Minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has slammed a qualified apology for a piece published yesterday on the tragedy in Berkeley, California in which six people lost their lives:
.@nytimes Your attempt at an apology for your offensive #Berkeley article is pathetic. It's clearly futile appealing to your better nature.
— Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD (@AodhanORiordain) June 17, 2015
The article had linked the deaths to a perceived reputation for drinking and partying among Irish J1 students.
Below is the New York Times statement in full:
"That piece was a second day story following yesterday's news story of the collapse.. It was intended to explain in greater detail why these young Irish students were in the U.S.,"
We understand and agree that some of the language in the piece could be interpreted as insensitive, particularly in such close proximity to this tragedy,"
"It was never our intention to blame the victims and we apologise if the piece left that impression. We will continue to cover this story and report on the young people who lost their lives."
The newspaper's public editor has published a response to criticisms, which includes text from an email written by one of the article's writers. Adam Nagourney said he put "too much emphasis on the negative aspects" of the J1 programme:
"I absolutely was not looking to in any way appear to be blaming the victims, or causing pain in this awful time for their families and friends. I feel very distressed at having added to their anguish."
Ó Riordain earlier condemned the paper, which claims the J1 visa programme has become "a source of embarrassment for Ireland".
The Equality Minister labelled the report on the tragedy as "a disgrace".
The article states, "they come by the thousands — Irish students on work visas, many flocking to the West Coast to work in summer jobs by day and to enjoy the often raucous life in a college town at night. It was, for many, a rite of passage, one last summer to enjoy travel abroad before beginning a career.
"But the work-visa program that allowed for the exchanges has in recent years become not just a source of aspiration, but also a source of embarrassment for Ireland, marked by a series of high-profile episodes involving drunken partying and the wrecking of apartments in places like San Francisco and Santa Barbara," the article adds.
The report notes how the birthday party in Berkeley, which was taking place when the balcony collapsed, had been loud and kept neighbours awake.
Aodhan Ó Ríordáin says the report is "a disgrace" and wants the newspaper to apologise:
.@nytimes Your newspaper's reporting of the #Berkeley tragedy is a disgrace.
— Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD (@AodhanORiordain) June 17, 2015
Leo Varadkar says while he has not read the article, he does not agree with it:
The US Ambassador to Ireland Kevin O'Malley has defended the J1 Visa programme, saying it has always enjoyed huge support on both sides:
Harry Browne is a lecturer in the School of Media, Dublin Institute of Technology. He spoke to Newstalk Lunchtime about the article and the response to it.
He agreed that it was unfortunate given it was the paper's main story on the incident, but added "a lot of the people who are involved in the outrage over the New York Times story are some of the same people who were happy to turn the trashing of an apartment by J1 students last year into a big talking point."
Families of the victims of yesterday's tragic balcony collapse in Berkeley, California have begun arriving in the US. Six people - including five Irish students - died following the collapse, and seven others were injured.
