Since its 2010 debut, The Journal.ie—owned by the advertising moguls the Fallon Brother—has blurred the lines successfully between tabloid and broadsheet journalism in Ireland. While not as cash-strapped as its clickbait-heavy rival Joe.ie, The Journal has faced criticism within our Fleet Street circles for lacking the resources to establish itself as a fully-fledged national newspaper.
To address this, The Journal has pursued a novel strategy since 2016: securing EU Commission grants worth hundreds of thousands of euros and partnering with Dublin-based Silicon Valley tech firms to position itself as a “trusted flagger.”
The digital platform has engaged in partnerships with tech giants; for instance, in 2018, Journal Media received €380,000 from the Google News Initiative to create a platform for funding in-depth public interest journalism.
A cornerstone of this pivot has been its involvement in Facebook’s Third-Party Fact-Checking Program since 2018, allowing the outlet to review content on the platform.
Those with memories going back to 2021 may remember Gript exposing the sloppy standards of partiality within the Journal
This role emerged during Big Tech’s broader crackdown on misinformation following Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory. Although the financial details of Facebook’s payments to fact-checkers like The Journal remain opaque, the arrangement has proven lucrative, similar to state funding for COVID-19-related media campaigns.
Meta’s recent decision to phase out fact-checkers in its U.S. operations—and likely soon in Dublin—is causing alarm at The Journal. Managing Editor Susan Daly responded defensively, emphasizing her organization’s commitment to transparency and impartiality while downplaying the fact-checkers’ influence.
This impending move could spell trouble for The Journal and other Irish outlets dependent on corporate America’s largesse. It also underscores the fragility of Ireland’s media ecosystem, which has leaned heavily on Silicon Valley’s funding and DEI-focused initiatives as it sequesters more and more de facto funding from state coffers.
Notably, The Journal has been criticized for aligning with government and civil society interests, including its perceived role in influencing Ireland’s 2018 abortion referendum and suppressing dissent on migration issues. As the transatlantic relationship shifts, Irish media faces an uncertain future, grappling with its overreliance on Big Tech funding and its political entanglements.
America’s tech bro revolt to the right looks set to continue to alter Ireland’s media landscape.
Share this: