Gloating British Media?

Koloman

Has anyone else noticed the increased gloating from TV and Newspapers across the water on the economic situation here? Having British commentators lecture us about how we messed up is a bit like the pot calling the kettle black don't you think?

The final straw for me came last week on the BBC's Newsnight programme where reporter Liz Mckean (who seems to have a dig at Ireland on a regular basis it seems) made a report from Dublin on the situation. The report was riddled with exaggeration and complete inaccuracies.

The following interview they had with Brian Lenihen was also very frosty. If Prime Time had talked to the British minister like that, you would not of heard the end of it!

It's as if those "Paddies" where getting too big for their boots and are rejoicing in our misfortune.

Maybe I'm being a bit paranoid here but I would like to know what others think?

me_right_one

You're dead right. Its not just with economics, they dig at us every time they can!

monument

Koloman wrote: »

Having British commentators lecture us

Err... if it's annoying you, maybe stop consuming British media?

Liz Mckean (who seems to have a dig at Ireland on a regular basis it seems) made a report from Dublin on the situation. The report was riddled with exaggeration and complete inaccuracies.

What does "regular" in this context mean? A few times a month or regular in this one report?

And what were the "exaggeration and complete inaccuracies"? Can you list them please?

The following interview they had with Brian Lenihen was also very frosty. If Prime Time had talked to the British minister like that, you would not of heard the end of it!

The media over there are seen to be generally more aggressive and sometimes seam to question their government more freely.

Koloman

monument wrote: »

Err... if it's annoying you, maybe stop consuming British media?



What does "regular" in this context mean? A few times a month or regular in this one report?

And what were the "exaggeration and complete inaccuracies"? Can you list them please?



The media over there are seen to be generally more aggressive and sometimes seam to question their government more freely.

1, It's important to know how our reputation is percieveed in Britain for a whole host of reasons considering our shared history. We do not need to be seen as the dumb Irish again, do we?

2, The report exaggerated the level of unemployment in Ireland at 10% at the moment which is untrue. It also showed a picture of Anglo Irish Bank as the commentator referred to Allied Irish Bank and showed inaccurate name captions during interviews with people in Dublin.

3, Does no one remember Mckean's mickey take of Bertie Ahern in a report last year on Ahern's finances? It was comedy stuff! Say what you like about Ahern, but when he is being interviewd by a foreign TV channel then I think the leader of the country at the time deserves some courtesy and respect, even if we don't think so!

4, I have seen many commentators over here give ministers a hard time especially Miriam O' Callaghan and Vincent Browne. We do have them in this country.

sceptre

Koloman wrote: »

We do not need to be seen as the dumb Irish again, do we?

I'm not really the kind of person who gives a fig what my neighbours think of me. We get on fine as long as they're not too loud at night and keep their radioactivity out of my fish.

Serenity Now!

Koloman wrote: »

Say what you like about Ahern, but when he is being interviewd by a foreign TV channel then I think the leader of the country at the time deserves some courtesy and respect, even if we don't think so!

Hypocrisy in extremis.

flogen

sceptre wrote: »

I'm not really the kind of person who gives a fig what my neighbours think of me. We get on fine as long as they're not too loud at night and keep their radioactivity out of my fish.

I agree with your stance in terms of the emotive side of things but the problem is that perception is crucial in economic terms, especially how British and American investors perceive the Irish economy to be.

I think to some degree the reports were genuine; this is internationally news-worthy stuff and there are many British investors with money in Anglo. However some of it was very sensationalised with a lot of tut-tutting going on about things the British are just as guilty of doing.

I do find it odd that some British newspapers have made such a big deal of the Anglo nationalisation when the British Government nationalised Northern Rock, part-nationalised Bradford & Bingley and is effectively nationalising RBS.

In some part it's genuine curiosity, in some parts it's just the media being thankful to have something new to talk about for a while and in some parts it's pure schadenfreude.

mike65

Quite so. In the US commentators are having a go at the UK, the OP might be pleased to know

charlie1966

A comment on foreign investors. They are well aware of the crap that any media can spew out, both foreign and local. Anyone investing money does or should do proper research. That goes for individuals and companies (wouldn't be in this mess if they did). We all know to take what any media says with a pinch of salt. Irish media can and has been condescending towards the UK.
And I agree if you don't like what the English media has to say about Ireland then don't support them.

As for their criticizing Bertie. Is this a case of they can't but we can. I don't agree. I'm not getting into a political debate here. IF our leader abused his power then that is newsworthy.

flogen

charlie1966 wrote: »

A comment on foreign investors. They are well aware of the crap that any media can spew out, both foreign and local. Anyone investing money does or should do proper research. That goes for individuals and companies (wouldn't be in this mess if they did). We all know to take what any media says with a pinch of salt. Irish media can and has been condescending towards the UK.
And I agree if you don't like what the English media has to say about Ireland then don't support them.

As for their criticizing Bertie. Is this a case of they can't but we can. I don't agree. I'm not getting into a political debate here. IF our leader abused his power then that is newsworthy.

As you say, they should. Many don't. The markets are based on predictions, assumptions and rumours. If people start hearing that Ireland's bank system is on the brink of collapse many will do a runner, only some will look at the "fundamentals" of it and make a rational decision.

I agree with you on them the other point - I've no problem with the foreign media giving our Government a hard time if they deserve it; it's just hypocrisy and even bias that creates a problem.

toomevara

I would have to say there is a considerable element of schadenfreude in certain quarters here with, perhaps inevitably, the Teleraph and the FT leading the charge.

It's tempered however, by the growing realisation that while, as is oft quoted to me, the only difference between Iceland and Ireland in 6 months time may very well be the letter 'c', its increasingly evident that the UK is in for a gruelling unlike any seen since the immediate post war years.

Here in the north of England the situation is self-evidently dire and getting worse day on day, and of course the London-centric media are already parroting the usual lazy 'its grim up North' stereotype, displaying a regional bias which is remarkably similar to the tone utilised in the reporting of the republic's economic woes....

Koloman

mike65 wrote: »

Quite so. In the US commentators are having a go at the UK, the OP might be pleased to know

Reykjavík on the Thames I hear!

Latchy

According to some British media reports ,out of all the industrilised nations , the UK's economy will suffer most in the recession .

Some British media might .....(and I say might) add Ireland to that economy .

Koloman

latchyco wrote: »

According to some British media reports ,out of all the industrilised nations , the UK's economy will suffer most in the recession .Some British media might .....(and I say might) add Ireland to that economy .

They use the term "Advanced Nation" to describe Britain. The commentators say the UK will have the worst recession of the advanced nations. What does that make Ireland then?

Latchy

Koloman wrote: »

They use the term "Advanced Nation" to describe Britain. The commentators say the UK will have the worst recession of the advanced nations. What does that make Ireland then?

Well I was wondering about that myself because similar reports say Irelands wont be as bad and It might be the UK was always seen as a progressive nation , leading the way ,bigger player on the world scene thing , compared to Ireland as the smaller, but wealthier European neighbour .Suppose we will just have to wait and see.

Koloman

latchyco wrote: »

Well I was wondering about that myself because similar reports say Irelands wont be as bad and It might be the UK was always seen as a progressive nation , leading the way ,bigger player on the world scene thing , compared to Ireland as the smaller, but wealthier European neighbour .Suppose we will just have to wait and see.

It is an interesting term that some people are using in this respect though. I wonder what it's wider meaning is? Is it the size of an economy which gets this description?

Snickers Man

Feck 'em!

When did they last beat us at soccer anyway?

Losers!!!!

partyguinness

I was in England last month when the pig meat dioxin scare broke on the Saturday night.

The BBC news was on and it was top story about the poisonous Irish pigmeat. I thought people must be dropping dead all over the place..

They could hardly contain themselves with joy at our misfortune. Of course they got so decimated after the BSE scare they were loving the chance to put the boot into any foreign foods.

Even my English g/friend said it seemed a bit over the top.:eek:

Elmo

I think they do this with everything they report. Look at how Sky are counting Barack Obama's first 100 days in office, they are just waiting for him to F-up IMO. The recession is the same so much so that for the first a few months ago Sky News start running a ticker of share price etc. etc.

I know your mainly talking about the BBC but for some strange reason the BBC like to imitate Sky!

Cabaal

Koloman wrote: »

They use the term "Advanced Nation" to describe Britain. The commentators say the UK will have the worst recession of the advanced nations. What does that make Ireland then?

I'd consider one of the reason why **** will hit the fan more in the UK is they kept sterling when compared to the rest of Europe

Koloman

BBC Radio 4 had a piece tonight highlighting "Ireland's worsening financial crisis". Mark Mardell on the BBC News at ten also had a story this week when he described Ireland as one of the "piigs" countries that are in the worst danger in the eurozone. I'm no economist but both Greece and Italy in particular have far worse public debt than we have and we are just lumped in with them.

Can you imagine the reporting when the Lisbon Treaty is voted on again! They will obviously say Ireland will almost be begging for the EU to forgive us and we cannot survive on our own. We will probably be portrayed as the beggars of Europe once again by the British press.

All this from a country which was the first to Nationalise a bank and whose financial system caused many of the problems in the first place.

Koloman

partyguinness wrote: »

I was in England last month when the pig meat dioxin scare broke on the Saturday night.

The BBC news was on and it was top story about the poisonous Irish pigmeat. I thought people must be dropping dead all over the place..

They could hardly contain themselves with joy at our misfortune. Of course they got so decimated after the BSE scare they were loving the chance to put the boot into any foreign foods.

Even my English g/friend said it seemed a bit over the top.:eek:

I remember Kay Burley on Sky News asking a contributor to "reassure" the public that nothing like this would ever happen with British pork. Short memories methinks.

Elmo

Koloman wrote: »

Can you imagine the reporting when the Lisbon Treaty is voted on again! They will obviously say Ireland will almost be begging for the EU to forgive us and we cannot survive on our own. We will probably be portrayed as the beggars of Europe once again by the British press.

TBH the Irish media have been so smug when letting us know that we were so wrong to vote againist the Lisbon Treaty. Look at what Willie O'Reilly said as Head of Today FM and IBI.

While there was a great deal of excellent programming, broadcasters were straight jacketed into dividing time equally in a way that did not actually deliver balanced content. The mere fact of a question being put to the people in a referendum does not mean that genuine balance and effective scrutiny requires both sides be given strictly equal time on air. In the Lisbon debate I believe that this artificial requirement was a self fulfilling prophesy. By giving equal time to both sides we gave the No case more credibility and less scrutiny than it deserved

This is basically the Independent Broadcasters or Ireland telling the Irish people how stupid they were to vote againist the Lisbon Treaty. They main complaint was they they had to give 50:50 to both sides and that they are to lazy to actually research the people they put on their TV/Radio shows. (Research cost far to much money, and you can spend money in a recession).

It is surely not in the public interest to hand over half the air time as automatically to one side in the crucial issue of a referendum simply because they show up on the day

No Willie we are not suggesting that but we are suggesting that you investigate all of the people you interview before interviewing so that you can examine what they are say the same goes for the other side. I would hope you would be as critical of the Yes side and research what they said too.

Duck's hoop

I wonder, is there a chance that there is just a smidgin of post-colonial paranoia in this thread? I mean are the U.K. meeja actually gloating over our misfortune? Would it be any different if reporting on France/Spain/Italy? Maybe gloating is the wrong word. They are going to report the facts and the facts are the Irish economy's stuffed for numerous reasons, not least the utter mismanagement by a bunch of dynastic cronies lining their own pockets.

If the shoe was on t'other foot would the Irish be falling over themselves to sympathise/empathise/feel their pain or would there be a certain sniggering at the misfortune of our nearest neighbour? Would we be rushing round with tea and sympathy, or standing around gawking and pointing, HA HA!

As for being discourteous to Bertie Ahern, let 'em at it. It's a pity he didn't get Paxmaned. To say it's ok for us to do it but not the Brits just smacks of national immaturity - 'he might be a crooked snide gombeen but he's our crooked snide gombeen.'

Boston

I personally don't watch that foreign channel.

Duck's hoop

Boston wrote: »

I personally don't watch that foreign channel.

A wo/man of principle and integrity!

Brian Capture

They're gloating at us because they're sick of Irish people shouting for ABE when it comes to sporting events.

Elmo

Brian Capture wrote: »

They're gloating at us because they're sick of Irish people shouting for ABE when it comes to sporting events.

Yeah! But they aren't English broadcasters but British ones LOL

Passenger

Who gives a flying Monkey testicle what a foreign nations news broadcasters have to say about Irish affairs.

Do you care with the same fervor about what the German or French News coverage has to report about Irish economic events???

LordSutch

Oh what short memories some people have here, I remember very well over the last ten-twelve years how the BBC/ITN/SKY have been Bigging-Up Ireland, by reporting on how wonderful the Celtic Tiger was, and how wonderful the Irish Economy was, and how Great Irish people felt to have a spring in their economic step ...........

This was on a daily basis in the BRITISH MEDIA ~ nearly to saturation point!

We also had a massive part to play in the 'above hype' due to every Irish media source shouting from the roof tops "Ireland is the Wealthiest Country in the World" ~ "Ireland now has more Mercedes per-capita than England" ~ "Ireland's Economic Boom is unparalled in History" ~ "Dublin has more Cranes on its Skyline than any other City on the planet" etc, etc, etc ~ every bloody day there would be some really smug reference in the Irish Media to how Wealthy Ireland was & how well the Irish Economy was doing and putting Britain to shame, (the British Media magnifed this) which helped the influx of business & foreigh workers into Ireland.

Anyone remember?

flogen

Camelot wrote: »

Oh what short memories some people have here, I remember very well over the last ten-twelve years how the BBC/ITN/SKY have been Bigging-Up Ireland, by reporting on how wonderful the Celtic Tiger was, and how wonderful the Irish Economy was, and how Great Irish people felt to have a spring in their economic step ...........

This was on a daily basis in the BRITISH MEDIA ~ nearly to saturation point!

We also had a massive part to play in the 'above hype' due to every Irish media source shouting from the roof tops "Ireland is the Wealthiest Country in the World" ~ "Ireland now has more Mercedes per-capita than England" ~ "Ireland's Economic Boom is unparalled in History" ~ "Dublin has more Cranes on its Skyline than any other City on the planet" etc, etc, etc ~ every bloody day there would be some really smug reference in the Irish Media to how Wealthy Ireland was & how well the Irish Economy was doing and putting Britain to shame, (the British Media magnifed this) which helped the influx of business & foreigh workers into Ireland.

Anyone remember?

Not sure if it was that regular but fair point; the British media was regularly talking about how great Ireland's economy was (as were others).

I suppose it's all part of the British media's technique - they tend to sing the praises loud and clear when there's a hint of success and condemn you to hell once things look remotely iffy. At least that's the cycle they seem to follow with celebrities etc. - very little grey in the way they cover things.

Of course the Irish media are not immune and it would be a generalisation to say the above applies to all or even most of the British media, but I do think it's more common there than here.