Official Radio One, a poem by Kevin Higgins. That time of the week when bachelor farmers decide, on balance, not to string themselves up in the outhouse, bravely switch on the wireless instead; on Official Radio Marion the defunct feminist-to-a-moderate-extent has a few old pals around for two thrilling hours of cream tea and general consensus. Last month one critic unfairly hissed that the show increasingly sounds like the occupants … Read More
Irish Smiling Lies: Irish Water and Regime Teilifis Éireann.
While facing scrutiny over unrecorded meetings he, Phil Hogan, gardaí and others had with Irish Water management, Pat Rabbitte came out swinging in the Dail and accused RTÉ of acting “as a recruiting sergeant” for protests against Irish Water. Oireachtas Retort drags us down memory lane to look at RTE’s coverage of all that Irish Water malarkey. Joe Higgins pointed out that Rabbitte had alerted the #media to be present for … Read More
Paying The Sweat Equity
Since we last reported, Limerick’s City of Culture successfully dealt with its teething problems. Paul Tarpey updates us on how it demonstrated an inclusive and city-wide approach to the arts. In the beginning the worries were structural. Could the 109 projects be delivered? Before he resigned, artistic director Karl Wallace had pulled together a mix of citizen projects, art driven works and spectacles that were designed to interact with each … Read More
Dublin Folk Group Pulled From Culture Night Bill Over Set List.
Dublin folk stalwarts and friends of rabble, Lynched, have had their slot pulled from the RTÉ stage in Temple Bar on Culture Night, because they wished to play one of their own songs. The song, ‘Cold Old Fire’ was penned by the group and their good friend Cian Lawless a few years ago, and is a reflection on trying to retain a sense of pride and resilience while enduring life … Read More
#meEJit: Is Disability Really A Fate Worse Than Death?
Why do media portrayals of disability always have such a terrible ring of finality about them? Sinead O’Donnell picks up on some recent heavy handed stereotyping and looks at the damage done. Nell McCafferty featured on the March 29th broadcast of The Saturday Night show. While discussing her 70th birthday, she commented as follows: “What I dread is some ghastly disease, or something that will leave me disabled or dependent”, … Read More
Citizens Of Water World
Oireachtas Retort takes a look at the people employed to sell you your own water. Remember Citizens, ‘Water Is Free. I Pay For My Water’. Back in January, three years after the Troika’s arrival, the Irish media collectively decided to start caring about water. To their credit, they waited for legislation to pass before asking any awkward questions. Two weeks earlier, on the day Irish Water became law, the … Read More
Checkity Check Yo Self.
Harry Browne, Author of The Frontman: Bono (In the Name of Power) gives us the low down on defamation, libel & the almighty power of the litigious. Libel is scary. As professional reporters, editors, presenters and producers, libel haunts us. In our every working moment, and in all too much leisure-time too, lurks the fear that we’ve said or suggested something, or we’re about to say or suggest something, … Read More
BAI Finds RTÉ Report Unfair To MEP Candidates
The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland has found against RTÉ in it’s unfair coverage of two MEP candidates, Bríd Smith and Paul Murphy.. Here’s an extract from decision of the Compliance Committee. All spelling and formatting errors are their own. The Committee considered the broadcast and the submissions from the broadcaster and the complainants. Having review the material, the Committee has decided to uphold the complaint in part. In reaching this … Read More
#meEJit: We’re Adults! Get RTE Away From Us!
It is remarkable just how much RTÉ can chime with Irish government policy. Oireachtas Retort looks at Montrose’s latest offering of unreality TV. The broadcaster’s role in normalising austerity and undermining dissent is nothing new but their lifestyle & entertainment content is equally insidious. Think of it as Fáilte Ireland for the home audience. Towards the end of Ireland’s housing bubble we had I’m An Adult Get Me Out of … Read More
The Iona Mind
Are we living in an Ireland of two halves? One looking towards a future of equal rights for all, free from the clutches of a church bathed in controversy, the other with more of a medieval take on things: anti-women, anti-LGBT, anti-choice. Oireachtas Retort investigates the proportions and finds that it appears to be the minority making the most noise. It would be easy to think of the Iona … Read More