It’s a quiet Saturday afternoon in Coolock, a working-class suburb of Dublin’s north side. Outside of an abandoned paint warehouse, a small group of approximately 5 women and 10 men are manning a makeshift camp that’s been the scene of an ongoing vigil against the government’s decision to house up to 500 immigrants there. Since mid-March, there have been several organised demonstrations at the site that have attracted thousands of locals, but today only a few sentries keep watch. At approximately 3:20 pm, a small group of apparent antifascist activists, with masks, hoodies and caps, unfurl an Irish tricolour with pro-migration slogans scrawled across it. A physical confrontation ensues. Outnumbered, the antifascists quickly withdraw, and during their retreat two phones are dropped. These phones have blown the lid off of a shocking scandal; they show how legacy media stage-manage news stories around incendiary topics such as mass migration in order to enforce adherence to progressivism.
As the activists returned to their camp, someone saw that the phones were unlocked and began scrolling through their contents. This was recorded. Personal photographs, videos, call logs as well as text messages with right-wing political figures in Ireland indicated that at least one of the phones belonged to Paul Connolly, a “senior producer with BBC World” according to his X account and a freelance journalist for NewsTalk. The activists redacted personal images from their video, posted it on social media and it immediately goes viral. Accusations of news fakery and Antifa collusion follow.
Videos on both phones taken in a hotel room at 12:34 and 12:41 that morning show Connolly fiddling with an equipment bag as two others scrawl “Refugees Welcome” on a large Irish flag. One of the two men, whose ID is stored on the red phone, appears to be Khurram Adnan Ishtiaq (aka Khurram Sheikh), a UK-based registered director of a multimedia environmental website called Earthsmart Hub. In text messages between Ishtiaq and Connolly dated to Friday they discuss meeting up at the hotel on Saturday morning and Ishtiaq states that he “Will bring caps and hoodies.” At 13:43 both Ishtiaq and another male are seen in the back of a van on their way to Coolock, with masks pulled down and hoodies on. Then comes the violent confrontation.
But the situation grows more incriminating. Call logs from both phones show that there were four calls to Charlotte O’Sullivan, a prominent Irish Antifascist activist, in the hour before the violent altercation. Late on Friday evening she tweeted out a confrontational message in which she said, “I will be at the Garden of Remembrance just before 2pm tomorrow. If any of the far-right thugs and scumbags that have threatened me online for years want to have a word then put your money where your mouth is. Otherwise STFU and get back in your box.” A nationalist gathering had been planned at the Garden of Remembrance for 2pm on Saturday but was cancelled last minute because of bad weather. Both phones logged calls with O’Sullivan at 13.54. A message from the black phone from 12:27 shows that Connolly had planned to be at the Garden of Remembrance while making contingency to go to Coolock if any problems arose. It read, “I don’t see an issue unless things get hairy at the city centre one and they are potentially in more danger in Coolock than they were in the city centre.” When the Garden of Remembrance event was cancelled Connolly and crew went to Coolock despite knowing that it was a potentially volatile move. It is not clear whether or not Charlotte O’Sullivan and other Antifascists came with Connolly to Coolock, but it seems apparent that there was coordination between Connolly and O’Sullivan to engage nationalists one way or another that day.
As the videos went viral on Saturday and Sunday there was studied silence from Connolly and his employers. But the call logs made it impossible for NewsTalk to remain silent. In the hour before the physical altercation three calls took place between Connolly and his NewsTalk producer Aisling Moore. It would seem that this wasn’t an activist journalist gone rogue but that there was knowledge of events taking place inside of NewsTalk. After three days of silence and increasing pressure on social media, NewsTalk issued a statement. In it they acknowledged that Connolly had been part of the Coolock incident and that he had been operating in an official capacity for the company, stating: “Newstalk is currently working on a podcast series with Paul Connolly which will look at the rise of right leaning sentiment in Ireland.” The statement continued, “As part of the development of the series, Newstalk engaged in an undercover investigation, a completely legitimate journalistic method to engage in a counter protest. No attempt was made to mimic any third-party group nor was anyone other than Newstalk involved in any way.” Efforts to get NewsTalk to expand on the nature and intent of the ‘undercover investigation’ were met with “no comment”. There is no doubt that Connolly was developing a documentary series on behalf of NewsTalk. Several prominent populist and right-wing political figures confirmed that they had spoken to Connolly in March of this year as part of the programme. How the Coolock stunt was going to fit into that programme—not least because it was an audio podcast—is unclear.
NewsTalk’s statement leaves several questions unanswered. Chief among them: Was Connolly and his crew’s operation “a legitimate journalistic method”? While fraught with ethical and validity concerns, undercover journalism can be a legitimate journalistic tool when traditional methods can’t be employed. Connolly has developed a reputation for engaging in “daring undercover operations” in his previous TV shows where he’s investigated black market dealers and fraudsters, among others. While these fall into the more sensationalist reality TV genre, his current project is for a news radio station with claims of journalistic authority with a duty to aspire to fair and balanced reporting on newsworthy topics. In traditional newsrooms like NewsTalk’s, which is owned by German media powerhouse Bauer Media, undercover journalism is less sensational. If Connolly is a senior producer’ for BBC World—and that is contested—he should be familiar with the BBC’s guidelines for undercover journalism, which clearly state that “Undercover operatives are in place to gather evidence and record the story, not create the story.” And this is the crux of the issue.
It would appear that Connolly coordinated with an anti-fascist activist to agitate nationalists at the Garden of Remembrance with the intent of getting footage of a confrontation with the provoked and aggressive nationalists. O’Sullivan’s provocation the night before already brings into question the ethics and validity of that would-be sting. When that plan fell through, Connolly took the risky move of trying to get his story in Coolock. This is where the defence of using a sting as a legitimate journalistic tactic ends. When Connolly went to Coolock unprepared and with the knowledge that it could be dangerous, he went with full understanding that his presence, dressed in antifascist activist gear and holding a banner with inflammatory rhetoric, was likely to provoke a hostile response. He got one. And while it is tempting to simply dismiss the whole sordid affair as gross incompetence on Connolly’s behalf, the degree of planning and coordination uncovered on his phone will lead many to believe that he intentionally broke the cardinal rule of undercover journalism; he ‘created the story.’ It is an episode that has left many wondering how often, especially in politically charged events, the story is staged.
Are Media Outlets Reporting News… Or Causing It?
The anti-immigration riots across Ireland have also led to counter-protests welcoming refugees. On 18 February 2023, around 50,000 marchers rallied in Dublin and others in Sligo under the banner of “Ireland For All”. By David Kernan , CC BY-SA 4.0.
It’s a quiet Saturday afternoon in Coolock, a working-class suburb of Dublin’s north side. Outside of an abandoned paint warehouse, a small group of approximately 5 women and 10 men are manning a makeshift camp that’s been the scene of an ongoing vigil against the government’s decision to house up to 500 immigrants there. Since mid-March, there have been several organised demonstrations at the site that have attracted thousands of locals, but today only a few sentries keep watch. At approximately 3:20 pm, a small group of apparent antifascist activists, with masks, hoodies and caps, unfurl an Irish tricolour with pro-migration slogans scrawled across it. A physical confrontation ensues. Outnumbered, the antifascists quickly withdraw, and during their retreat two phones are dropped. These phones have blown the lid off of a shocking scandal; they show how legacy media stage-manage news stories around incendiary topics such as mass migration in order to enforce adherence to progressivism.
As the activists returned to their camp, someone saw that the phones were unlocked and began scrolling through their contents. This was recorded. Personal photographs, videos, call logs as well as text messages with right-wing political figures in Ireland indicated that at least one of the phones belonged to Paul Connolly, a “senior producer with BBC World” according to his X account and a freelance journalist for NewsTalk. The activists redacted personal images from their video, posted it on social media and it immediately goes viral. Accusations of news fakery and Antifa collusion follow.
Videos on both phones taken in a hotel room at 12:34 and 12:41 that morning show Connolly fiddling with an equipment bag as two others scrawl “Refugees Welcome” on a large Irish flag. One of the two men, whose ID is stored on the red phone, appears to be Khurram Adnan Ishtiaq (aka Khurram Sheikh), a UK-based registered director of a multimedia environmental website called Earthsmart Hub. In text messages between Ishtiaq and Connolly dated to Friday they discuss meeting up at the hotel on Saturday morning and Ishtiaq states that he “Will bring caps and hoodies.” At 13:43 both Ishtiaq and another male are seen in the back of a van on their way to Coolock, with masks pulled down and hoodies on. Then comes the violent confrontation.
But the situation grows more incriminating. Call logs from both phones show that there were four calls to Charlotte O’Sullivan, a prominent Irish Antifascist activist, in the hour before the violent altercation. Late on Friday evening she tweeted out a confrontational message in which she said, “I will be at the Garden of Remembrance just before 2pm tomorrow. If any of the far-right thugs and scumbags that have threatened me online for years want to have a word then put your money where your mouth is. Otherwise STFU and get back in your box.” A nationalist gathering had been planned at the Garden of Remembrance for 2pm on Saturday but was cancelled last minute because of bad weather. Both phones logged calls with O’Sullivan at 13.54. A message from the black phone from 12:27 shows that Connolly had planned to be at the Garden of Remembrance while making contingency to go to Coolock if any problems arose. It read, “I don’t see an issue unless things get hairy at the city centre one and they are potentially in more danger in Coolock than they were in the city centre.” When the Garden of Remembrance event was cancelled Connolly and crew went to Coolock despite knowing that it was a potentially volatile move. It is not clear whether or not Charlotte O’Sullivan and other Antifascists came with Connolly to Coolock, but it seems apparent that there was coordination between Connolly and O’Sullivan to engage nationalists one way or another that day.
As the videos went viral on Saturday and Sunday there was studied silence from Connolly and his employers. But the call logs made it impossible for NewsTalk to remain silent. In the hour before the physical altercation three calls took place between Connolly and his NewsTalk producer Aisling Moore. It would seem that this wasn’t an activist journalist gone rogue but that there was knowledge of events taking place inside of NewsTalk. After three days of silence and increasing pressure on social media, NewsTalk issued a statement. In it they acknowledged that Connolly had been part of the Coolock incident and that he had been operating in an official capacity for the company, stating: “Newstalk is currently working on a podcast series with Paul Connolly which will look at the rise of right leaning sentiment in Ireland.” The statement continued, “As part of the development of the series, Newstalk engaged in an undercover investigation, a completely legitimate journalistic method to engage in a counter protest. No attempt was made to mimic any third-party group nor was anyone other than Newstalk involved in any way.” Efforts to get NewsTalk to expand on the nature and intent of the ‘undercover investigation’ were met with “no comment”. There is no doubt that Connolly was developing a documentary series on behalf of NewsTalk. Several prominent populist and right-wing political figures confirmed that they had spoken to Connolly in March of this year as part of the programme. How the Coolock stunt was going to fit into that programme—not least because it was an audio podcast—is unclear.
NewsTalk’s statement leaves several questions unanswered. Chief among them: Was Connolly and his crew’s operation “a legitimate journalistic method”? While fraught with ethical and validity concerns, undercover journalism can be a legitimate journalistic tool when traditional methods can’t be employed. Connolly has developed a reputation for engaging in “daring undercover operations” in his previous TV shows where he’s investigated black market dealers and fraudsters, among others. While these fall into the more sensationalist reality TV genre, his current project is for a news radio station with claims of journalistic authority with a duty to aspire to fair and balanced reporting on newsworthy topics. In traditional newsrooms like NewsTalk’s, which is owned by German media powerhouse Bauer Media, undercover journalism is less sensational. If Connolly is a senior producer’ for BBC World—and that is contested—he should be familiar with the BBC’s guidelines for undercover journalism, which clearly state that “Undercover operatives are in place to gather evidence and record the story, not create the story.” And this is the crux of the issue.
It would appear that Connolly coordinated with an anti-fascist activist to agitate nationalists at the Garden of Remembrance with the intent of getting footage of a confrontation with the provoked and aggressive nationalists. O’Sullivan’s provocation the night before already brings into question the ethics and validity of that would-be sting. When that plan fell through, Connolly took the risky move of trying to get his story in Coolock. This is where the defence of using a sting as a legitimate journalistic tactic ends. When Connolly went to Coolock unprepared and with the knowledge that it could be dangerous, he went with full understanding that his presence, dressed in antifascist activist gear and holding a banner with inflammatory rhetoric, was likely to provoke a hostile response. He got one. And while it is tempting to simply dismiss the whole sordid affair as gross incompetence on Connolly’s behalf, the degree of planning and coordination uncovered on his phone will lead many to believe that he intentionally broke the cardinal rule of undercover journalism; he ‘created the story.’ It is an episode that has left many wondering how often, especially in politically charged events, the story is staged.
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