The public relations practice of planting news stories favourable to one's client was explained to the Lynch Government 30 years ago by the Geneva-based Markpress agency.
The agency promoted the breakaway state of Biafra in the Nigerian civil war and the decision to engage its services to advance Ireland's image abroad during the early 1970s became a matter of considerable political controversy.
A public relations strategy prepared for the Government by Markpress has been made available in the National Archives. Under the heading, "Informal Coverage", Markpress pointed out that "penetration of public opinion can be achieved by encouraging interested people to write letters to letters column
editors". The document continued:
"There is also what is referred to as 'planted' stories. 'Planted' stories are those which have been fully prepared, documented and which are then made available to a reliable journalist, who is given carte blanche to place it with his own publication or, as in the case of news agencies, with his network.
"In these instances Markpress is not identified with the news feature in any way; it becomes the property of the journalist. He, of course, has full liberty to rephrase it and present it in his own style. It should be made clear, however, that feature story material not based on absolute truth and not properly documented will not be of any interest to any worthwhile member of the press.
"The exercise gains its value simply from the fact that you are assisting in an intelligent way an overworked member of the press in doing his job."
Under the heading, "The New Ireland - its Image", Markpress undertook to give special focus in its PR effort to "Ireland's new generation of super executives and the modern, efficient management methods they employ".
This would "assist in outmoding the image of Irishmen so frequently portrayed on the stage as comical, shiftless, sometimes hard-drinking but lovable characters".
Public relations was about projecting ideas or an image to an outside audience but clients were inclined to look inward rather than outward and this was "an above average problem" in Ireland. "An analysis of Irish media, newspapers, periodicals, radio and television, shows a comparatively heavy degree of self-absorption. It is perhaps the cause of so much inner tension which often seeks its outlet in violence."
Every country had a history of oppression and injustice in one form or another: "Ireland, however, to an outsider gives the impression of being a prisoner of its past to an excessive degree. It is Ireland's very promising future which should be given all this thought and energy."
It was also necessary to draw a distinction between the North and the South when it came to religious bigotry. "Foreigners, with few exceptions, are inclined to believe that the Southern Protestants are as unfairly discriminated against in the South as the Catholics are in the North."
It should be pointed out that "in fact, it is just the reverse and that the Protestant minority in the South per capita are the most favoured portion of the Republic's population. Markpress will accumulate facts such as the following to support this:
"The Deputy Prime Minister is a Protestant.
"The Leader of the Senate, Senator Michael Yeats, is a Protestant.
"The two Cathedrals in Dublin, St Patrick's and Christ Church, are Protestant.
"The Chairman of the Board of the Abbey Theatre (this is a Government appointment) is a Protestant."