No hidden agenda to bolster property market, says former Irish Independent editor
A former editor of the Irish Independent said today that 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, accusing them of being driven by commercial interests.
The inquiry also heard from Irish Examiner CEO Tom Murphy, and editor Tim Vaughan
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Today, former editor of the Independent, Gerry O'Regan, told the committee that the need to maintain their readers' trust meant the newspaper did not inflate the property market.
"They can decide to stop buying the paper, if they believe certain editorial standards are not being met," he said.
"For all media, including newspapers, 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 try and artificially bolster the property market for the period under review."
