cited the
case of New York Times reporter James Risen, who first uncovered the use of warrantless
wiretaps by the US government. At the request of the government, The Times
refused to print the story until Risen wrote a book that was soon to be
published.
One of
the most fascinating aspects of The Troubles was Gerry Adams insistence he was
not a member of the IRA, Moloney said.
He looked into the allegations Adams was a member of the revolutionary
group.
He was
approached by Boston College about archiving an oral history project featuring the
stories of the rank and file. The Jesuit college was a natural repository for
these archives since it had a history of inviting both sides in The Troubles to
campus many times. At first, BC wanted to be able to make the oral histories
public within 10 years. No participant in The Troubles on either side would go
along with that. The college finally agreed to an embargo on names until each
individual interviewee had died.
However,
BC didn’t put up a fight when subpoenas were presented by both the British and
American governments.
Moloney
considers it ironic that the US government backed the British in these
subpoenas considering there were the same people who considered George
Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson terrorists. But then, he pointed
out, the difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter is strictly one
of perspective.
A
lively Q&A followed Moloney’s talk. The audience consisted of a few
journalists, students, members of the Irish-American community in Hudson County
and BC alumni from the area.
The
Guarini Institute has invited SPJ back to
co-sponsor more programs and I hope we do so.
