Tabloid Nation

I see today that one Ms Kushnir has settled her libel case with three of Ireland's leading tabloid newspapers. Back in October 2005, Ms Kushnir was travelling in the same car as disgraced politician, Liam Lawlor. The car was involved in a collision and Lawlor was killed instantly. Kushnir survived. She was in the car because Lawlor, of course, was not au fait with the Russian language. Clearly he used to skip those classes back in his schooldays. Yes, she was a translator.

However, this was not sensational enough for the mass media, who were determined to further destroy Lawlor's less than sterling reputation. In an effort to sell some newspapers, The Irish Sunday Mirror, the Sunday Tribune and the Irish Independent all claimed that Ms Kushnir was a teenage prostitute. Of course she was. Afterall, Lawlor was a crook. He had refused on several occasions to co-operate with the government's anti-corruption tribunal, so he must be involved in some kind of child sex ring. That's it, he was on a sex holiday in the Ukraine.

"We've got it Willy, yer wan was a prozzie, pity there wasn't a young fella in the car too!"

Whatever about the other two, but the Irish Independent makes me sick. Almost as much as Sky News.