Paul KeenanCorrespondent’s tweet described as ‘provocative’
Concerns have been raised about the impartiality of The Irish Times’ education reporting following a comment critical of Catholic fee-paying schools by the paper’s education correspondent.
In the wake of news on May 16 that St Patrick’s Cathedral Grammar School in Dublin is to scrap fees, Times journalist Joe Humphreys tweeted: “Latest private school to scrap fees… needless to say it’s not a Catholic, rugby playing, haven of privilege.”
The comment has now been criticised by the headmaster of Glenstal Abbey School, Br Martin Browne OSB as “a very sloppy stereotype” of Catholic fee-paying schools.
Pointing out that other schools which have moved to scrap fees, while Protestant, are also rugby playing, Br Martin told The Irish Catholic that fact places a greater emphasis on Humphreys’ use of the word ‘Catholic’ in the tweet. He added that “despite a tag that views communicated are Mr Humphreys’ own, it is very hard to see how he could be objective in covering fee-paying schools”.
“It was a provocative comment verging on the offensive,” Br Martin said, adding that despite communication with both the editor of The Irish Times and Joe Humphreys, the offending tweet remained online this week