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An Irish journalist has called on Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) to review their social media strategy, after winning a defamation apology and settlement over incorrect claims that he had posted “fake news.”
Phelim McAleer, who is best known for producing documentaries and films alongside his wife Ann McElhinney, posted a tweet on 12th March this year which stated: “Emergency declared at Dublin airport terminal two. It is being evacuated.”
In response, Dublin Airport’s official social media account on X accused him of spreading “fake news” – while insisting that there was no evacuation.
Mr McAleer’s tweet, which featured a short clip of the packed terminal, was flagged with a community note on X which states: “Dublin Airport officials state no emergency was declared a Terminal 2 has not been evacuated; airport is operating normally.”
In response to a query from Gript on that date, an airport official said via email: “Dublin Airport is operating as normal this afternoon.”
At the time, DAA had discounted Mr McAleer’s report as false, describing it as “misinformation” in two tweets sent to its almost half a million followers.
However, under the journalist’s tweet – which received 287,000 views – social media users reported that the information was correct, with one woman writing: “It’s not fake as my husband was at the airport today for work and he had to evacuate. He didn’t know what it was for tho. No idea why the airport official says it’s fake.”
In response, Dublin Airport shared a statement on Tuesday which read: “On 12 March 2026 journalist Phelim McAleer tweeted two videos on X stating that an emergency had been declared and Terminal 2 was being evacuated. DAA then tweeted twice about Mr McAleer’s Terminal 2 posts describing his pots as “fake news” and “loose online commentary” and claiming there was no evacuation. DAA have deleted both tweets.
“We accept that Mr McAleer is a reputable journalist and our wording unfairly impugned his professional integrity and we apologise to Mr McAleer.”
KRW Law, who represented the County Tyrone native, said in a statement on Thursday: “Phelim McAleer enjoys an impeccable reputation as a well-established journalist and producer, built up over many years of professional work and achievement.”
“The primary aim of this litigation was to secure a full and proper apology and correction,” the human rights and defence law firm added.
Mr McAleer, speaking to Gript on Thursday, said that an emergency and an evacuation was a serious matter, and that staff working in DAA’s social media department should have known about it and informed the public.
‘THEY DECIDED THAT THEIR JOB WAS TO BE QUIRKY AND COOL’
“Instead, they chose to twice call me a liar and decided to make a joke out of it,” said the journalist.
“Dublin Airport Authority’s social media department is obviously not a serious organisation. This was a situation where a journalist said that the terminal was being evacuated for an emergency, and outrageously, they made the allegation that I was basically lying. They did this rather than look out of their window or get on the phone to check the situation out.”
“Judging from what they put out online in response to my accurate tweet, they decided that their job was to be quirky and cool – to sit at the cool kids’ table, rather than to provide the necessary information that people need to go through Dublin Airport,” added Mr McAleer.
“At the moment their social media accounts seem to be run by 12-year-olds keen to impress their mates with puerile jokes, rather than providing an important public service for a vital piece of infrastructure. Don’t get me wrong I’m a huge fan of puerile jokes but there should not be in the social media feed of an airport
“Dublin Airport is responsible for multiple flights by multiple airlines carrying tens of thousands of people a day. DAA cannot afford to not be serious. I genuinely would like to see Dublin airport have an inquiry into their use of social media. And I say that as someone who despises social media regulation.”
“If the horrible people who support social media regulation, want something done then they should talk about organisations who have a huge safety role in which people are treating their job like a joke,” added the journalist. “You’re making jokes, and having a laugh, when you have a serious job to do.”
Mr McAleer said that as he was leaving the terminal that day, he saw a fire truck pull up. However, he has not received any more details relating to the emergency situation that is now confirmed to have taken place that afternoon.
In a statement, the filmmaker said he accepts the apology from DAA.
‘A MASSIVE PILE ON OF ONLINE ABUSE’
He said: “This settlement means a great deal to me. It ought never to have happened that my journalistic integrity was called into question by the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA).
“They were wrong and have now admitted that.
“I would like the DAA to review their ongoing social media output. They are in charge of an airport which carries a massive safety and security responsibility, but their social media accounts seem to think their role is to post memes or make jokes – often mocking their customers.
They seem to believe their role is to be quirky rather than informative. DAA runs an airport. Its social media accounts should be about flight delays, alerts, traffic issues and safety matters. At the moment their social media accounts seem to be run by 12-year-olds keen to impress their mates with puerile jokes, rather than providing an important public service for a vital piece of infrastructure.
“On the day they published defamatory tweets about my journalism, they were so busy making jokes about the Glasgow Rangers football team and other irrelevant matters that it looks as if they didn’t notice – or simply didn’t care – that Terminal 2 in their airport was being evacuated.
“Also on that day, some customers posted on X confirming that I was accurate and that there had been an evacuation, but those running the DAA social media accounts didn’t bother to check. This week they are posting irrelevant memes about the World Cup. This needs to stop. DAA management needs to review their social media strategy and priorities
“Having said that, I accept the apology offered by the defendants, and I look forward to resuming my work and continuing to do what I have always done as a journalist – reporting the facts.”
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