ABSTRACT
This chapter offers an insight into the affair but will serve, in part, as a case study to assess how far the media, and investigative journalism in particular, can play a positive role in reporting the unseemly and unpalatable aspects of social work. The role of the press in revealing the abuse in Kincora began with Peter McKenna's article in the Irish Independent, 24 January 1980. The Irish Times reported the connection between McGrath and Ian Paisley and other politicians in later coverage, perhaps prompting Paisley's press conference on 26 February 1982 - but initial coverage was minimal. The relationship between the press and social work in Northern Ireland as illustrated by Kincora is complex. Interestingly, the Kincora story was covered by most journalists who worked on that paper, with the possible exception of the sports journalist. The overriding concerns of journalists centred on the alleged political connections of the perpetrators, the security aspects and the cover-ups.
