State papers: RTÉ reporter 'jumped the gun' on Spanish coup

In response, a senior RTÉ executive admitted its reporter had “jumped the gun” on the story.

A military officer, Antonio Tejero, had led 200 armed Civil Guard members into the Spanish parliament on February 23, 1981, during a ceremony to swear in a new prime minister in an attempt to install a military government.

The attempted coup was crushed a few hours later when King Juan Carlos of Spain ordered the armed forces to take all necessary measures to put down the revolt, which had held 350 deputies hostage during the attempt to overthrow the government.

State papers released under the 30-year rule show Mr Holmes expressed concern to RTÉ about its report on the attempted military coup by journalist Andy Sheppard.

In a letter to RTÉ’s director of broadcasting development, Des Fisher, the ambassador said he was surprised by how the national broadcaster had covered the story.

Mr Holmes said the report by Mr Sheppard had conveyed the impression that a right-wing military coup had taken place “all over Spain and democracy had come to an end”. 

The ambassador claimed the reporter had stated how such an outcome was inevitable as well as giving considerable information about what to expect next, including the end of Spain’s candidature to join the EEC (now EU).

“It was all good rousing stuff and could even have been true if things had turned out differently over the subsequent 18 hours,” the ambassador said.

Mr Holmes suggested the reporter might have got his information from a Spanish magazine, Spic, which had published material in advance of the attempted coup, which suggested it would take place on February 23, 1981.

In response, Mr Fisher acknowledged the ambassador’s “strictures” were fairly generally shared within RTÉ.

However, Mr Fisher said the news which the station was receiving suggested the coup was spreading as a simultaneous uprising by military personnel in the city of Valencia was regarded as “symptomatic of what could happen nationwide”. 

He added: “Andy took the possibility for the eventuality and jumped the gun more than he should.” 

Mr Fisher said the general impression he got from talking to Spanish media and government officials was that the coup was “no comic opera but an event which could easily have gone the other way”. 

The RTÉ executive observed that Spanish commentators did not accept the media picture of King Juan Carlos, who played a critical role in stopping the coup, as “full of courage and integrity”. 

Mr Fisher said they believed the Spanish king had waited until he saw “which way the cat would jump” and what the popular reaction would be before taking a firm line himself.

He described Spain as a fascinating country and expressed envy at the ambassador’s good fortune to be there “at such an interesting time”.

In a subsequent letter to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr Holmes said he was unimpressed with Mr Fisher’s reaction to his complaint.

The ambassador said the RTÉ executive had only offered “mild criticism” of the reporter.

Mr Holmes said he felt strongly that news was “something which has actually happened rather than what might easily happen in the near future”.