Introducing News Sniffer (@news_sniffer)

Hello World! http://t.co/7zkQ3zsG
— News Sniffer (@news_sniffer) March 30, 2012

Yesterday we introduced Irishnewsdiffs.com, today it's News Sniffer. A tool and tracker that does the same job but for the banner online newspapers.

We're now monitoring selected feeds from The @Independent and The @washingtonpost http://t.co/3jJUWOO0qt
— News Sniffer (@news_sniffer) February 12, 2014

News Sniffer now tracks changes to The New York Times articles: http://t.co/xoTngQTL #nytimes
— News Sniffer (@news_sniffer) August 28, 2012

Added Guardian's Comment is Free article feed. Support for the New York Times is in the pipes too. http://t.co/7zkLvZjw
— News Sniffer (@news_sniffer) August 22, 2012

Event - Launch of the Libel Reform Campaign Northern Ireland

The Libel Reform Campaign present a petition with 60,000 signatures to Downing Street in 2012

The immensely successful Libel Reform Campaign is coming to Belfast and Northern Ireland (sign up here):

"On Wednesday 7 May at 10am the Libel Reform Campaign will be bringing together writers, journalists, scientists, academics, human rights advocates and civil society to form a coalition to bring reform of the law of libel to Northern Ireland. 

With the launch of the Northern Ireland Law Commission consultation on libel reform expected in the coming months, a strong coalition will be needed that makes the case for reform of these archaic laws. You can read the campaign's criticisms of the law and the process that led to the new Defamation Act not being applied to Northern Ireland here and here. 

We would very much appreciate your participation in this coalition and your attendance at this event to bring together the coalition. I will be joined by Jo Glanville from English PEN, Sile Lane from Sense About Science and other Libel Reform campaigners. 

The event will be hosted in The Lab at the Belfast MAC (10 Exchange Street West, Belfast BT1 2NJ) from 10am - 12.30pm on 7 May. Plenty of coffee and pastries will be provided."

Sign up and register your attendance here.

New Scholarship supported by Sky and the Royal Television Society Northern Ireland

Sky with support of the Royal Television Society NI launches TV scholarship in partnership with National Film School at the Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT)

Sky have announced details of a new Sky Academy TV Scholarship to be made available on the Masters (MA) in Broadcast Production course offered by The National Film School at the Dun Laoghaire IADT from September. The scholarship is part of Sky Academy, a set of initiatives which aim to use the power of television, creativity and sport to give up to one million young people in the UK and Ireland opportunities to build skills, experience and self-belief. The scholarship will be offered by Sky, supported by The Royal Television Society (RTS), to individuals who may not otherwise have the financial means to support themselves through further study, or may not have considered a career in the media for financial reasons. It is part of Sky's commitment to support and encourage emerging talent at grassroots level.

Paul Tweed to launch JAMS Ireland

Martin McGuinness with Taoiseach Enda Kenny and PM David Cameron

Former IRA commander Martin McGuinness attended the State Banquet hosted by Queen Elizabeth. The Irish Times wrote:

"Had you asked anyone of a certain generation in Northern Ireland if they could ever see the Queen of England and Martin McGuiinness sitting down to have dinner you'd have been told to 'Get Your  Head Seen.'

On this occassion, Paul Tweed (@Paul_Tweed) has announced his intention to launch JAMS Ireland, specialising in finding solutions for political and diplomatic disputes within Ireland and across the globe. The Company will have facilities in Belfast and Dublin and will bring together a panel of experts including Brian Mawhinney (former Northern Ireland Minister) and Paul O'Higgins SC (Chairman - Irish Bar Council).

Intimidating and criminalising journalism

Glenn Greenwald with his partner who was detained in Heathrow under the Terrorism Act

[Earlier post by Brian Spencer on criminalising journalism in the US here]


In 2003 the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) raiding the house of  two well known journalists, Liam Clarke (@LIAMCLARKECJ) and Kathryn Johnston (@kathrynjohnston). The police removed 21 bagfuls of the computers and material and detained the two journalists for 23 hours. Police searched their home and battered down the door of their office.

Northern Ireland Journalists told to hold back in name of peace process

Mick Fealty recently made two observations about Northern Ireland journalism.

One, he suggested that journalists are encumbered to and bound by the wishes of the media outlet's owner. He said:

“Rocking the boat”, I suspect, was never that big on the journalist’s agenda, particularly if not exactly to the proprietor’s taste. In any case, rocking it has more often been a case of cumulative work rather than going for it in one steady hit.

Two, he also suggested that journalists in Northern Ireland suffer from conformity and convention:

"Too many journalists still hunt in packs and so end up producing what Hugo Dixon calls ‘Me Too’ journalism. In the close confines of Northern Ireland this can lead to political pressures to conform (by not asking stupid questions) for the sake of our increasingly geriatric Peace Process™."

Mick Fealty had previously looked at the concentrated pressure for journalists to conform. He quoted an Irish Times report:  

"In [Northern Ireland] journalists were sometimes told to hold back on a story in case they might do damage to the delicate administration. While this was not a point to ignore, you couldn’t make exceptions."

But Mick Fealty has said how Northern Ireland journalists should operate:

"I’ve no doubt of the contribution, but the “well-behaved witness” now needs to start asking “stupid” questions. Otherwise false, or partial, narratives will go unchallenged as those witnesses continue to ignore “the bits that do not suit particular prejudices”. And when “agreed truth becomes accepted, the real truth becomes a lie”."

Paul Tweed letter to the Financial Times

The Financial Times published a letter by Belfast media lawyer Paul Tweed.

From Mr Paul Tweed. 

Sir, You report (“Reducing costs of UK libel actions could cause wave of litigation”, November 4) that a media law firm has suggested that the proposed Qualified One-Way Costs Shifting “would hurt small publishers disproportionately”. 

However, the proposed costs protection order may also be granted in favour of a regional newspaper or publisher with limited financial means as well as an impecunious claimant. In other words, both claimants and defendants with limited means may not have to pay costs if it is determined to be in the overall interests of justice. 

Paul Tweed, Senior Partner, Johnsons Law Firm, London SW1, UK

Read in the FT here. Read on Scribd here and here.