Reuters leaves rivals for dust in Irish political coverage

Reuters was hours ahead of competitors with news of Ireland’s coalition deal and the contents of the agreement. A six-hour stake-out of talks between the leaders of the two main political parties paid off shortly after midnight on Saturday when prime minister in-waiting Enda Kenny told a Reuters correspondent that a deal had been clinched. A plethora of media outlets from BBC to Sky used our scoop and we were eight hours ahead of the Irish state broadcaster RTE. That scoop was followed up on Sunday morning when a Reuters correspondent tapped a high-level source who gave her the key elements of the deal two hours ahead of the agreement’s official publication. Crucially, the incoming government said it would stick to the fiscal targets laid out in an EU/IMF bailout. The source also told Reuters who the new finance minister would be, days ahead of an official announcement. The scoop was followed up with Padraic Halpin`s quick snapping of the actual document, around half an hour ahead of Bloomberg. Reuters story featured in a number of major media outlets including Monday’s edition of the International Herald Tribune.