I’ve previously noted how some local media seems to get a free pass from the PSNI over their sources/stories while others are dealt with more proactively and recently we’ve seen the press collectively oppose attempts to turn them into an evidence gathering arm of the state.
The ongoing legal case to access the Boston College oral history archive may indicate elements of the media already acting in that evidence gathering capacity (hopefully unwittingly).
It is impossible to know which arm of the British State initiated the request to access the Boston archive and on exactly what basis that demand was made; that information is hidden by the US Attorney General at the request of the British. However, we can surmise some aspects from the published record of Exhibits and the two leading submissions in particular:
Exhibit 1: article by Ciaran Barnes from the Sunday Life
Exhibit 2: article by Allison Morris from the Irish News
Both articles claim to have some basis in direct interviews with Dolours Price or hearing tapes involving her. Given the use of these articles to expedite the subpeona, it is surprising these publications and journalists have not been more proactive in examining this issue, their role in its advancement and just how valuable their articles are as a possible central plank for legal action.
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