How the Irish presidential race changed Irish media

A heart of darkness emerged in destructive coverage

PAUL ALLEN,

IrishCentral Contributor

Published Monday, November 7, 2011, 1:28 PM

Updated Monday, November 7, 2011, 5:09 PM

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Ireland's incoming president Michael D Higgins

Photo by RTE

As Michael D Higgins prepares for his inauguration, we saw the Presidential election fundamentally change the Irish media.

We may no longer be saints, but Ireland is still a land of scholars. We remain one of the most literate societies in the world, with more than 2.9 million people (almost 82pc) of the adult population regularly reading a newspaper.

Indeed, despite the rapid growth of alternative media channels, newspapers, television and radio still represent the ‘tried and trusted’ source of information for the vast majority of people.

But September 28, 2011 was a landmark day for media in Ireland. This was the day the final nominations for the Presidential Election were received and the race for Áras an Uachtaráin officially got underway. It was also the day Irish media, pressurised on several fronts, embraced its inner heart of darkness.

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Irish Presidential elections have always been robust affairs and not for the faint of heart. However, while Michael D Higgins prepares to officially take his seat on November 11, the other candidates are still shell-shocked at the viciousness of the media onslaught.

Senator David Norris has had a colourful career and while he expected his past deeds to be trawled through and scrutinised, he didn’t expect the twisting of the truth to such an extent that outright lies were making front page headlines.

The Sun accused him of using his position in the Senate to attempt to secure a passport for a former lover. This was completely untrue. Worst still, the Senator’s private income protection scheme, which was activated by Trinity College when it ended his 30-year professional career, was suddenly being described as welfare fraud.

It appears an increasing number of publications have embraced a ‘publish today and apologise tomorrow if needs be’ state of mind.

The problem is that the onslaught of downright lies can quickly result in death by a thousand cuts, regardless of apologies published in the press after the fact. Continually throw mud and you can be sure enough will stick.

Another interesting factor was the uber aggressive nature of broadcast interviews. The purpose of these seem not to illicit information from the interviewee but to harangue and harass them to such an extent that they were pressurised, caught off guard and made look foolish.

So what has happened to our balanced broadcasters and principled press?

Firstly, the rapid rise and 24/7 consumption of media thanks to the increase in print, broadcast and online channels, has placed severe pressure on traditional titles to remain relevant. Secondly, the arrival of the British tabloid culture into Ireland means that even titles such as The Irish Times are facing pressure to sensationalise stories.

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GeorgeDillon | Nov 09, 2011, 11:28 PM EST

gaelphoncan: What you write is utter nonsense. You blame the Irish politicians etc for ruining the country, yet you believe their decision to import huge numbers of African settlers was a wonderful idea. Are these politicians your heroes? And it is not a small number of Africans who are settling Ireland. I regularly fly out of Dublin to places like Brussels and Paris on business. I am always struck by the large numbers of Africans on those flights who are making connections to go back to places like the Congo. Yet thesse same people are supposedly refugees from places like the COngo! No gaelphoncan, what you say is highly offensive. Irish people do not forgive the African fraudsters who gained residency in Ireland thru lies and deceit, by claiming they were persecuted in their home countries (they often lied about which was in fact their home country) or came to Ireland explicitly with the intention of having anchor babies. They came to Ireland as crooks, and your buddies among the corrupt and incompetent Fianna Failers collaborated with them. The fact is, gaelphoncan, your opinion is not shared by the majority of Irish people who believe, as I do, that African settlers contribute nothing good to Ireland, just as settlers from any race or country should go home. Finally, your belief that living abroad makes people more favorable to Mass Immigration is stupid garbage. Living abroad in many countries has made me oppose Mass Immigration all the more, especially when I see how fragile is the life style and culture of small nations like Polynesia, Guam, Ireland, and how Mass Immigration in just a few years can obliterate the culture of centuries.

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gobdawpaddy | Nov 08, 2011, 06:08 AM EST

'We may no longer be saints, but Ireland is still a land of scholars. We remain one of the most literate societies in the world'. The Irish may very well be very literate, but when it comes to choosing who to represent them, they have proven for decades that they are not the sharpest knives in the drawer... Ahern, Cowen, Cullen, Coughlan, Healy-Rae x2, McEllistrim, Sheahan, Lowry, Cosgrave jnr, O'Donoghue, Ferris, Hannafin, McCreevy, O'Dea, Lenihan (Conor)etc.,etc. Yes, we had 'W' in the US, but these are repeat errors in judgement spanning decades, in the 'land of scholars'.

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Gaelphoncán | Nov 07, 2011, 10:29 PM EST

Like Paul, Towngate and LoyalCitizen, I was disgusted by the sanctimonious posturing and hypocrisy of certain sections of the Irish media (just look at the way the Shell to Sea protestors are generally portrayed). George, in response to your friend's comments and questions, I can say from my own personal experience in black African churches/fellowships in Ireland that if she went in she in all likelihood would be welcomed with open arms. She'd probably be made to feel like a special guest. I have witnessed Irish people visiting black African churches who behaved like total chancers and abused the generosity of people in black African churches and they were treated with extraordinary patience and tolerance (i.e. genuine Christian charity). As for them spending all day in church, well, for them the Sabbath is a day for community. Their church services are long because they take musical worship and Bible study seriously and often they might have lunch together or celebrate the birthday of a child after the sevice. There's a real sense of community in the black churches I've visted in Ireland. Yes, Ireland is a small country and bankrupt but it's our own crowd (our bankers, property developers, politicians, etc.) who are responsible for that - not the relatively small minority of black Africans who live here. Where has Ireland gone? Ask the banks and politicians. Most of the black Africans I know are working hard and doing their best to get by. Some of those I know unable to find work have gone back home and I know some who are seriously considering it. Most are doing their best to be good citizens and their children are generally better behaved than most Irish kids. I've lived and worked abroad in Spain, England, and Germany (I'm now living in Asia) and haven't always been made to feel welcome so maybe I have more sympathy for emigrants in Ireland than some (in Ireland and on this forum).

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Towngate | Nov 07, 2011, 05:44 PM EST

The soft Irish 'meeeja' - particularly TV - sank to new lows several times during the Aras campaign. O'Callaghan's 'jump' on McGuinness in the first TV debate was disgracefully infair as the same scrutiny was not applied to the others. The nadir was surely in the final debate when RTE colluded with an audience 'plant'* (Ms Lynch), 'Rat' Kenny three times urging McGuinness' attack on Gallagher, allowing the 'phone call' to be sprung and then the Twitter read out live on air without any confirmation. These,and some telling 'cut-aways' of (part of the)audience reaction, in a clear attack on the leading contender, Gallagher, who made the fatal mistake of rising to it rather than simply asking for evidence then and there. McGuinness and SF 'altered' their story the next day and the Twitter proved to be a hoax! ~~~~ Yes, an all-time low even in a country that on so many levels, Paul, certainly needs no lesson or encouragement in 'Tabloid' behaviour from abroad!-(Mind your racism!). We have our home-grown pond-life bottom-feeders who have developed their very own style of muck-raking. >>> My declared choice prevailed, and offered to do the job for a 'nixer'(discount)rate - without once being asked if he could only afford to do that, because of the many Pensions he (con)-currently receives from all the many Public Offices he has held! Let's hope our brilliant new President decides to share that with us before his detractors start digging ..... Meantime,fair play to him! -the Old Dog showed the pups how to walk the Hard Road, and we must celebrate that!

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LoyalCitizen | Nov 07, 2011, 05:31 PM EST

All Irish Media are a propaganda unit for the Nazis running Ireland. Including IC................There are crimes against humanity and treason happening in Ireland by using opinions in law and no Irish media makes any attempt to expose the crimes.

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GeorgeDillon | Nov 07, 2011, 02:38 PM EST

(ar lean) quote too long to fit in one post)..."...I want my friend to be able to tell the person who comes around with the dinners in hospital that she didn't order that, or could she have her soup in a beaker instead of a bowl but the person who serves the dinners doesn't speak English and just ignores her. I want the old Hat Factory to look as it always did instead of how it looks now. A church with gospel messages written in foreign languages and English dotted all around it. Only black people go to it and they seem to spend the whole day there. I wonder what they do all day but I am not Black so I would stand out and feel like a foreigner so I won't go in. Why are all these people here when we have no money for us? Where is the money coming from to feed and house them all? Where are they all coming from and why? We are only a very small country, bankrupted like so many. I worked all my life, but not for this! Where has Ireland gone?"

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