Media

Which is more important? Dry, abstract legal principles or justice, which takes account of real life, and which equalises the power of ordinary people against the might of a foreign multinational?

In 1994 Craig Newmark was looking for ways to improve his social life, as I often find myself doing. As I rarely find myself doing however, Craig actually bit the bullet and did something about it? he started CCing his friends a list of cool events and happenings in the San Francisco Bay Area. His friends thought it was great, and they started CCing the list to their friends. The word spread and the list grew exponentially.

Conor Brady on the Arab news channel that's become one of the world's most influential media organisations

Oireachtas Committee hears complaints about RTÉ, funding and regulation. Hilary Curley reports

The coverage of 7/7 was awful journalism.

There is little in-depth or consistent coverage of development aid in Irish media, Conor Brady reports

Annette and Colm O'Carolan see no point in replacing their rotting kitchen ceiling, because if they did, it would only be a short time before it would have to replaced again and the bathroom floor above too. For now, it's just going to have to stay like that while Lewis, their autistic, 14-year-old son is denied the educational services he needs. Filling up the bath with water and flooding the bathroom repetitively is all that there is at home to keep him calm and occupied this past two-and-a-half years.

The news that Gama Construction is in pole position to be awarded another huge public building contract surely poses a test for all of us. The company whose name is known all over the country for all the wrong reasons is the lowest bidder for the new Castleblaney bypass, and the question is: does Gama really deserve to be given another €50 million of public money?

The outrageous and ill-considered remarks by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and justice minister Michael McDowell that al Qaida units are operating in Ireland will certainly fan the incipient flames of racism here and have already been jumped upon by the rabid right-wing press to justify lining this country up with Britain and America in its war against Iraq and for domination of the oil-rich Middle East.

You wouldn't go to the shopping mall for just one or two things. It would have to be a sizeable need, at least three or four necessary items – maybe supplies for a school-going child, a prescription to be filled, food for the hamster, a watch strap fixed, shoes mended. Not some nonsense thing such as a copy of Vanity Fair with a huge mark up, a browse through the record shop, poppy seed cake and a coffee at Kapulskys.