Inside View from Ireland: Inside Sunday Independent

TODAY'S SUNDAY INDEPENDENT includes continuing coverage of Melanie Schregardus, the Air Traffic Controller who received salacious coverage by a tabloid paper last week. [1] In fact, I bought the Sindo because I heard the story would feature inside. I've purchased fewer than 12 copies of the Sunday Independent since moving to Ireland in 1994 because I could never trust its headlines. I may buy a few more because I thought the paper's coverage of main topics made worthwhile reading. Impacts of the current recession dominate a lot of talk in Ireland today. The Independent's journalists explored ghost estates [2] [3], the need for water charges [4], cash-starved universities [5], and a full page review of a much-reviled Finance Minister [6] more than 20 years from his time in office. I cover all these topics in a 10-minute Qik clip, along with a book recommendation [7] and my explanation of why it costs so much to launch a government website. [8]

Sunday Independent

1. Jerome Reilly -- "Celebs back air traffic woman in Mail battle" in the News section of the Sunday Independent, 31 Jan 10.

2. Hilary White -- "The quiet and lonely life of a ghost estate" in the Analysis section of the Sunday Independent, 31 Jan 10.

3. Marc Coleman -- "Ghost estates must be resuscitated" in the Comment section of the Sunday Independent, 31 Jan 10.

4. Colum Kenny -- "Water charges will pay for the neglect of contractors" in the Irish Life section of the Sunday Independent, 31 Jan 10.

5. Daniel McConnell -- "Cash-starved universities in crisis" in the Analysis section of the Sunday Independent, 31 Jan 10.

6. Aengus Fanning -- "The man who first persuaded us to accept that the answer was No" in the Analysis section of the Sunday Independent, 31 Jan 10.

7. Julia Moloney -- "Writing all the wrongs" in the Review section of the Sunday Independent, 31 Jan 10.

On My Wishlist:

John Irving -- Last Night in Twisted River ISBN 978-1400063840

Nicholas Carr -- The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains ISBN 978-0393072228

8. Sarah McInerney -- "€1.6m website at LavishSpending.gov.ie" in the Sunday Independent, 31 Jan 10.

Last week: "Sunday News through my cameraphone on Inside View, 24 Jan 10.

Direct Link to MP3: http://podcasting.ie/qik/100131_sindo.mp3