So who runs Belfast Daily?

Yesterday a news website, Belfast Daily, carried a headline report that 'The PSNI has drafted in 200 Garda oficers to bolster riot squad numbers in Northern Ireland.'  The report went on to claim that 'the deployment of Irish police specially trained in public order duties followed telephone discussions between PSNIChief Constable Matt Baggott and Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan in recent weeks.'  According to the article the information came from a 'senior security source'.

The report described the Garda officers as 'highly trained' and claimed they had been hired in because the PSNI was stretched to the limit.

 

The internet news report was then picked up and circulated widely through social media, drawing a wide range of comments.  All sorts of accusations and blame followed and fingers were pointed at various politicians as having approved the involvement of Garda officers.

 

Then later in the day the PSNI denied it and while the story is still on the Belfast Daily website it has not been reported by any of our mainstream media. 

 

Clearly it is untrue but in an already volatile situation it was utterly irresponsible for the Belfast Daily website to publish such a headline story, which is untrue.  And that raises a number of questions about the Belfast Daily.

 

They operate from an e-mail address and that is how they can be contacted but there is no office address and no name of an editor or reporter.  So who runs the Belfast Daily website?

 

Some of the reports they carry are factual and that makes their website appear credible but there can be little credibility with a website that publishes articles that are clearly untrue.  So did the Belfast Daily attempt to check out or corroborate their 'senior security source' by asking the PSNI before publishing?

 

Perhaps the person or persons behind Belfast Daily will provide some answers ... or maybe not.