The worst thing is it seems to be more extreme than in the past because the press doesn’t seem bothered to run with anything today. Just look at the phone tapping scandal and ask if an editor like Geraldine Kennedy would have any place in a modern Irish newsroom.
For anyone who bothers to read the article, it’s a good walk down memory lane and reveals that the Irish press aren’t all that far behind the British press in terms of polarisation and politicisation. The only difference is the self-righteous presentation of piety and refinement all the while as they eye that job as a political advisor for the government.
They are desperate to muddy the waters with the SIPO complaint.
Paddy Cosgrave is behind all this
Jesus, that’s hard to read. It’s like being spoken at by the smuggest fucker in the building. You just don’t have the energy to argue with them because that would mean prolonging their presence in your personal space.
[removed]
Ever since Paddy got humiliated on the radio the other day his acolytes / shills have been spamming social media incessantly.
His ego and bitterness are tiresome, the devotion his army of muppets show him is just embarrassing.
The duty of private news media is to represent the interests of its share holders. Not that of the public interest of its consumers. Whether those shareholders are on the Left or Right side of politics.
Or as Paul Krugman and Roy Thomson put it.
The elaborate response…
“The media are desperately afraid of being accused of bias. And that’s partly because there’s a whole machine out there, an organized attempt to accuse them of bias whenever they say anything that the Right doesn’t like. So rather than really try to report things objectively, they settle for being even-handed, which is not the same thing. One of my lines in a column—in which a number of people thought I was insulting them personally—was that if Bush said the Earth was flat, the mainstream media would have stories with the headline: ‘Shape of Earth—Views Differ.’ Then they’d quote some Democrats saying that it was round.”
― Paul Krugman Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (2008)
The more nuanced reply…
“I buy newspapers to make money to buy more newspapers to make more money.”
— Roy Thomson, 1st Baron Thomson of Fleet
I agree with 99% of this article. It’s full of examples of bias media from rte, newstalk, the Indo, daily mail and Irish Times…. HOWEVER, what rubs me the wrong way is that they included a link to Clair Daly and Mick Wallace being criticised for sucking up to China and Russia. Those 2 absolutely deserve criticism and defending them is shocking.
Whether you agree with that or not there is some degree of truth to that claim.
Everyone, including the author of a piece is entitled to their own opinion, however, these opinion pieces should be clearly labelled as such. What seems to be happening more and more is that these opinions are presented as absolute facts that are beyond questioning or discussion.
On one popular Irish news website anytime there is a story where the journalists assertions and challenged in the Commons section. They are just closed! More and more wind yes journalists publish opinion pieces making outrageous claims. The comments section is closed by default.
We have a very qualified sense of what acceptable free speech is. Speech or thought that differs in any way from approved establishment dictates are beyond the pale.
Feck! Arse! Delicates!
Edit: I think I wrote this with multiple windows open and got confused, coz this doesn’t have any relevance to the post. I am definitely confused now.
Good thing the ditch is a completely unbiased source that definitely isn’t funded with a specific agenda in mind.
I don’t disagree with the piece but one thing I do want to add is that improved access to technology has allowed for an explosion of news content. The change in the media available has allowed for people to choose the media they want to consume, so they choose ones that mostly confirm their own biases. This is not something new with the internet but the internet did put on steroids. I know I am guilty of it but being aware of it and fixing it are two different things.
Never noticed meself, with all the respectability of the national media and all that
Says Paddy Cosgrove’s definitely unbiased personal mouthpiece
Is this meant to be a hot take!? Like this isn’t news to anyone?
Media is shifting politics on the dancefloor of civil society.
I just want to point out that according to Reporters without Borders, we have the second most free press in the world:
21 comments
Like Paddy Cosgrave 🤔
I know people will attack the source being the ditch and all, but you want it summed up in just one soundbite:
https://youtu.be/mYxizGsrjkc?t=176
The worst thing is it seems to be more extreme than in the past because the press doesn’t seem bothered to run with anything today. Just look at the phone tapping scandal and ask if an editor like Geraldine Kennedy would have any place in a modern Irish newsroom.
For anyone who bothers to read the article, it’s a good walk down memory lane and reveals that the Irish press aren’t all that far behind the British press in terms of polarisation and politicisation. The only difference is the self-righteous presentation of piety and refinement all the while as they eye that job as a political advisor for the government.
They are desperate to muddy the waters with the SIPO complaint.
Paddy Cosgrave is behind all this
Jesus, that’s hard to read. It’s like being spoken at by the smuggest fucker in the building. You just don’t have the energy to argue with them because that would mean prolonging their presence in your personal space.
[removed]
Ever since Paddy got humiliated on the radio the other day his acolytes / shills have been spamming social media incessantly.
His ego and bitterness are tiresome, the devotion his army of muppets show him is just embarrassing.
The duty of private news media is to represent the interests of its share holders. Not that of the public interest of its consumers. Whether those shareholders are on the Left or Right side of politics.
Or as Paul Krugman and Roy Thomson put it.
The elaborate response…
“The media are desperately afraid of being accused of bias. And that’s partly because there’s a whole machine out there, an organized attempt to accuse them of bias whenever they say anything that the Right doesn’t like. So rather than really try to report things objectively, they settle for being even-handed, which is not the same thing. One of my lines in a column—in which a number of people thought I was insulting them personally—was that if Bush said the Earth was flat, the mainstream media would have stories with the headline: ‘Shape of Earth—Views Differ.’ Then they’d quote some Democrats saying that it was round.”
― Paul Krugman Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (2008)
The more nuanced reply…
“I buy newspapers to make money to buy more newspapers to make more money.”
— Roy Thomson, 1st Baron Thomson of Fleet
I agree with 99% of this article. It’s full of examples of bias media from rte, newstalk, the Indo, daily mail and Irish Times…. HOWEVER, what rubs me the wrong way is that they included a link to Clair Daly and Mick Wallace being criticised for sucking up to China and Russia. Those 2 absolutely deserve criticism and defending them is shocking.
Whether you agree with that or not there is some degree of truth to that claim.
Everyone, including the author of a piece is entitled to their own opinion, however, these opinion pieces should be clearly labelled as such. What seems to be happening more and more is that these opinions are presented as absolute facts that are beyond questioning or discussion.
On one popular Irish news website anytime there is a story where the journalists assertions and challenged in the Commons section. They are just closed! More and more wind yes journalists publish opinion pieces making outrageous claims. The comments section is closed by default.
We have a very qualified sense of what acceptable free speech is. Speech or thought that differs in any way from approved establishment dictates are beyond the pale.
Feck! Arse! Delicates!
Edit: I think I wrote this with multiple windows open and got confused, coz this doesn’t have any relevance to the post. I am definitely confused now.
Good thing the ditch is a completely unbiased source that definitely isn’t funded with a specific agenda in mind.
I don’t disagree with the piece but one thing I do want to add is that improved access to technology has allowed for an explosion of news content. The change in the media available has allowed for people to choose the media they want to consume, so they choose ones that mostly confirm their own biases. This is not something new with the internet but the internet did put on steroids. I know I am guilty of it but being aware of it and fixing it are two different things.
Never noticed meself, with all the respectability of the national media and all that
Says Paddy Cosgrove’s definitely unbiased personal mouthpiece
Is this meant to be a hot take!? Like this isn’t news to anyone?
Media is shifting politics on the dancefloor of civil society.
I just want to point out that according to Reporters without Borders, we have the second most free press in the world:
https://rsf.org/en/index
“The media is Biased” says Biased Media.
“They’re all biased” – Nate Diaz.
I can’t believe the Indo genuinely posted an article about Richard Boyd Barrett buying a cup of coffee: [https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/barrett-wakes-up-and-smells-the-starbucks-coffee/30671084.html?ref=ontheditch.com](https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/barrett-wakes-up-and-smells-the-starbucks-coffee/30671084.html?ref=ontheditch.com)