Recent reports reveal ongoing police surveillance of journalists in Northern Ireland, raising serious questions about press freedom and privacy rights.
Belfast: So, there’s this story about how the Police Service of Northern Ireland has been keeping an eye on journalists for years. It’s pretty wild, and honestly, it feels like something out of a spy movie. I mean, back in the 90s, I was working on a radio show for BBC Radio 4, and we had this interview lined up with a skydiver from Northern Ireland. The guy didn’t want us at his home, so we booked a hotel instead.
After the interview, we were just chilling in the hotel bar, having a drink, when these two big guys started chatting us up. At first, it seemed friendly, but then they got really curious about what we were doing there. It turned out they were police officers, probably sent to check on us. I guess they figured out we weren’t up to anything shady, but it felt a bit invasive, you know? Just goes to show how far they’ll go to keep tabs on people.