Sir, – A tenet of decent journalism should be that a headline must not deliberately mislead. The headline “Consultants to be offered 24% pay rise” sadly falls well short of that ideal.
Sensationalist headlines with total disregard for the truth were once the preserve of the tabloid red tops. Now, in an attempt to sell copy, this paper has resorted to a tactic which is grossly unfair to the new Minister and hospital consultants. The editor is aware that the pay rise mentioned in the article refers to the reversal of a pay cut imposed on newly appointed consultants made in an effort to halt the fall in applications for new posts. The editor is also well aware that existing consultants have undergone a pay reduction of over 30 per cent since 2008.
Bashing hospital consultants has for some time now represented the low-lying fruit of lazy journalism, but this headline marks a new low in broadsheet headline-grabbing. Your, etc,
PATRICK DILLON,
North Circular Road,
Limerick