First rule of journalism was failed

THERE is some irony in the fact the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland has published its report into RTÉ’s Mission to Prey fiasco the very week the BBC is being applauded for its exposé into Cardinal Seán Brady’s handling of sex abuse allegations.

Good journalism means following the story, checking the facts, backing those facts up with documents, checking one more time, and affording those affected the opportunity to respond in a fair and balanced manner. These are the basic tenets of reporting.

The BBC followed those principles to the letter in their This World programme. However, RTÉ’s Mission to Prey fell well short of that standard. The Prime Time Investigates programme, aired in May last year, accused Galway-based priest and former missionary Fr Kevin Reynolds of non-consensual sex with a Kenyan woman and of fathering her child in the 1980s.