Sir, – I am an observer of Denis O’Brien’s extraordinary career over the past 25 years.
Denis O'Brien has not taken over Independent News and Media, as Jim Harkin states (August 23rd). He is simply a large shareholder with all the editorial influence of any minor shareholder, which is very little, as anyone in the newsroom can verify.
Mr Harkin informs us that Mr O’Brien is trying to “muzzle the freedom of the press” without giving us one single example of this supposed media fabrication and the reason is simple, there is none. In fact Mr O’Brien is for many years a staunch advocate and supporter of Front Line, an organisation that defends journalists and human rights defenders in more than 100 countries. – Yours, etc,
JOHN J MAY,
Tymon Lawn,
Old Bawn,
Tallaght,
Dublin 24.