PR: Investigate Brian Cowen's Interference
06.03.2000
The revelations in the Sunday Tribune, (dated March 5th 2000) that Brian Cowen, while Minister for Health, sought to seriously manipulate the Interdepartmental Working Group on abortion ranks amongst the most serious issues in recent times, and, is, most certainly, a resigning matter.
However, the Minster has escaped the controversy and justified criticism because of what can only be described as a conspiracy of silence. Apart from the initial article, the entire media has behaved as the Minister's protectors with not one single newspaper or broadcast journalist seeking to delve further into the matter. The Minister himself has not answered any of the profoundly important questions arising, nor has there been any pressure by any media source to have him do so. We cannot but believe that this is deliberate.
The Irish National Union of Journalists, which is affiliated to a UK counterpart, has a pro-abortion policy, and it is quite clear that they take this policy very seriously indeed. Considerably more seriously than any commitment to the public's right to information. This policy, which was officially passed during their 1976 conference, commits the members to advocate and support the most extreme pro-abortion stance, that of a so-called "right to choose".
Youth Defence are, on the other hand, fully committed to the public's right to information on the real truth of abortion, both in itself and its related aspects. We are calling on the National Union of Journalists to fulfil the proper role of a questioning media, to root out all the relevant facts concerning the Minister's shocking behaviour in interfering with the Working Group, and to lay those facts before the public eye. With that in mind, we will be staging a picket outside the offices of NUJ on the Saturday April 1st 2000, beginning at 2 p.m. and concluding at 4 p.m. One way or another we are determined that the truth be made known.
The issue of abortion is currently before the Constitutional Review Group and there is serious reason to inquire as to whether their deliberations are genuine or merely the mock pretence of consultation in advance of announcing a decision which has already been made. It is beyond the means of the private citizen and extremely difficult for campaigning organisations to root out the truth here. That is the proper role of journalism, a role in which it is currently failing badly.
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