LTL – Thomas Byrne

1. LTL – Thomas Byrne Jason Quinn & Ryan Kilbane

2. Difference between Tabloid and Broad sheet news papers • Broad sheets use a more formal language that appeals to a more educated viewer.  Tabloids use more pictures and exaggerate the language used to make the stories more fun. • Broad sheets are straight to the point whilst Tabloids can talk around points trying to build up or exaggerate a story more. • Broad sheets tend to focus more on Politics and Foreign affairs, whilst Tabloids talk about Celebrities and entertainment • Despite differences, can share some controversial stories, such as our example of Thomas Byrne

3. Overview • Thomas Byrne aged 47, profession: Solicitor • Stole 51.8million euros through forging his clients documents. This way he secured their homes in order for him to use them as security for property loans and mortgages • 13 victims in all, many of which considered themselves friends • Didn’t directly steal money from his victims. Instead took their houses and used them as collateral to get loans out of the bank. However by the time the victims got their properties back, the property market had crashed and therefore the value of there homes had depreciated • Did use properties to take out multi million euro loans

4. Daily star • Not on the front page – similar story with better headline (john gilligans wife) • Emotional link- one victim died from cancer and was a Thomas byrnes former piano teacher – betrayed, trust was broken. • Attempt to form emotional bond with Thomas byrne – is called “father of three” quote from one of his victims “hes going to be an old man coming out I feel sorry for his family because I know he has a wife and kids • Article concentrates more on what he did wrong morally than legally • Trying to emotionally blackmail reader at every point – contradiction • Piece about his fall from grace when he rubbed shoulders with then justice Minster micheal mcdowell to his new prison routine

5. Daily mail • Starts off very strongly, use of words such as colossal, cunning and staggering to try and gets the readers attention. • Touches on how this was possible only because of the light touch regulation of banks at the time • Aswell as the inflated property prices • Said that “byrne had not lived an extravagant life” – in contrast to daily star • States how his assistant Barbara cooney reported him when she found out, and byrnes claims of how property developer john Kelly was “running him like a puppet” – information that wasn’t in the daily star • Some parts similar- emotional link with cancer victim • Almost sympathetic quotes from victim- “I would say I don’t feel happy to see anyone taken from their family or being sent to prison”

6. The Irish Times • Straight to the point, tells us exactly what he done and gives direct statements from victims. • The story received front page coverage and a huge spread on page 4 going into much detail of what had happened.  Half of it is concerned with the Law Society and how Thomas Byrnes actions have been detrimental for it. • Compared to the tabloids, goes in depth to what the Law Society could have done to prevent it. • Goes into more detail as to how he went about scamming his victims, such as mentioning how much some of the properties cost and the amount he took out in mortgaging • Takes the words straight from the victims, the only emotional bond made to the reader is through what the victims have to say as opposed to what the paper writes, this is in contrast to the tabloids. • Talks more formally of the damage he has done to the law society and the practice.