Very large Catholic bias at RTE?

DublinWriter

Somethings been bugging me for the past couple of years about RTE.

Is it just me, or has anyone else noted a very large amount of bias at RTE regarding all things Catholic?

I'm not necessarily talking about the overt stuff such as The Angelus or the Sunday mass coverage.

I'm talking about how some of the 'big-name' presenters frequently mention they were at mass apropos of a seqway into some other story or question for a guest.

I'm also talking about why RTE TV are devoting two hours this morning on live coverage from St.Peter's square of the Pope installing the latest Cardinals.

At least it's not as bad as it was years ago when the company logo was effectively a crucifix, but has anyone noticed that even today, there is a very subtle promotion of Catholicism at RTE?

...or maybe I should put the Tinfoil Hat back on.

Tha Gopher

meh, targeting an audience. On a Sunday morning most young people are either gone shopping or lying dead with a hangover. Most old people are relaxing infront of the tv, and sure you cant whack a bit of religion.

Ad revenue too. Im sure that during the live from peters square masses the adbreaks carry ads for 5 cans of peas for only a euro in Dunnes etc, stuff the elderly would buy.

star-pants

I know it's not what you were focusing on but the Sunday services aren't all Catholic - there are Methodist / Protestant services too.
The St Brigid's Cross was an Irish Catholic thing and if you figure back then when it was used - Catholicism was one of the most prominent religions & they would have geared towards the majority.
(edit-as eamonnkeane said, wasn't exclusively catholic)

Utopia Parkway

DublinWriter wrote: »

Somethings been bugging me for the past couple of years about RTE.

Is it just me, or has anyone else noted a very large amount of bias at RTE regarding all things Catholic?

I'm not necessarily talking about the overt stuff such as The Angelus or the Sunday mass coverage.

I'm talking about how some of the 'big-name' presenters frequently mention they were at mass apropos of a seqway into some other story or question for a guest.

I'm also talking about why RTE TV are devoting two hours this morning on live coverage from St.Peter's square of the Pope installing the latest Cardinals.

At least it's not as bad as it was years ago when the company logo was effectively a crucifix, but has anyone noticed that even today, there is a very subtle promotion of Catholicism at RTE?

...or maybe I should put the Tinfoil Hat back on.

Newsflash. There are a hell of a lot of Catholics in Ireland.:D

EamonnKeane

The Brigid's cross could hardly be considered exclusively Catholic.

Killaqueen!!!

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Newsflash. There are a hell of a lot of Catholics in Ireland.:D

End of discussion tbh. Was just about to say that.

Whats wrong with showing Catholic services? Virtually all of our population is Catholic, even if half of em probably aren't practicing ones...:p

Sandwich

Catholicism is still a very prominent part of Irish society and landscape (depite the erosion of the last 20 years) and a national broadcaster should reflect this. If anything I would feel there is a negative bias, muting or underrepresentation of catholicism.
And I am not catholic btw.

moe_sizlak

im not religous but i dont agree with the OP,s post , as someone mentioned , on sunday morning , rte often show church of ireland services and by and large religous stories are reported objectivley

davejones

I also agree with the OP there should be alot more programs on RTE for the muslims and the Jews.It really is ridiculous.

moe_sizlak

davejones wrote: »

I also agree with the OP there should be alot more programs on RTE for the muslims and the Jews.It really is ridiculous.[/QUOTE

do you know how many jews there are in ireland , there are less than 2000

DublinWriter

davejones wrote: »

I also agree with the OP there should be alot more programs on RTE for the muslims and the Jews.It really is ridiculous.

Hmmm...call me crazy, but how about stripping out all religious coverage and bias from what is supposed to be our national broadcaster? It seems to work for the French and Germans.

Anyone listening to RTE Radio 1 over this weekend will be throughly informed of John Daly's making up to Cardinal - it was the number one item on the news *all* weekend. Plus we had two hours of live coverage and much commentary of same on the Marianne Finnucaine Radio show.

AnnaStezia

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Newsflash. There are a hell of a lot of Catholics in Ireland.:D

Indeed, and most of them are Roman Catholics in particular !

Does the Irish Constitution still recognise the special place of the Roman Catholic church - Article 44 ?

Will it be long before there is a legal challenge to the playing of The Angelus on RTE Radio and TV on some religious grounds or human rights basis or whatever ? I am glad that they change the picture sequence periodically for the TV Angelus as that guy pumping up his sister's bicycle looked really tired ........

Zaph

AnnaStezia wrote: »

Indeed, and most of them are Roman Catholics in particular !

As opposed to?

alleepally

DublinWriter wrote: »

I'm talking about how some of the 'big-name' presenters frequently mention they were at mass apropos of a seqway into some other story or question for a guest.

...or maybe I should put the Tinfoil Hat back on.

What's the problem with someone mentioning they were at mass or any other religious service? If that's what the presenter did the previous day, so be it. I don't think that a presenter mentioning this would be any different to them mentioning they went shopping/had a meal/danced in a nightclub/whatever.

I definitely think your tinfoil hat needs to go back on. While you're at it you might put the shoulderpads back in as well and hopefully they are made of strong material. Like, y'know, chip resistant.

alleepally

DublinWriter wrote: »

Hmmm...call me crazy, but how about stripping out all religious coverage and bias from what is supposed to be our national broadcaster? It seems to work for the French and Germans.

So, do you reckon that German TV didn't cover the visit of the pope last year?

dulpit

I never knew that the sunday service was occasionally a protestant mass or something... That's good like, shows that rte are aware of the other religions in ireland (sorry OP...)

Also, i was gutted to find out last year that the sunday mass programme is filmed in a studio, and not an actual church...

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

really?
lol

kevmy

There trying to steal my thoughts!!!!!

*puts tinfoil hat on*

Ahh that's better.

Sorry what were we talking about?

chiarraigrrl

the funniest had to be banning Tommy Tiernan from the Late Late in effect cos viewers felt he was blasphemous (just cos he was making religious jokes... it's comedy, people, relax...).

it was pretty obvious that a few priests in certain parishes involved the show in their sermon on the Sunday, based on the locations people were calling from to complain to the BCC on the Monday morning (and the fact that they pretty much said the same thing word-for-word). eh, not that i know that, or anything...

seemed a bit ridiculous to me...

wil

Thats a bit like saying I've noticed a slight Muslim slant on Iranian TV lately. If you grew up in another country I might slightly understand the question. It was much worse 10/15 years ago. Perhaps a few priests are coming out of their shells again now there are no new church/childabuse scandals breaking but cant say Ive noticed particularly more recently.
The number of practicing Catholics (Roman and others) is probably increasing, nonIrish though. There's even Polish services now.

Best quote of the last few weeks goes to a lady on JDuffy pouring scorn on a poledancing fundraiser for some school.

"I'm not repressed, I'm not even Catholic":D
classic

zaph wrote: »

As opposed to?

Ukrainian, Greek, Greek Melkite, Maronite, Ruthenian Byzantine, Coptic Catholic, Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara, Chaldean, Ethiopic Rites, Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, Old Catholic Church, the Polish National Catholic Church, the Independent Catholic, the Ancient Catholic and Liberal Catholic Churches, Lutherans (though they prefer the lower-case "c," and, like Anglicans, stress that they are both Protestant and Catholic, High Church Anglicans, known also as "Anglo-Catholics", 19th century Neo-Lutherans, 20th century High Church Lutherans or evangelical-catholics and of course Lapsed.

Splitters:D

Wheels

DublinWriter wrote: »

I'm talking about how some of the 'big-name' presenters frequently mention they were at mass apropos of a seqway into some other story or question for a guest.

What 'big-name' presenters are you talking about exactly? I can't say I've ever noticed it. The Sunday services coverage is part of the licence remit, BBC & ITV have to have a certain amount of religious programmes on per week in the UK so it shouldn't be different here.

Some of the biggest news stories of the 90's were entirely negative towards the church. I feel it's quiet balanced that the cardinal was getting coverage though it certainly wouldn't have interested me.

anotherlostie

I would not be one to ever watch mass on a Sunday, but in all fairness, a mass celebrating the elevation of Seán Brady (and not John Daly, as OP seemed to think) is quite an important event for Ireland's practicing Catholics.

In general RTE presents news, and not a great deal of opinion (well unless you're George Lee). I would be much more concerned about the Catholic bias of the written media, and the contamination of same by the Iona Institute and the like.

But hey, this is Ireland and it's way cooler to knock RTE. Isn't it?