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Mission to Prey - report issued

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  • 04-05-2012 7:15pm
    #1
    nuac
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,769 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Have just read this report.

    Amazed how casual Primetime were about checking facts- then went onto publish in the teeth of denials and offers of blood test.

    I remember the famous RTE that a rolling head learns nothing, but surely heads are now rolling, rather than being deployed elsewhere in RTE


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    #2
    southsiderosie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,565 ✭✭✭southsiderosie


    What? What report? Can you post a link or something?


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    #3
    nuac
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,769 Mod ✭✭✭✭nuac


    Report is on the Braodcasting Authority of Ireland Websiite - sorry dont know how to link it. It is on news programmes since issued at about 6 this evening - interesting timing.


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    #4
    JonathanAnon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,718 ✭✭✭✭JonathanAnon


    I thought that it was absolutely ridiculous that Bob Collins is the man at the head of BAI, who are investigating this.. I mean, he must know personally a number of the people who are involved with this... Ridiculous.


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    #5
    dublinman1990
    Registered Users Posts: 8,320 ✭✭✭dublinman1990


    Here is the report below

    http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0504/baireport1.pdf

    RTE heads must be rolling now at this stage with this report being out.


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    #6
    southsiderosie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,565 ✭✭✭southsiderosie


    MOD NOTE:

    OK, just to clarify: we generally want posters to start a thread with a clear issue, (hopefully) a link, and their view on said issue. Anyone should be able to read the OP and have a clear sense of what the core issue is without having to dive through other links, etc. Per the charter:
    If your OP consists of nothing more than a two-line thought that just popped into your head, don't start a thread.

    I sense that this is an issue that people may want to talk about, but you're not giving us much to work with OP. I'll leave this thread open for now, but a bit more context would be useful.


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    #7
    nuac
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,769 Mod ✭✭✭✭nuac


    Noted Soutsiderosie

    I accept that it would have been better if I had posted the BAI report but as already stated I dont know how.

    However at the time I started the thread this report had been all over TV and radio for the previous hour, and it's imminent publication had been well flagged in the media.

    I made a comment on it, and looked forward to some discussion.


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    #8
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    nuac wrote: »
    Noted Soutsiderosie

    I accept that it would have been better if I had posted the BAI report but as already stated I dont know how.

    However at the time I started the thread this report had been all over TV and radio for the previous hour, and it's imminent publication had been well flagged in the media.

    I made a comment on it, and looked forward to some discussion.


    Links can be added by highlighting the address in your browser, copying, then pasting directly into a post.


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    #9
    nuac
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,769 Mod ✭✭✭✭nuac


    JonathanAnon wrote: »
    I thought that it was absolutely ridiculous that Bob Collins is the man at the head of BAI, who are investigating this.. I mean, he must know personally a number of the people who are involved with this... Ridiculous.

    Agree with Jonathon Anon.

    Bob Collins on radio just now. Appeared defensive of RTE. Very vague about timing of issue of report.

    Could not follow what he was saying about RTE refusal to waive privilege on production of their legal advice. Should do so.


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    #10
    FreudianSlippers
    Registered Users Posts: 20,397 ✭✭✭✭FreudianSlippers


    nuac wrote: »
    Noted Soutsiderosie

    I accept that it would have been better if I had posted the BAI report but as already stated I dont know how.

    However at the time I started the thread this report had been all over TV and radio for the previous hour, and it's imminent publication had been well flagged in the media.

    I made a comment on it, and looked forward to some discussion.
    Anyone who hasn't heard about this has not been in the country for some significant amount of time.

    There are some interesting issues raised in the report, but nothing which is damning of RTÉ specifically. If there is some belief that this isn't happening at all news outlets then there is a real issue with self-delusion. RTÉ has the problem where the people want populist garbage "good" TV which comprises of rag, sensationalist journalism. The amount of people complaining because of this being partially funded by taxpayer money is amazing - these are the same people who would turn around, if another news outlet broke the story and it happened to be true, complaining of RTÉ not getting there first and "what's my TV licence going to" bla bla bla.

    Mistakes were made, certainly, but the people responsible have resigned/retired and new standards are put in place. I don't see much use in crying now over spilt milk.


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    #11
    nuac
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,769 Mod ✭✭✭✭nuac


    Thanks for your support FS re topicality of this report.

    However I do think it is a most serious matter.

    I feel RTE had an agenda rather than straight reporting of a story

    e.g. refusal of consideration of paternity tests

    delay in dealing with solicitors emails - one sent on transmission day left in AK's box for nearly four hours, then sent to some only, but not to their solicitor

    Alegations not put to the priest in writing, giving him an opportunity to comment.

    Also consider it odd that legal privilege not waived for the BAI investigation. Solicitors never like producing their files ( I am one myself ) but once the libel action was belatedly settled it should have been made available to BAI investigator

    Interesting morning tomorrow in Montrose


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    #12
    RubyRoss
    Registered Users Posts: 302 ✭✭RubyRoss


    I’m amazed more people are not talking (angrily) about this.

    I can’t imagine how any individual (priest or otherwise) would go about defending himself when accused by the state-broadcaster with its expensive legal teams and public exposure.
    The unethical way Prime Time treated the priest is shocking in itself but the response of RTE was almost as bad. RTE blamed the ‘errors’ on a failure of training: one error was the failure to take notes. That’s not an ‘error of judgement’; that’s total incompetence. I don’t think this point has been stressed enough in news coverage of the case – it often comes across as though someone forgot to write things down rather than writing things down being the basic principal of investigative reporting.

    The idea being that every meeting should be recorded extensively so that an outside party – editor, legal – the BAI-can then make a judgement about the credibility of the journalist’s claims. No body working on Prime Time could claim not to understand this and keep a straight face or a job.


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    #13
    Ozymandius2011
    Registered Users Posts: 1,149 ✭✭✭Ozymandius2011


    On foot of the report Rabbitte has just announced there should be no resignations from the RTE Board as a result of the report. RTE are beginning to resemble the Catholic Church in the accountability-stakes. They move people around or buy them off (severance pay) but the hierarchy of Montrose is staying put. Free to prey once more on the reputations of innocent Irish citizens in pursuit of political-prejudices against those RTE has issues with.


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    #14
    RubyRoss
    Registered Users Posts: 302 ✭✭RubyRoss


    Accountability and conflict of interest don't seem to come into RTE's thinking at all - why is Tom Savage, who owns the largest PR and media coaching company, on the board of RTE? I always find it hilarious that his wife Terry Prone is invited on to comment on political debates when her company coaches the politicians in the first place.

    Why does RTE use so many private companies to do simple things like producing the opening sequences to shows - it's not as though RTE doesn't employ its own editors and graphic designers?

    And there's there the strange relationship between the politicians and the journalists. I'm sure (I hope) journalists try their best to be impartial but does any one believe it is possible to be objectively critical of political parties when members of your immediate family are in those parties (e.g. Miriam O Callaghan)?

    The country is very small so these connections are inevitable but RTE don’t go out of their way to be accountable in these circumstances.


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    #15
    nuac
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,769 Mod ✭✭✭✭nuac


    I agree with both your posts Ruby Rose.

    I see in today's paper that the trip to Africa by Ms Kavanagh and whoever went with her cost €60,000 !!!!

    RTE like everybody else has to ecnomise these days. 60K is huge amount to spend on a speculative trip - I wonder did they fly first class and have chauffer driven transport around.?

    Apart from any anti-clerical or anti-catholic agenda RTE sppears to have, it seems having "invested" this amount of licence payers' cash, that they wanted a result. Hence their refusal of allow facts get in the way of the story.

    No credible explanation yet for allowing on transmision day an email from Fr Reynold's solicitors sit in a mailbox from about 10.30 a.m. until after 2. Most journalists I know are always checking their email.

    I think Pat Rabbitte was very easy going with RTE board. Resignations should have been demanded


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    #16
    Curly Judge
    Registered Users Posts: 2,708 ✭✭✭Curly Judge


    Would it be churlish of me to ask where the money to pay the 200,000 euro fine and the libel settlement and the legal fees, is going to come from?
    Will the incompetents responsible for this fiasco be forced to cough up or will the usual poor old milch cow be run up the chute once again.


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    #17
    FreudianSlippers
    Registered Users Posts: 20,397 ✭✭✭✭FreudianSlippers


    Curly Judge wrote: »
    Would it be churlish of me to ask where the money to pay the 200,000 euro fine and the libel settlement and the legal fees, is going to come from?
    Will the incompetents responsible for this fiasco be forced to cough up or will the usual poor old milch cow be run up the chute once again.
    RTÉ is responsible for this fiasco, the individuals were acting in the course of employment. Companies of this size have insurance for this kind of thing; so they would be the ones to pay out.

    Also, while News and Current Affairs is fully funded by the licence fee, AFAIK the corporate funding for RTÉ (like insurance payments and legal salaries, etc.) are paid from their commercial revenue - at present it is a 50:50 split.


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    #18
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 81,845 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    FreudianSlippers wrote: »
    Anyone who hasn't heard about this has not been in the country for some significant amount of time.
    Ahem.


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    #19
    Curly Judge
    Registered Users Posts: 2,708 ✭✭✭Curly Judge


    FreudianSlippers wrote: »
    RTÉ is responsible for this fiasco, the individuals were acting in the course of employment. Companies of this size have insurance for this kind of thing; so they would be the ones to pay out.

    Also, while News and Current Affairs is fully funded by the licence fee, AFAIK the corporate funding for RTÉ (like insurance payments and legal salaries, etc.) are paid from their commercial revenue - at present it is a 50:50 split.

    Even if, as you say, this will be covered by insurance, surely it will lead to an increase in the premiums and therefor end up being a charge on the public.
    Is there to be no sanction on the miscreants?


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    #20
    Ozymandius2011
    Registered Users Posts: 1,149 ✭✭✭Ozymandius2011


    RTE was the predator in this case so the programme was aptly named.


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    #21
    MadsL
    Registered Users Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    Interesting amount of neck on Mattie McGrath, perhaps he thinks Tom Savage should resign and reapply for the job?

    http://www.independent.ie/national-news/td-calls-on-rte-chairman-to-quit-over-mission-to-prey-broadcast-3110482.html


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    #22
    RubyRoss
    Registered Users Posts: 302 ✭✭RubyRoss


    MadsL wrote: »
    Interesting amount of neck on Mattie McGrath, perhaps he thinks Tom Savage should resign and reapply for the job?

    Well considering the despicable behaviour of The Communications Clinic (owned by Tom Savage and his wife Terry Prone) over Kate Fitzgerald's suicide and his conflict of interest position as an RTE director along with the failures over the Mission to Prey Programme, I’m just glad somebody finally called for the guy to resign.

    The director of the largest PR firm in the country has no place on the board of RTE – his company makes its money by coaching people (politicians) to appear on RTE shows. The minister for health paid them E15,000 for advice last year...but to truly comprehend the influence of this company consider how the Irish Times caved in to pressure from them, and the media largely did not report the story


    http://www.broadsheet.ie/2011/11/30/kate-fitzgerald/


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