Role of journalism - Opinion not always fact

THE controversy surrounding the Wikileaks claim that Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams and the North’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness knew in advance about the Northern Bank robbery in 2004 goes to the heart of a debate on the role of journalism.

At issue is a question on the difference between opinion and fact when reporting the news. The revelations of Wikileaks are certainly fascinating and in many instances probably close to the mark. Broadly speaking, it is a force for good.

But it is important to keep in mind that these leaks are invariably based on opinion.