[Jackovarian]

Is it just me or are the majority of media publications, including state run broadcasters, pushing for Enda Kenny and Fine Gael to win the election?

I'm not saying anything for or against Fine Gael here, i'm just a bit angered at the biased coverage throughout the country.

You could use the excuse that they are winning in the polls, but that hardly gives publications like the Independent the go ahead to basically name Kenny taoiseach and say that Fine Gael will definitely have a seat majority.

At what point have we had an impartial media anyway? RTE were the only ones that allowed a 5 party debate. TV3 wanted the 3 biggest, even though Fianna Fail were basically tied with Sinn Fein at the time, and completely out of the public favour, apart from a few die hard followers.

Really makes you wonder why this level of support exists for Fine Gael within media circles.

[ei.sdraob]

I dont know now, RTE all getting a horn over Michael Martin

[Smcgie]

I think people only assume this when they support an opposition party, wait for a few days and someone will be crying about Gilmore or Martin.

Safe to say your not a blue shirt then

[Jackovarian]

You have a point there, but thats probably a smart move by RTE to keep the incoming Government sweet and let Fianna Fail know that they still have friends if they get back into power in four years.

[Jackovarian]

Originally Posted by Smcgie

I think people only assume this when they support an opposition party, wait for a few days and someone will be crying about Gilmore or Martin.

Safe to say your not a blue shirt then

Not really, but then at this moment in time I actually dont like any of them. Contemplating voting for Independents! Just dont see the point in it all really. Cant see any of them making any change. They'll probably get in and spend the four years blaming Fianna Fail for wreckin the place!

[Kev_ps3]

Whats surprising about the rich supporting the party's of the rich?

[ednwireland]

media = sheep

they'll just go with the flow

[outandabout]

I think if you study most of the posts and boards and threads on boards.ie, there is a pro-FG consensus emerging.

The media, in my opinion, is reflecting this consensus and also following the opinion polls.

[DeVore]

We're having a better debate on this forum with more depth and substance than I have seen or heard from any other media.

The bigwigs may denigrate us or ignore us but online is showing its real power this time around.

DeV.

[cavedave]

Theres a guy here who did a sentiment analysis of Irish newspaper reports and Fine Gael do seem to be treated the most positively

[Permabear]

OP, can you post some examples of this allegedly biased media coverage?

TV3's flagship politics programme is hosted by Vincent Browne, a blatantly open cheerleader for the Left, who has been resolutely pro-Labour and anti-FF/FG.

I see no evidence that RTÉ has been biased towards any particular party. Do you have examples?

Mockery of Sinn Féin would be quite understandable from any POV, given that their economic policy consists of telling the bondholders, IMF, EU, and ECB to get lost, collapsing the banks, reversing all the budget cuts, and then funding our €20+ billion deficit and a €7 billion stimulus package out of our €4 billion National Pension Reserve Fund. Nobody can take that seriously.

[dlofnep]

The Mirror is certainly behind Fine Gael. Their articles are riddled with bias. So much for the media playing an nonpartisan role in politics.

[oppenheimer1]

FG are getting very positive coverage at the moment and their policies are not being critically analysed in the media. I don't think the bias is intentional though, its just the propensity of people to back a winner. When Labour looked like a sure thing the analysis of their policies were non existent or favourable. It was the same for FF in their day too.

That said people will also see bias when they want to see it too.

[Permabear]

Originally Posted by dlofnep

The Mirror is certainly behind Fine Gael. Their articles are riddled with bias. So much for the media playing an nonpartisan role in politics.

It's common practice for British newspapers to rally behind particular parties. You'll generally find the Telegraph and the Express pulling strongly for the Conservatives, for instance, and the Guardian and the Mirror cheerleading for Labour.

But citing the bias of one newspaper does not equal proof that "the media are biased."

[Killer Pigeon]

Originally Posted by Permabear

TV3's flagship politics programme is hosted by Vincent Browne, a blatantly open cheerleader for the Left, who has been resolutely pro-Labour and anti-FF/FG.

That's not what Joan Burton thinks.