Rebecca Zahn, Gymnasium Finkenwerder, Hamburg, Germany
In recent years the public has been given the impression that the media holds a greater power than any government. Information is the key to authority, and it is the media which informs us about practically everything, ranging from international news and sports to scandals concerning politicians, pop stars and others among the rich and famous.
There is nothing wrong with informing the public, but is it not highly inconsiderate publishing details which very often cause so much hurt and grief? While the majority of the public may be interested in the resulting reports, the question must be raised if this news is really worth knowing when it causes so much damage. Is any information, even misinformation, better than ignorance?
But is it not also a problem if such a reliance is placed on one institution of society? Media abuse is like a parasite. It becomes fat by feeding off the wounds of an exposed individual. This individual is then scarred for life.
Overall, the benefits of having an efficient media network which contains serious journalism and not sleaze tend to outweigh the disadvantages. In this case I think it is right to say that any information, even misinformation, is better than ignorance.
William Thornton, Terenure College, Dublin
"Coupe Du Monde", as they say in France. The rugby World Cup could be the third biggest sporting event, next to the Olympic Games and the soccer World Cup. My hope would be to see Ireland feature in the semi-finals - realistically, I see a southern hemisphere "finale".
I experienced the excitement of Lansdowne Road last week for Ireland versus Australia, starting when the boys in green sprinted on to the pitch led by skipper Dion O'Cuinneagain, and hearing Amhrain Na bFhiann and Ireland's Call sung proudly by the 55,000 capacity crowd. To follow that, The Fields of Athenry echoed around Lansdowne Road.
Although we were beaten, it was the occasion of watching one of the world's best teams in action. As the crowd flooded out, the atmosphere was good humoured; I think the majority of people expected Ireland would be defeated by the Wallabies, but were proud that such a small country had been a part of the big stage.
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