WHY WE NEED JOURNALISM IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

Investigative journalism plays a fundamental role in democractic societies. It is the role of the investigative journalist to inform the public while revealing any injustices. They can be seen as the fourth pillar of democracy. As stated by Thomas Carlye in his book On Heroes and Hero Worship, “there were Three Estates in Parliament; but, in the Reporters’ Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important far than they all.” Investigative journalism was and is instrumental to the birth and growth of democracy. However, none of this is true unless the journalists mentioned are credible, reliable and fair. They have the responsibility to inform and criticise in a professional and responsible manner. They must sometimes test the morals of ethical practice and invade the privacy of others if it is of public interest. Matters that are in the public interest are different to those that the public find interesting. If it is in the public interest it must matter to everyone in society and benefit their common good and well-being.

Now more than ever, we need credible journalists. In the age of new media, fake news and yellow journalism can be spread and believed all over the world in a matter of hours. It’s the responsibility of the journalist to debunk the false claims. In this essay I will take a brief look at the history of investigative journalism. I will then look at examples of when and why investigative journalism was needed in societies. I will outline the importance of having credible journalists in societies and the dangers of fake news.

 

History of Investigative Journalism

 

According to Hugo De Burge in his book Investigative Journalism, An Investigative Journalist “is a man or woman who’s profession it is to discover the truth and to identify lapses from it in whatever media may be available to them.” Someone who is viewed as one of the first Investigative Journalists was a man called William Thomas Stead who was born in 1849 in Embleton, Northumberland. He was one of the first journalists to tackle political matters through investigative journalism. He is mainly remembered for his articles titled ‘The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon,’ in which he wanted to show to the public the ease of which he was able to purchase a child for prostitution. Stead sensationalised these articles and had readers eagerly awaiting the next installments. Stead’s articles led to a change in legislation and the female age of consent was raised from 13 to 16 years of age. In the end he was the victim of a bill that he had helped to enact and he was prosecuted for 3 months in prison for purchasing an underage prostitute. After this, according to De Burge, “Investigative Journalism had been invented,” but so had another type of journalism which we recognise today as tabloid journalism.

 

Exceptional Investigative Journalism

One example of exceptional investigative journalism in more recent years was when The Boston Globe exposed abuse within the Roman Catholic Church in Boston,

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Cocaine: An Easy Addiction

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It’s a regular occurrence now to pay a visit to the bathroom in a late bar or club and to hear that suddenly every occupant in the cubicles around you have developed an unpleasant cold within the last few minutes. You’ll see them walk out, more than likely they will have been in there with another user, and give themselves a quick check in the mirror to make sure there’s no residue left over on their noses from their session in the toilet. They’ll give you a smile and walk out feeling as though they’re on top of the world and they’re everyone’s friend. But how are they going to feel tomorrow?

The hangover you experience the day after indulging in cocaine is different to the usual alcohol one. Yes you still get all of the symptoms of a regular hangover, but you also get a sense of dread. You feel like nothing could possibly cure how you feel. The crash or low coming down from the drug can lead to depression and suicidal thoughts. You’re stuck in bed and essentially lose a day all for a boost of confidence and adrenaline the night before.

At the time, it seems like the perfect answer to everything. Feeling tired and not ready to go home? Have some coke. Want to go over and introduce yourself to someone but you’re way too nervous? Do a line and you’ll be grand. And if you offer to people who are looking for it, they’ll be your friend for. Well most likely just for the night. You’ll be able to stay up as late or early as you like and feel great doing so, until it’s time to go home.

As much as you may want it to, the party won’t go on forever. You can only escape the world for so long but then it’s time to go back to reality. And with that will come one of the worst hangovers imaginable. You go from one extreme to another. Depending on the amount users take they might start to perk up again in a few days’ time. Ready to do it all over again and this is where the cycle begins. Unfortunately, it’s a cycle that’s very hard to break. It’s how a user becomes an addict.

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The Mac Miller Effect

Unfinished photo by Shannon Wolfe

On the 7th of September 2018 Mac Miller was found dead in his apartment, from an accidental drug overdose. Toxicology reports showed that Malcolm McCormick had cocaine, alcohol and fentanyl in his system. This drug over dose happened just one month and four days after the release of his fifth studio album, Swimming. 

“And I was just drowning, but now I’m swimming” 

The album was released after his break-up from his girlfriend Ariana Grande. They’re relationship was extremely high profile and was followed closely by both of their fan bases. This could be the reason why fans of Mac Miller thought they had the right to blame Ariana for his death. They claim she left him for someone else (quite publicly at that) in a time when he was struggling and needed her the most. 

His relationship with Ariana is over shadowing his impact on the music industry and society. Blue Slide Park and Best Day Ever Mixtape were the sound track to my teens. I mean, Senior Skip Day was the ultimate song to listen to when you were on the hop from school! He was real, and not afraid to speak up when he wasn’t feeling okay. Which is what we’re all encouraged to do now. He made this music at such a young age and we all grew up together. One of the best concerts I’ve been to to date was Lil Wayne in the 3 arena in 2013. I wasn’t there to see Lil Wayne though, and neither were the hundreds of other people who shouted for “Mac Back” when he finished his time on stage. He’s left a legacy behind him that I hope will stay with generations to come.

The Struggle on the Streets of Dublin

The Struggle on the Streets of Dublin

Laura Connolly

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I set out today to really try and understand the harsh reality of life for those who are homeless in Dublin. I spoke to people who were either sleeping rough or else switching from hostel to hostel each day. I wanted to know if what some people assume is true. Is the money we give to them for food or a hostel, or for drugs or alcohol? Do they appreciate when we give them food? Or are the majority ungrateful unless it’s money. What I saw today surprised me and also moved me. The people I spoke to gave me a true insight into their tough lives.

It’s difficult to measure the exact number of homeless people there are, due to ‘hidden homelessness’ (this is when people are sofa surfing or squatting). According to The Peter McVerry Trust, as of September of this year there are 3,428 adults and 1571 children without a home. The number has increased each month for the first nine months of 2015. Almost one third of their health was recorded to be either ‘fair’, ‘bad’, or ‘very bad.’

The first person I sat with certainly looked as though his health would be in the ‘bad’ category. His hands were rough and red from the cold, but thankfully he had a warm hat and jacket. His name was Alex. He’s 32 and has been homeless for almost 2 years. He moved to Ireland nine years ago from Romania. I placed some change in his cup, and we began to chat.

The Dark Side of the Web; Do Vampires Really Exist?

An exploration of the online ‘vampire’ communities. 843 words, Laura Connolly.

*UPDATE* After reading responses from the Vampire Community in relation to this post, I would like to stress that I tried to be as objective and non biased as possible and I apologise if anyone was offended after reading*

 The Dark Side of the Web; Do Vampires Really Exist?  

“I either have a donor or a girlfriend who allows me to drink from them, that is how I get human blood. Otherwise I have to feed on raw beef blood or have a very very rare steak.” Jason De Marco explains how he obtains human blood to consume.

Speaking to Mr. De Marco, he tells me that he first realised he was a vampire at the age of 4. He is now an adult – “I do not reveal my age,” and the founder and administrator of the Facebook group ‘House of Obsidian Raven.’ The group has over 500 members, and all of them claim they are vampires. “A group for real vampires be you a blood sucker, pranic, or a mixture. Seekers are also welcome, but NO wannabes or fakes.”

There are many other groups just like this on the web. There’s no proof that these people are actually blood drinkers, and maybe they are just looking for somewhere to fit in. However, there have been several cases in the media involving the actual drinking of blood. Dr. Brendan Kelly, Psychiatrist at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, speaks on the issue.

Gambling and Sports Betting: Does it make or break the game?

With the world’s technology advances in the past decade, gambling has become so much easier, for anyone anywhere, to place a bet. Paddy Power was founded in 1988 when three existing Irish bookmakers merged. There are now 212 shop outlets around Ireland. They also have an iPhone App, Telephone Betting, and a YouTube Channel.

While asking around almost everyone agreed that of course betting on a game makes it better. If you’re a non-gambler like me you may not have known this. If you regularly bet on games, then you’re probably rolling your eyes like the others I questioned. I continued on to ask why this is.

‘Neomasculinity’ Pro-Rape Group Organise Meet-ups Around the World

Daryush ‘Roosh’ Valizadeh is the leader of ‘Return of the Kings,’ an online community who are ‘pro-rape.’ He has a noticeable presence on Twitter with the user name @rooshv. The group have joint beliefs that “gender equality is a myth that has no scientific basis” and a “woman’s value significantly depends on her fertility and beauty.”

The group organised a meet-up in front of the main entrance of Naas Courthouse, Kildare, last Saturday at 8pm. The meet-ups around the world were planned to take place in 43 countries all together, all at 8pm local time. Due to security measures that were set up by authorities, Valizadeh cancelled all the events.

The fear of holidaying in Greece and the ironic truth behind it

Elena Lavranos, 59, had been up since 7am preparing food for the next 60 or so people to eat. Thursday nights were busy at her restaurant since that is when the Dublin flight comes in and the familiar faces return. It was due to her cooking and her son Georges hospitality that they return year after year. She could see why they would, but she never got to experience the magic of Corfu in the way that they did.

Understand Irish Legal Framework

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Laura Connolly

Judges have the jurisdiction to adjudicate on civil and criminal cases in Ireland. The differences between these cases are as follows;

Civil Law in Ireland

Civil law is usually dealing with private disputes between one or more people or legal entities and the result is usually a monetary reward. If a person wishes to bring a case against an individual or a corporation because they believe they were wronged they can bring it to the civil courts.

An example of a civil action would be defamation cases or a breach of contract case.

Criminal Law in Ireland

Criminal Law is when an individual has committed a crime harming another person or committed an act that harmed society as a whole. Due to this the state takes action and the case is usually resolved by way of fine or a term of imprisonment. A major difference between civil and criminal cases would be that the prosecutor in a criminal case is not the victim of the crime but in fact the state itself.

At times when a case is of both a civil and criminal nature, then the criminal prosecution is usually completed before the civil case is heard.

The Criminal Function of The Courts

District Court

The district court is the first court that criminal cases are brought to for preliminary hearings and they will then be sent to a higher court for sentencing.

For a light criminal offense the accused can agree to be tried summarily (without a jury) in the district court.

The Circuit Court

The Circuit Court has the jurisdiction to hear criminal cases apart from cases involving murder, rape, aggravated sexual assault, treason, genocide and piracy.They are tried instead by the Central Criminal Court (a subsection of The High Court).

The Circuit Court also hears appeals from the District Courts.

The High Court, The Central Criminal Court, and The Special Criminal Court

The High Court hears appeals from the Circuit Courts. When dealing with the criminal cases mentioned above the High Court is known as The Central Criminal Court. There is another court called The Special Criminal Court. The cases heard here are without a jury because of the threat of the jury being manipulated or threatened by individuals outside the court with connections to the accused. There is also no media coverage of specific details of the cases.

Appeals from the Central Criminal Court and The Special Criminal Court go to The Court of Criminal Appeal.

The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court hears appeals from the High Court.

The Appellate System

The Appellate System of The Irish Court System is simply how civil and criminal law cases can be appealed to the next higher court if the accused or prosecutor is unhappy with the outcome of the case.