Dunphy and sycophantism

tomcosgrave

Okay first off - I was always a big fan of David McWilliams and was annoyed when Newstalk took him off the breakfast time slot and effectively cut him loose.

That said, I was hopeful that Dunphy would put on a good show - but it is awful. I think he's a sycophant - openly expressing his support for FF and the PD's last week, and then today again even worse, expressing his support for Dana. Maybe it's just me, but isn't a show like The Breakfast Show a news and current affairs show, as opposed to being a vehicle for whoever presents it?

I must say today was stomach churning...and Orla Barry gave him a talking to on air about it, which was amusing...but she stated her objection to Dana, which I feel she shouldn't have done...these people are meant to be bias-free when it comes to political personalities, or am I wrong?

flogen

tomcosgrave wrote:

Okay first off - I was always a big fan of David McWilliams and was annoyed when Newstalk took him off the breakfast time slot and effectively cut him loose.

That said, I was hopeful that Dunphy would put on a good show - but it is awful. I think he's a sycophant - openly expressing his support for FF and the PD's last week, and then today again even worse, expressing his support for Dana. Maybe it's just me, but isn't a show like The Breakfast Show a news and current affairs show, as opposed to being a vehicle for whoever presents it?

I must say today was stomach churning...and Orla Barry gave him a talking to on air about it, which was amusing...but she stated her objection to Dana, which I feel she shouldn't have done...these people are meant to be bias-free when it comes to political personalities, or am I wrong?

well as journalists they should be bias-free, but they could say that they present editorial type shows.
Most of the time they stay pretty neutral in discussions, but it does creep in from time to time. Dunphy is a prime offender, even before the new show he always gave his opinion, and ignored the rest. Orla Barry was wrong to critcise Dana, but at least she was challenging him.
While I'm a big fan of George Hook, and I also hate George Bush, it kinda annoys me when he starts to blindly bad mouth the guy. I cant quite figure out why, though... I should be happy to hear it!

flogen

Genghis

Do you mean that Dunphy should:

a) neither have nor express an opinion (i.e. be bias-free), or
b) he should not always play to the agenda of whatever guest he is interviewing at a particular time (as that results in different and confusing biases), or
c) that he should be at least consistent in his biases?

I think it is good that a presenter has a natural bias, as long as it is known, and as long as the guests on the show are balanced.

mike65

To be fair Dunphy has always taken this approach he has never sought to be
neutral, he can be objective but preferes a row or a love in.

Whats the programme like overall? Not able to listen to it down here.

Mike.

tomcosgrave

mike65 wrote:

To be fair Dunphy has always taken this approach he has never sought to be neutral, he can be objective but preferes a row or a love in.

Whats the programme like overall? Not able to listen to it down here.

Mike.

Personally, I find the program to be mediocre.

It's better than anything RTE put out in that it's less dry, but the amount of sucking up Dunphy does is stomach churning. I think it's a combination of kissing up to whatever guest is on the program, and also his own views. Either way, he should be bias-free, and the kissing up makes him look foolish and gives the impression that he's not his own person.

McWilliams was a much better presenter - he was intelligent, yet didn't take himself seriously, and rarely sucked up - I can recall him calling guests out on regular occasions.

Genghis

I do think Dunphy is a better broadcaster than McWilliams, though. McWilliams always came across to me as being better in print than on TV or Radio - especially when he was expected to deliver a fast-paced semi-tabloid news agenda. I did enjoy his show, and I am sorry to see how he was treated in the end, but I prefer Dunphy in that slot.

I think McWilliams might have done well in a mid-morning (or even a weekend) slot with a focus more like his TV programme - one or two well researched topics discussed with genuine experts. It is a shame that Newstalk had to lose him.

flogen

It is a shame he went alright!
Dunphy can be good at times, and your right Genghis, its ok when you know the bias of the media your watching/listening to/reading.

I expect Dunphy to be moved to a day time slot in a few months, maybe after christmas. I can only hope McWilliams will be back on our airwaves somewhere or other soon enough.

flogen

Cork

I hope David McWilliams gets a new radio show on a national radio station.

His debates show intelligence and are very informative.

I am not from Dublin so I only heard newtalk on the net and on visits to the big smoke but McWilliams would be a massive asset to any media organisation.

Captain Trips

Cork wrote:

I hope David McWilliams gets a new radio show on a national radio station.

His debates show intelligence and are very informative.

I am not from Dublin so I only heard newtalk on the net and on visits to the big smoke but McWilliams would be a massive asset to any media organisation.

I think it may be my natural bias that attributes McWilliams as not being an idiot and I think Dunphy is. McWilliams has a knowledge base and doesn't overstep the mark, Dunphy on the other hand appears to squat about everything and just comes across to me as being highly undereducated.

kevin99

I don't listen to Dunphy on Sunday's. He is a pain in the butt. A know-all. Licking up to his usual panel of guests. Listening to Giles talking about football.
I mean Giles is in his 70s and hasn't played professional footie for 40 years!! Yet Dunphy panders to him
I'd love to know how much Giles is paid by Newstalk for his three minutes 'insight' on a Sunday lunchtime during his pal, Dunphy's show. And how much he gets for doing the Thursday 45minute gig on the Newstalk sports show, notwithstanding his Herald columns and RTE gig.

flogen

This thread is a blast from the past... funny how opinions can change in a few years.

baalthor

kevin99 wrote: »

I'd love to know how much Giles is paid by Newstalk for his three minutes 'insight' on a Sunday lunchtime during his pal, Dunphy's show. And how much he gets for doing the Thursday 45minute gig on the Newstalk sports show

Nowadays they use they use the Giles App. It can produce authentic sounding Giles quotes but it doesnt have the AI to analyse games.
Thats why 'Giles' always says: 'I haven't seen them playing <presenter name>' when asked about a specific match ...

easychair

kevin99 wrote: »

I don't listen to Dunphy on Sunday's. He is a pain in the butt. A know-all. Licking up to his usual panel of guests. Listening to Giles talking about football.
I mean Giles is in his 70s and hasn't played professional footie for 40 years!! Yet Dunphy panders to him
I'd love to know how much Giles is paid by Newstalk for his three minutes 'insight' on a Sunday lunchtime during his pal, Dunphy's show. And how much he gets for doing the Thursday 45minute gig on the Newstalk sports show, notwithstanding his Herald columns and RTE gig.

Its funny how you say you don't listen to Dunphy on Sundays, but you know a lot about his show for someone who claims not to listen to it! You even know the time allocated to John Giles! How do you know so much detail if you don't listen to the show?