A chara, - I am writing to express my dismay at the coverage of Sinn Fein Youth's First National Congress and independence rally held in Dublin on the weekend of October 18/19th. Your front-page article on Monday 19th was a gross misrepresentation of the weekend's events. Your failure to report on the content of our congress or to offer a Sinn Fein Youth perspective on the behaviour of the Garda was surprising to say the least. Most of all, your mischievous choice of photograph and inaccurate reporting of the rally raise serious questions about the impartiality of The Irish Times.
Needless to say, Martyn Turner's cartoon of Tuesday 20th was little better. But over the years Sinn Fein has come to expect nothing other than demonisation from Mr Turner, so we don't expect any better treatment for Sinn Fein Youth.
While The Irish Times is entitled to print whatever version of events it chooses, Sinn Fein Youth would be grateful if the editor would answer a few questions which may shed some light on the paper's coverage of our Congress. 1. Was Jim Cusack actually at any of the events reported on your front page of October 19th? 2. Why did your office not include any of the seven Sinn Fein Youth press releases dealing with the Congress and Garda harassment faxed to your office on Saturday, October 17th? 3. Why did your office not make any attempt to contact the Sinn Fein press office on Saturday or Sunday to verify the weekend's events or seek a Sinn Fein Youth view? 4. Why did The Irish Times use a single photograph from a rally of well over 1,000 people, when it was clear that the dress of the individual was in no way representative of the diversity of the people in attendance? 5. Is it acceptable for your cartoonist Martyn Turner to base his cartoon of Tuesday 20th solely on a Garda press statement, without reference to independent eyewitness accounts?
In the new climate of conflict resolution we have come to expect fair treatment from the media. While Sinn Fein Youth does not challenge any publication's right to print allegations about our organisation from the Garda or anyone else, we do expect that our side of the story be given equal coverage. Your paper's report of our press conference of Tuesday, October 20th, does not amount to this.
We look forward to your reply to our questions and better coverage of our events in future. - Is mise, Eoin O Broin,
Conway Street, Belfast 13.
Our Security Correspondent, Jim Cusack, followed the march for the entire lengths of its progress. - Ed, IT.