FOUR BRANCHES of the National Union of Journalists have submitted monons on DIess COVerage of Irish affairs for the Annual • ne are linked with demands for an NUJ inquiry into La typical motion SUCIE submitted by the North London branch reads:
*ADM takes note of the superficial and frequently biased manner in wnich mucn or une media in Britain has dealt with the war in Ireland. Whilst most TV, radio and press coverage focuses on the day to dav incidents of the war, next to nothing is presented about Britain's 800-year involvement in Ireland, and the consequential developments in ine island's long history leading to the present war. Although the views of successive British governments are widely publicised in Britain, those of the other main protagonists in the war are not. *This ADM shall therefore elect from amone delegates an ad hoc committee of ten to examine and report on the mass media's coverage of the war in Ireland."
The need for a thorough examination of press treatment on Ireland is almost as long overdue as is the removal of British troops from that island.
wake me examoe ora court case heard in the Six Coun ties.
Three weeks ago a court in Strabane was five THE IRA and Fleet Street does not like to publieise such examples of peacekeeping' operates. month a great row developed when it was disclosed that Roy Mason, Secretary of State for the North of Ireland, had attempted to persuade the head of the BBC there to ye further censor their Irish affairs. He demanded a complete black-out on all reports of Republican activities.
The response of the BBC was to send a memorandum to Mason. It detailed how they had given three times more coverage to the proBritish 'Peace People' in the last three months of 1976 than they had given to 'paramilitary" activi•ties in the whole of the year. The implication was Inal turner cen sorship was not necessary.
Mason was not satisfied. Within the last two months several representatives of public bodies in the North of Ireland have been asked recen HECI But What WerE MUST STOP LETTING HIN READ OUR PRESS RELEASES:. HES RAPIDLY LOSING CONTACT WITH REALITY!
by the Northern Ireland Office to sign the Official Secrets Act. They include eight members of the Housing Executive, Last Government body which controls subsidised housing. 3iso writer 1o eu quas-gover mental bodies warning them that -ne is a sauroca Dy recen discre sures of classified departmental coverage of documents to me reess anu reviewing all possible sources SuCh OSCIOSUreS Mason has also talked about imposing D Notices' bodies, who include dangerous or ganisations like the North Irelanc Tourist Board.
Censorship of news from the North of Ireland is just about the one booming industry Britain has left. If Mason doesn't censor, Fleet Street will, and of course there is always the British Army's public relations' service to web of omission, lies A recent study carried out at the в вс 1,000 marchers.
the Army's press corps: *Evidence mainly to implicate the extremists' Uganda operation centralised propaganda, Mason has to Smith.
*is on such Manchester on sonsor a back up the Passed afte CUSTOTHON Free speech on Ireland — one of the major themes of the Bloody Sunday Commemoration demonsuration on 30 January Centre for Mass Communication Research at the University of Lei cester offered this judgement on victims have done •has caccumulated of journalists being deliberately and repeatedly misled (by the Army), IRA violence carried out by Loyalis TROOPS which attracted over deport incommunicado ane people without even telling INE what they are meant to The Act has been used to create an atmosphere of fear among Irist people and drive Irish republicanism underground By launching N8. STL
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IT CERTAINLY WAS A GOOD YEAR! NO LESS THAN NINETEEN TIMES?
Delegate Meeting of the NUJ, to be held in April.
Nor is it just Fleet Street where the lie machine