Back in January I took a look at a dodgy Irish Times article on Poles travelling between Poland and Ireland. Six months later (17-18/6/06) Gazeta Wyborcza takes on a similar subject in an article entitled “Warsaw-Dublin, flight nr. EI 363, departure time 12.15.” It’s shorter and more factual, with less of what was contemptuously refered to as “colour” in Scoop and fewer of the mistakes that were in the IT: Waterford is spelled wrong and the photograph is of a LOT airliner, although “EI 363” is an Aer Lingus flight identifier (though they may share flight numbers in a cartel — errr, partnership arrangement).

The journalist, Iwona Bugajska, interviewed four people at Warsaw airport. Four very obliging people: each of them helpfully repeated her question, e.g.: “What will become of me? Hmm… I have always dreamed of…” and “You ask if I will return to Poland? Oh no!” All four are very happy with Ireland. This is to be expected: they are people flying to Ireland so if it is their first journey they cannot yet have been disappointed by the reality and if it is their nth journey — well, they are probably not returning because everything there was a disaster. The result is an upbeat picture of Ireland. How much does it cost to go out to Warsaw airport and interview a few emigrants? About one euro in bus fares. How much does it cost to fly out to Dublin, visit a homeless shelter, interview some people sleeping rough, talk to the Gardai, interview someone at the Polish embassy, hit the bus stations…? Iwona Bugajska is a Metro reporter. Metro doesn’t cost anything at all.