Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am calling for a debate on the latest report from the cryptic sounding Institute for Strategic Dialogue, entitled Uisce Faoi Thalamh: An Investigation into the Online Mis- and Disinformation Ecosystem in Ireland. While the parent institute was wholly unknown prior to the publishing of this report, the report enjoyed widespread media coverage over recent days in The Irish Times, Journal.ieand RTÉ, as well as featuring prominently on morning radio shows and in news reports. Little scrutiny was done by the media to authenticate the findings within the report.

Of course this report would receive widespread coverage as it issues dire warnings regarding the claimed increasing prevalence of the media's favourite bogeyman, against whom only it can stand in defence of Ireland and Irish democracy, that is, the ever-present shadowy and insidious far right. The report claims the influence of the far right is growing through its duel weapons of misinformation and disinformation, because truth is solely the remit of the left, and this was loudly and uncritically echoed by all major media outlets. This so-called news suits them just fine as the establishment media has long since been singing the hymn that it alone is the vanguard of truth and honesty and the sole purveyor of trustworthy news content, and that the apparatus of the State must defend it from attack and gift it millions of euro in taxpayers' money to defend the poor witless Irish public against ideas which may upset the status quo.

The report itself, of course, is not worth the paper it is written on. There is no discerned methodology beyond the trawling of social media accounts for keywords and a pervasive equating of misinformation with things the report happens to disagree with. This is the prevailing sentiment of the Government of the day. It is right; you are wrong. The Government's view and opinion is correct and anyone who tries to state otherwise is misinforming. It is important to discuss this report, considering the new national counter-disinformation task force may use this report for guidance. A word to the wise: it is not a charade that will last much longer. I hope the Government is ready for the collapse of this particular house of cards, where it is one rule for the mainstream media and the Government of the day and another one for everybody else.