The concept of public service broadcasting isn’t really a coherent blueprint for broadcasting practice. Rather is a rather vague concept based on a particular set of institutional arrangements and a particular coalition of class interests. In practical terms what it has meant is that the public interest has been defined largely by people drawn from the upper middle classes who operate in a subordinate relationship to the state.
The Boogeyman of Balance.
Listening to Marian Finucane interviewing anyone on a Sunday morning can be a slog but sometimes she makes a comment that sheds light on the modus operandi of the national broadcaster. Her “from both sides” comment when interviewing Katie Ascough last November got Sean Finnan thinking about RTÉ’s juggling act when it comes to balance.
Let’s Talk About Sex.
Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger is on the frontline fight for many issues but especially women’s rights and secular education. Last week she tabled the Provision of Objective Sex Education Bill which wants to ensure that children receive factual, secular sex education. Caitriona Devery spoke to her about the issues at hand.
Bye George!
Above: Illustartion by Mice. That’s next year’s totally inappropriate Halloween mask sorted so. George Hook is a long time Blueshirt supporter who made a good living from greasing the gears of the establishment and the fine craft of being a reactionary wind up merchant on prime time radio. We drafted in Paul Dillon to look at how the Hookie monster eventually fell from grace and the far bigger picture of … Read More
I Am Not Your Nordie.
Former Blueshirt Minister, Ivan Yates holds down the fort, blabbermouthing on Newstalk’s The Hard Shoulder. Last week, he went on a mid-air rant about the “time warp” up North in response to a vox pop. James Conor Patterson finds that prejudice toward is always just below the surface down south. He penned this response for rabble. About 6 years ago, when I was at a book launch for an anthology … Read More
Political Hacks.
Richard Barbrook played a key role devising Corbyn’s radical digital democracy manifesto. He was in town giving a talk at the recent Critical Media Conference. Martin Leen braved Storm Brian and ventured out to leafy ballsbridge for the lowdown on how to hack a general election. You were deeply in involved in Jeremy Corbyn’s recent election campaign, Could you tell us how you hacked the election with all the press against you? … Read More
Meanwhile In Montrose.
Above: Some sort of grotesque sick nightmare that crawled out of the mind of Darragh Lynch. Shudder. Has anyone else noticed RTE’s attempt to kickstart a national conversation on class for the Autumn? Mark Cullinane sticks on his waders and takes a look in the ideological sewers of the national broadcaster and finds a few funny smells in its recent day to day and documentary programming. “Are there distinct classes to which we all … Read More
Hard To Trump Trudeau.
Photo: Justin Trudeau back in 2013. Credit to Taha Ghaznavi via Creative Commons Last week, the media swooned over holier than thou Trudeau’s meeting with that evil orange monster Trump. Eoghan McNeill takes a look behind the quiff and glistening smile of the liberal’s favourite head of state. I’ll say this for Justin Trudeau: he is a very handsome man. And I’ll say that unreservedly. He has the smile, hair, gait and … Read More
Muppet Media.
Everyone’s favourite “dope-addled muppet” nailed how sections of the media ignored independents raising Garda malpractice. The Facebook firebrand said: “Mainstream journalism does not really accept the result of the 2011 general election. It does not accept the result of the 2016 general election. Unless you come from the old guard of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour then you are irrelevant in the eyes of mainstream media, with a few rare … Read More
That Denis Bai.
There’s no flies on Brid Smith. Here the PB4P TD points out how “the country will be owned in terms of media ownership by DOB” if the proposed Independent News and Media (INM) and Celtic Media Group (CMG) merger goes ahead. Give the video a share. Peeps should hear this.