Editorial: ​All island media fund is subtle propaganda

​As if there was not enough agitation for an all Ireland, the Irish government is pushing it via the media.

​Their Shared Island Media Fund sounds harmless, aimed at harnessing “the full potential of the Good Friday Agreement to enhance cooperation, connection and mutual understanding on the island”. The fund will achieve its aims through We will do this by “championing initiatives that strengthen networks … and bring people together to spark creativity ... from training and sustainability, to equality, gender, diversity and inclusion”.

Set aside the jargon such as ‘strengthening networks,’ the liberal political slant of the plan is shown by the last reference to DEI. High-minded Irish governments are slow to acknowledge concerns across Europe that in fact there has been disastrous “diversity” away from European dominant cultures, caused by barely controlled mass immigration from people of radically different cultures.

The liberalism is a trifling matter, however, compared to the Irish nationalist motive behind the fund. Micheal Martin is an admirable Taoiseach who launched the wider shared-island fund to undercut an ever-activist Sinn Fein. He faces a republican wave in his own party.

There is a challenge here for the Conservatives and Reform UK. While even Labour in government tries to emphasise the positive impact of vast Treasury funding into NI, they simply will not stand up to Dublin. They didn’t ask it for money in a recent defence deal (UK protecting Ireland). They won’t even criticise Ireland for hypocritically suing it on legacy.

The News Letter has stood out against a campaign of attrition against the UK, and thus the sensible two-state solution for this island. BBC NI is becoming expert in all-island news priorities and cross-border productions. Now Dublin is tempting the media with money for more subtle propaganda.