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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Berkeley Irish student deaths: minister hits out at New York Times coverage | Berkeley Irish student deaths: minister hits out at New York Times coverage |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| An Irish government minister has denounced a New York Times article detailing the “drunken partying” lifestyles of Irish students in California as disgraceful, coming so soon after the death of six young people in a balcony collapse in Berkeley. | An Irish government minister has denounced a New York Times article detailing the “drunken partying” lifestyles of Irish students in California as disgraceful, coming so soon after the death of six young people in a balcony collapse in Berkeley. |
| The feature, written by three NYT journalists, makes reference to the thousands of Irish students who travel with special J-1 visas allowing them to work in the United States every summer. | The feature, written by three NYT journalists, makes reference to the thousands of Irish students who travel with special J-1 visas allowing them to work in the United States every summer. |
| Related: Students killed in Berkeley balcony collapse mourned in Ireland | Related: Students killed in Berkeley balcony collapse mourned in Ireland |
| The article says these students are “not just a source of aspiration, but also a source of embarrassment for Ireland, marked by a series of high-profile episodes involving drunken partying and the wrecking of apartments in places like San Francisco and Santa Barbara”. | The article says these students are “not just a source of aspiration, but also a source of embarrassment for Ireland, marked by a series of high-profile episodes involving drunken partying and the wrecking of apartments in places like San Francisco and Santa Barbara”. |
| The article quotes a 2014 column by Cahir O’Doherty, the arts and culture editor of the Irish Voice, expressing distress at “the callous destruction unleashed by these loaded Irish students” at a rental house in San Francisco”. | The article quotes a 2014 column by Cahir O’Doherty, the arts and culture editor of the Irish Voice, expressing distress at “the callous destruction unleashed by these loaded Irish students” at a rental house in San Francisco”. |
| “They ripped chandeliers from the ceilings, they broke doors and they smashed windows; they even punched holes in the walls,” he wrote. “Then they abandoned the place without a heads-up or a word of apology.” | “They ripped chandeliers from the ceilings, they broke doors and they smashed windows; they even punched holes in the walls,” he wrote. “Then they abandoned the place without a heads-up or a word of apology.” |
| Five Irish students and one student with dual Irish-American citizenship, all aged 21 or 22, were killed when the apartment balcony they were gathered on during a 21st birthday celebration collapsed. Seven others were injured. | Five Irish students and one student with dual Irish-American citizenship, all aged 21 or 22, were killed when the apartment balcony they were gathered on during a 21st birthday celebration collapsed. Seven others were injured. |
| More than 150,000 Irish students have used the programme for J-1 visas to work in the US over the last 50 years, including 8,000 who crossed the Atlantic last summer. | More than 150,000 Irish students have used the programme for J-1 visas to work in the US over the last 50 years, including 8,000 who crossed the Atlantic last summer. |
| Ireland’s junior minister for new communities, culture and equality, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, condemned the NYT article’s references to wild Irish student behaviour in the context of the death toll in Berkeley. | Ireland’s junior minister for new communities, culture and equality, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, condemned the NYT article’s references to wild Irish student behaviour in the context of the death toll in Berkeley. |
| .@nytimes Your newspaper's reporting of the #Berkeley tragedy is a disgrace. | .@nytimes Your newspaper's reporting of the #Berkeley tragedy is a disgrace. |
| The Labour TD tweeted a message to the New York Times on Wednesday telling the paper: “Your newspaper’s reporting of the Berkeley tragedy is a disgrace”. | The Labour TD tweeted a message to the New York Times on Wednesday telling the paper: “Your newspaper’s reporting of the Berkeley tragedy is a disgrace”. |
| He later added to his criticism of the New York Times, calling the paper’s coverage of the tragedy crass and insensitive. | He later added to his criticism of the New York Times, calling the paper’s coverage of the tragedy crass and insensitive. |
| Irish citizens have also taken to social networks to denounce the article’s publication so soon after the accident, with many describing it on Twitter as a “shameful article”. | Irish citizens have also taken to social networks to denounce the article’s publication so soon after the accident, with many describing it on Twitter as a “shameful article”. |
| @sineadspain @nytimes wow. Because some students have parties? Both judgemental & incorrect. And an insult to those who innocently died. | @sineadspain @nytimes wow. Because some students have parties? Both judgemental & incorrect. And an insult to those who innocently died. |
| Ireland’s equality minister challenged the New York Times on Wednesday to take down an article about the drunken antics of Irish students in California and apologise for using it in its coverage of the Berkeley balcony tragedy. Aodhan O’Riordhan said the paper had focussed on a “national stereotype” of wild hard-drinking Irish young people in the feature. | |
| The Dublin Labour TD told The Guardian: “If that had been victims from any other nation would they have written an article like that? To do so in your early coverage of this tragedy is well, quite frankly disgusting. | |
| “In the past I have gone to America like other Irish students to work hard and when work is over to enjoy myself. This tragedy could have happened to anyone from any country so I cannot understand why a paper of such repute would publish something like this. They should remove it and apologise.” | “In the past I have gone to America like other Irish students to work hard and when work is over to enjoy myself. This tragedy could have happened to anyone from any country so I cannot understand why a paper of such repute would publish something like this. They should remove it and apologise.” |
| New York Times spokesperson Eileen Murphy said in an email that the article was “intended to explain in greater detail why these young Irish students were in the US”. | |
| “We understand and agree that some of the language in the piece could be interpreted as insensitive, particularly in such close proximity to this tragedy,” Murphy said. “It was never our intention to blame the victims and we apologize if the piece left that impression. We will continue to cover this story and report on the young people who lost their lives.” | |
| The New York Times public editor, Margaret Sullivan, acknowledged the furore over the article on Twitter. She said that she “may post on it” in her column, where she responds to reader comments about the newspaper’s coverage as a person outside of its reporting and editing structure. | The New York Times public editor, Margaret Sullivan, acknowledged the furore over the article on Twitter. She said that she “may post on it” in her column, where she responds to reader comments about the newspaper’s coverage as a person outside of its reporting and editing structure. |
| @EoinBearla I'm aware of the reaction and may post on it. But if you are looking for comment for a story, that's @NYTeileen | @EoinBearla I'm aware of the reaction and may post on it. But if you are looking for comment for a story, that's @NYTeileen |
| Later on Wednesday morning, Sullivan added to her earlier comment. “Sincere sympathy to all affected by Berkeley tragedy,” Sullivan wrote on Twitter. “Please know that I am aware of reaction and will look into it today.” | Later on Wednesday morning, Sullivan added to her earlier comment. “Sincere sympathy to all affected by Berkeley tragedy,” Sullivan wrote on Twitter. “Please know that I am aware of reaction and will look into it today.” |
| Meanwhile, the Irish Daily Star also came under fire over its coverage of the accident. The paper ran photos of the victims superimposed on an image of body bags being taken from the scene of incident in Berkeley. | Meanwhile, the Irish Daily Star also came under fire over its coverage of the accident. The paper ran photos of the victims superimposed on an image of body bags being taken from the scene of incident in Berkeley. |
| One shop in Galway city removed all copies of the tabloid from its shelves. Paul O’Brien, the shop’s owner, said: “I felt it was in very poor taste so I took the copies of the paper down from the shelves when I became aware of the front page. | One shop in Galway city removed all copies of the tabloid from its shelves. Paul O’Brien, the shop’s owner, said: “I felt it was in very poor taste so I took the copies of the paper down from the shelves when I became aware of the front page. |
| “We won’t stop selling the Star in the future or anything but for today, it won’t be for sale in this shop.” | “We won’t stop selling the Star in the future or anything but for today, it won’t be for sale in this shop.” |