Former Editor Says There Was 'no Hidden Agenda' Over Property Boom Coverage

Former editor says there was 'no hidden agenda' over property boom coverage

A former editor of the Irish Independent says there was no hidden agenda in the paper to artificially bolster the property market in the early 2000s. Journalists are appearing before the Oireachtas Banking Inquiry this morning to discuss the role of the media during the property boom. Yesterday the inquiry heard from some academics who were critical of the media, saying they were driven by commercial interests. Former editor of the Independent, Gerry O'Regan, told the committee that the need to maintain their readers' trust meant theNewspaper did not inflate the property market. "They can decide to stop buying the paper if they believe that certain editorial standards are not being met" he said. "For all media, includingNewspapers, the consumer is the ultimate judge and jury". "For this and other reasons - which I hope will emerge in the discussion to follow - there was no hidden agenda in the Irish Independent to artificially bolster the property market for the period under review" he added.