From soldier to writer: Tony Geraghty

By Jenny Minard

Award-winning journalist and author Tony Geraghty spoke to students about reporting conflict in the post 9/11 world when he visited the Department as a guest lecturer this week.

The best-selling author of The Irish War: The Hidden Conflict between the IRA and British Intelligence and former reporter of the Sunday Times, the Guardian and the Boston Globe, delivered a one hour lecture to journalism students.

Tony took the students through the stages of his career and how he went from soldier to writer and almost ended up with a court case on his back.

"There is a satanic magic about the sudden changes of war," he said. "How a building which was standing tall the night before vaporises during the night. How people alive yesterday are now dead."

Key change

He identified the key change in American legislation since 9/11 which conflicts freedom laws. The patriot law allows the punishment of terrorists not only in America but all over the world. This is demonstrated by the emergence of Guantanamo Bay where terrorists have been arrested in dubious circumstances.

Tony talked of how this has expanded to the UK and described the ëembarrassingí incident of October 2003, when houses were raided in Manchester following an alleged terrorist threat to Old Trafford. The life long Man United supporters were considered terrorists when shirts and ticket stubs were found at their house.

He then went on to talk about how journalism has changed - how the New York Times admitted it had not been as rigorous as they should have been in questioning the weapons of mass destruction 45-minute claim.

He talked of how in the USA, at the time of the Iraq war, radio stations would organise pro-war rallies and how in Britain, when Government gets into trouble during times of conflict, they turn on the BBC and journalists for their reporting, highlighted in the Gilligan/Dr Kelly incident.

Paradox

Tony then went on to suggest how there is a paradox that politicians want to restrict the flow of information and journalists want to free it up ñ for that they need the politician on the inside.

He said: "If I want to work and remain successful I need to be fed information from the inside. There is a distinction, I can get info on the record, info from un-attributable and informed sources ñ it is the editorís faith in the journalist that the source is a good one."

He talked of the accusation of his breach of The Official Secrets Act and how he was subjected to a dawn raid simply for his reporting tactics. He highlighted how gagging orders do exist in this country and he warned that they do work.

This was the crux of Tony's lecture. That hidden injustices exist and journalists simply cannot report them, even if they happen personally.

Pressure

He said: "The government put pressure on journalists. There are many ways of stitching you up. You can never pin down where the shit is coming from, you just see the effects."

He gave an insight into and warned of the invisible censorship in the world and how you will not find a Special Forces book which hasnít been doctored and there is no warning to tell the reader that.

Tony ended the lecture with some negativity. "Colleagues regard me with some suspicion because of my background. I know the soldiers dilemma, when to pull the trigger, If you do it too quickly its murder, if not you face being court marshalled."

The prospect of reporting conflict is a frightening concept, none so more since 9/11 and demonstrated by journalists risking their lives in Iraq. For Tony though you can see he would rather be on the inside, in that danger, rather than on the outside not knowing the truth.

After all, the first casualty of war is the truth.

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