Kevin Myers
Kevin Myers (born 30 March 1947) is an Irish journalist and writer. He writes for the Irish Independent and is a former contributor to The Irish Times, where he wrote the "An Irishman's Diary" opinion column several times weekly. Until 2005, Myers wrote for the Sunday Telegraph in the UK.
Early life
Myers was born to an Irish emigrant family in Leicester, England.[1]
Myers graduated from University College Dublin in 1969, and, 'in common with many of his generation, held mildly "Leftist" and Republican views until exposure to the badness of Belfast began a change of heart. This memoir deals with his experience of getting the naivety knocked out of him, in horrendous circumstances.'[1]
Views and contriversies
Aid to Africa
In July 2008, Myers wrote an article arguing that providing aid to Africa only results in increasing its population, and its problems.[2] This produced strong reactions, with the Immigrant Council of Ireland making an official complaint to the Garda Síochána alleging incitement to hatred.[3]
Hans Zomer of Dóchas, an association of NGOs, and another complainant, took a complaint to the Press Council on the grounds that it breached four principles of the Council's Code of Practice: 1) Accuracy, 3) Fairness and Honesty, 4) Respect for Rights, and 8) Incitement to Hatred.[4][5] In their case details the Press Council said
- beginning with the headline “Africa is giving nothing to anyone – apart from AIDS”, the mode of presentation was marked by rhetorical extravagance and hyperbole which used the failings of some to stigmatise whole societies, employing a level of generalisation that was distorting and seriously insulting to Africans as a whole and that -
- In addition the article resorted, in several instances, to language that was gratuitously offensive and was, in the view of the Press Council, likely to cause grave offence to people throughout sub-Saharan Africa and to the many Africans in particular who are now resident in Ireland.
They concluded that the article did breach Principle 8 of the Code of Practice in that it was likely to cause grave offence. It did not, however, find reason to conclude that it was likely to stir-up hatred or that there was any intention to do so.
They also concluded that the Council did not have clear grounds on which to make any findings in relation to the complaints under Principles 1, 3 & 4 of the Code.|Press Council of Ireland Complainants and the Irish Independent[5]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Craig, Patricia. "Watching the Door, by Kevin Myers". Irish Independent, 7 March 2008. Retrieved on 3 August 2010.
- ↑ Myers, Kevin. Africa is giving nothing to anyone except AIDS. Irish Independent, 10 July 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
- ↑ Immigrant body lodges Garda complaint over Myers article. Irish Times, 16 July 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
- ↑ Press Council upholds complaint against Myers article, Irish Times, October 18, 2008
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Complainants and the Irish Independent, The Irish Press Council, 10 October 2008
