Stephen Rae (editor)

Born on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, on the south west Atlantic coast of Ireland Rae attended the DIT School of Journalism, qualified as a barrister-at-law at King's Inns, Dublin, has a qualification in Criminology from DIT, and received the Directors’ Programme Award in Business and Leadership from the Management School, Cranfield University, UK.

He was Young Journalist of the Year in 1985 and subsequently became a freelance journalist for a range of national newspapers. He spent a period as editor of the Garda Review (the monthly magazine of the national police force), before becoming crime correspondent for the Evening Herald. Rae became acting editor of the Evening Herald in September 2005, before being appointed editor in May 2006.

In 2012, Rae was appointed the editor of the Irish Independent, Ireland's largest selling national newspaper. At the Irish Independent he oversaw what became known as the "Anglo Tapes" investigation which was published in June 2013.{{Cite web|title=Inside Anglo: the secret recordings|url=https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/inside-anglo-the-secret-recordings-29366837.html|access-date=2020-10-28|website=independent|date=24 June 2013 |language=en}} The investigation which told the inside story of the collapse of Anglo-Irish Bank made international headlines and dominated political debate for weeks. German Chancellor Angela Merkel also commented on the investigation.{{Cite news|date=2013-06-28|title=Merkel: Anglo Irish bank tapes contemptible|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-23093988|access-date=2020-10-28}} The investigation won the title a number of awards.{{cite web | last=Hogan | first=Louise | title=Trusted Independent journalism scoops total of seven awards | website=independent | date=2013-11-08 | url=https://www.independent.ie/business/media/trusted-independent-journalism-scoops-total-of-seven-awards-29736877.html | access-date=2020-06-18}} He was later promoted to group editor-in-chief.{{cite news|url=http://businessetc.thejournal.ie/stephen-rae-new-editor-irish-independent-588667-Sep2012/|title=Evening Herald editor takes over helm at Irish Independent: Stephen Rae takes over as Gerry O'Regan retires after seven years in charge|work=The Journal}}{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/business/media/inm-appoints-stephen-rae-as-editor-in-chief-of-titles-29368529.html|title=INM appoints Stephen Rae as Editor in Chief of titles|date=24 June 2013|accessdate=24 June 2013}}{{cite news|url=http://businessetc.thejournal.ie/stephen-rea-promoted-inm-editor-in-chief-964826-Jun2013/|title=The editor of the Irish Independent has been promoted – after nine months: Stephen Rae will be the Editor in Chief of the Irish Independent, Sunday Independent and the Herald|work=The Journal}} While editor of the Irish Independent, Rae oversaw the ending of its publication as a broadsheet and the development of its online news site which recorded average audiences of 12,000,000 monthly users.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/business/media/independent-ie-hits-a-new-record-high-of-12-million-users-35441726.html|title=Independent.ie hits a new record high of 12 million users|website=Independent.ie|date=11 February 2017 }} In January 2017 he was appointed to the Board of the World Editors Forum [https://www.independent.ie/business/media/inm-chief-rae-joins-world-editors-forum-353496634.html]{{dead link|date=June 2020}} European Commissioner Mariya Gabriel appointed Rae to the Commission's High Level Expert Group on Online Disinformation the following year {{Cite journal|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2018/0113/933027-stephen-rae/|title=INM chief appointed to EU group against 'fake news'|date=13 January 2018|via=www.rte.ie}} The Government of Ireland May 2019 appointed him to the board of Shannon Group plc, the company which oversees Ireland's International Aviation Services Centre (IASC), Shannon Airport and Shannon Commercial Properties {{Cite web|url=https://www.aviationnews-online.com/people/shannon-group-welcomes-new-appointments-to-board/|title=Shannon Group welcomes new appointments to board | publisher=Aviation News | date=May 2019 | accessdate=7 June 2021}}

On 23 May 2018, Rae announced he would be stepping down from his post at INM on completion of his five year term.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/inm-group-editor-and-director-to-step-down-844593.html|title=INM group editor and director to step down|date=2018-05-23|access-date=2018-09-17|newspaper=Irish Examiner}} In June 2019 Rae was elected to the Supervisory Board of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, WAN-IFRA {{Cite web |url=https://wan-ifra.org/supervisory-board-members |title=Supervisory Board members - WAN-IFRA |access-date=7 May 2020 |archive-date=24 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224095146/https://www.wan-ifra.org/supervisory-board-members |url-status=dead }}

In July 1997 Rae reported on the front page of the Evening Herald newspaper Evening Herald, Friday, 11 July 1997 "New Planning Bribe Probe" that "a prominent politician was today at the centre of a garda investigation over planning bribe allegations. Gardai have launched an inquiry into claims the person was given £30,000 in return for a land rezoning issue." The story which said "the probe was ordered after a witness came forward and alleged he was present for the handover of £30,000 to the public representative" was one of the first by a journalist into the planning scandal that led to the establishment of the Mahon Tribunal.

As editor-in-chief at INM, he reportedly fired journalist Gemma O'Doherty after she made an attempt to interview Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan.{{cite news|author=Roy Greenslade |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2013/sep/17/irish-independent-ireland|title=Controversy over firing of leading Irish investigative journalist|work=Greenslade Blog |publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited |date=17 September 2013|accessdate=27 April 2014}} at his home at 10pm, 11 April 2013.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/former-independent-reporter-s-unfair-dismissal-case-adjourned-1.1790161|title=Former 'Independent' reporter's unfair dismissal case adjourned|first=Fiona|last=Gartl|newspaper=The Irish Times}} This was ignored by the mainstream media in Ireland, as noted by media in Great Britain.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishpost.co.uk/news/the-story-the-irish-media-dont-want-you-to-read|title=The story 'the Irish media don't want you to read'|work=Irish Post|date=11 October 2013|accessdate=11 October 2013}} It was later claimed that Rae himself was among those to have had penalty points annulled. These claims were ignored by the Irish media and only reported either on social media or internationally.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishpost.co.uk/news/wiped-penalty-points-linked-to-editor-stephen-rae|title=Wiped penalty points linked to editor involved in Gemma O'Doherty redundancy|work=Irish Post|date=28 September 2013|accessdate=28 September 2013}}{{cite news|author=Roy Greenslade|authorlink=Roy Greenslade |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2013/oct/03/irish-independent-ireland|title=Ireland's media ignore Irish Independent editor's annulled penalty points|work=Greenslade Blog |publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited |date=3 October 2013|accessdate=27 April 2014}}

On the evening of Saturday 19 July 2014, Rae, in his role as group editor of INM, reportedly ordered the presses to be stopped to amend a column written by Sunday Independent editor Anne Harris, which featured references to Denis O'Brien. He never ordered the presses stopped. He did seek to have included clarified information. Copies of the original article appeared allowing comparisons. Harris originally wrote: "Denis O'Brien is the major shareholder in INM. In theory, with 29% of the shares, he does not control it. In practice, he does." The last sentence was deleted and the wording of the next paragraph about O'Brien was also amended.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/jul/28/irish-independent-denis-o-brien|title=Irish newspaper editor's column was changed after going to press|author=Roy Greenslade|authorlink=Roy Greenslade |newspaper=The Guardian|location=London|date=28 July 2014|accessdate=28 July 2014}} Representatives of O'Brien later demanded a retraction and apology from Ms Harris. A prominent apology to O'Brien from Ms. Harris appeared in the Sunday Independent on 3 August 2014,.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/mr-denisobrien-apology-30479423.html|title=Mr DenisO'Brien- Apology|website=independent|date=3 August 2014 }} Harris left the newspaper in December 2014, with praise from some colleagues.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/sunday-independent-editor-anne-harris-departs-after-final-edition-1.2045577|title=Sunday Independent editor Anne Harris departs after final edition|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=21 December 2014}} The following month Cormac Bourke was appointed editor of the Sunday Independent {{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/business/media/inm-appoints-two-new-editors-to-irish-independent-and-sunday-independent-30894485.html|title=INM appoints two new editors to Irish Independent and Sunday Independent|website=independent|date=9 January 2015 }}

In May 2018 Rae and INM announced he was leaving the media group after a career of 24 years at the company and five years as Group Editor-in-Chief {{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/business/media/inm-group-editor-in-chief-stephen-rae-to-step-down-36938650.html|title=INM group Editor-in-Chief Stephen Rae to step down|website=independent|date=23 May 2018 }} His decision to step down came a few months after as chief editor he greenlighted the publication over several days of an investigative series which exposed wrongdoings at the media company and alleged activity by the company's own former chairman. The Sunday Independent reported how the company "interrogated" data belonging to journalists and other prominent figures off site leading to an investigation by the ODCE {{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/business/media/odce-claims-inm-data-taken-off-site-and-interrogated-but-board-did-not-know-36762962.html|title=ODCE claims INM data taken off site and 'interrogated' but 'board did not know'|website=independent|date=April 2018 }} The report was by the journalists Dearbhail McDonald, Shane Phelan and Samantha McCaughren who won a journalistic award for their investigative series {{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/business/media/sunday-independent-scoops-major-business-journalism-award-37607628.html|title=Sunday Independent scoops major business journalism award|website=independent|date=9 December 2018 }} Prior to stepping down and after overseeing the publication of the investigative series Rae implemented a "Triple Lock" system to ensure that journalists' data at INM would never again be accessed by the commercial arm of the company without a rigorous triple lock mechanism being triggered involving the knowledge and authorisation of three senior executives, including the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor {{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/business/media/inm-to-ask-inspectors-to-examine-fresh-data-interrogation-claims-37615873.html|title=INM to ask inspectors to examine fresh data interrogation claims|website=independent|date=11 December 2018 }}

Rae is involved in digital media projects as advisor and investor including San Francisco headquartered climate newsletter Callaway Climate Insights {{Cite web|url=https://www.callawayclimateinsights.com/people/10387154|title=Stephen Rae - Callaway Climate Insights|first=David|last=Callaway|website=www.callawayclimateinsights.com}}

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• [http://www.broadsheet.ie/tag/stephen-rae/ Article archive at Broadsheet]

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Category:1960s births

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Category:Garda Síochána

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Category:People from the Dingle Peninsula

Category:Sunday Independent (Ireland) people

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Category:Alumni of King's Inns