Gráinne Brinkley

If you’re a fan on being bloody furious, Labour MP Karl Turner, on #Radio4Today at 7.10, is worth a bloody listen.

The most powerful tool a journalist can wield is asking politicians basic follow up questions. The fact that it’s seldom done just tells you a lot about the state of the media.

I graduated from uni in 2002 and only paid off my plan 1 student loan FOUR MONTHS AGO. I cannot fathom how long it will take students on plan 2 to ever pay it off.

Now: Bruce Springsteen sings “Streets of Minneapolis” in Minneapolis

Always good to see NI regional dailies expand reporting teams outside of Belfast. News worthy of regional coverage happens beyond the Applegreen motorway filling stations…

Journalists!
Your job is not to report what the authorities say - it's to examine what they say, try to verify it, and report the results of that process.
Ergo, your lede is: Overwhelming video evidence shows federal authorities lied in the aftermath of the killing of a man in #Minneapolis.

The New National Health Service Your new National Health Service begins on 5th July. What is it? How do you get it? “It will provide you with all medical, dental and nursing care. Everyone-rich or poor, man, woman or child – can use it or any part of it. There are no charges, except for a few special items. There are no insurance qualifications. But it is not a “charity”. You are all paying for it, mainly as taxpayers, and it will relieve your money worries in time of illness.”

One of the most beautiful documents ever created: the leaflet that everyone received when Britain's NHS was launched (1948)

"Everyone—rich or poor, man, woman or child—can use it... There are no charges, except for a few special items...it will relieve your money worries in time of illness”

You have to hand it to her, she absolutely deserved it.

He's going to end up giving the order to invade Graceland isn't he

I’ve updated this #StarterPack as more people join #BlueSky.

This one has Northern Ireland politicians, journalists & political commentators.

Send through any recommendations or anyone you spot that I should include.

go.bsky.app/SGhfVQV

This is a delicious read on the scourge of bothsidesism in legacy media.

Screenshot of a hilarious Daily Mail meltdown over the election of new Irish President Catherine Connolly.

I see the Daily Mail has taken the news well.
#irishpresident #catherineconnoñly

One of the most insightful commentators on the NHS today is @samfr.bsky.social - here writing from his perspective as a patient. Essential reading for anyone interested in what has gone wrong (and he writes on lots of other important things too).

I think Paul Hollywood gave him the show’s first and last ‘special commendation’ award. But yeah, should’ve won star baker.

Gaza’s journalists are talented, professional and dignified. That’s why Israel targets them | Nesrine Malik Recent killings have dazed the world and provoked condemnation. But little is said about the calibre of Palestinian journalism, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik

“What strikes me when I speak with journalists in and from Gaza is how evangelical and heartbreakingly idealistic they are; how much journalism to them was a duty even if it meant certain death,” — powerful and heartbreaking column by @nesrinemalik.bsky.social on Gaza's heroic journalists

More than 200 journalists have now been killed by the IDF in Gaza.

And so many journalists here haven’t expressed a single sliver of solidarity or outrage about it.

If you want a weird but true fact to talk about:

Dexter Holland, lead singer of The Offspring, was instrumental in this. His doctorial thesis in molecular biology was sequencing mRNA in HIV. The paper was also heavily cited in creating the COVID-19 vaccine.

How can it be that the British Prime Minister - a human rights lawyer - believes that the appropriate response to an Israeli-instituted famine that threatens to wipe out an entire people is to recognise Palestine unless Israel improves the situation?

Nice to see that the Rich Asshole perspective on Gaza has shifted from “they’re all terrorists, especially the babies,” to “someone should do something.” Looking forward to “this was impossible to prevent” right around the time the last few folks starve

Belfast athlete aiming to defy bleak diagnosis: ‘You’re about to see your first miracle, doctor' A Belfast athlete and mum-of-six is facing the race of her life after being rocked by a rare cancer condition.

Ballygomartin woman Sarahjane Cooke is determined to get more time with hubby and beloved children as they launch £50k fundraiser for specialist treatment

It’s ok everyone, Winterwatch starts tonight.

My mother is currently minding her mother, and this poem speaks so beautifully to caring for a parent, work done so well by so many people I know - from Jane Clarke’s ‘A Change in the Air’

If my the adverts on my Instagram timeline are anything to go by there is a shocking shortage of ‘ladies’ available for six week challenges in Belfast gyms.

I was on £16k a year for a ‘senior reporter’ job in a weekly newspaper. Granted this was back in 2010.

I was today years old when I learned Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots released a Christmas album.

Not a recognised crisis-comms response, it must be said.

The M2 going out of Belfast is an absolute car park. Stuck in this for an hour now. Passed 3 separate accidents with another to pass up ahead. AVOID

Just cutting an article out of Kerrang! with some rock paper scissors.

The view from #Benbradagh above #Dungiven in Co. #Derry