RTÉ apologises to Cowen

Elmo · 26-03-2009 11:09am

Deleted User wrote: »

As I said,it's the norm down through the ages for Governments to do it the way it was done.
I believe the BCC would have upheld a complaint.The grounds for one are clear ie an un warranted mickey take on a news bulletin.
Thats appropriate on podge and Rodge but not on a newscast hence the apology which was RTE's sensible reaction to a complaint they must have known based on their catologue of experience would have stood up if taken further.

Historical this norm has not been used in the correct manner. Indeed this small issue proves how RTÉ can be quickly censored by the government. The norm is always what is best. I do not beleive that the BCC would have up held the complaint, for the reason that I have outline above. (I refer you to Ray Burke's dealings with RTÉ during the late 1980s and early 1990s).

The norm to me is abnormal and needs to be normalised ASAP.

26-03-2009 12:28pm

I think you made that point a couple of pages ago.
I saw it then you know

Elmo · 26-03-2009 12:40pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I think you made that point a couple of pages ago.
I saw it then you know

You seem to think your going to get the last word on this

I heard you too. I disagree.

26-03-2009 1:43pm

flogen wrote: »

It could be - only a handful of people can say. It's clear that this is being treated very seriously, however, more than you might see in arguably more important cases.

The thing is though we don't see 99.9% of cases as we are not in the Gardaí so we can't make a statement like that.
It could be that this isn't being treated with anymore urgency than a similar case thats not in the media spotlight ie a case that has legs from a it's investigateable/actionable but you and I would think it trivial perspective.

You suggested I read that thread because of the reference I made to Ray D'Arcy's show being visited by a Garda who said "the powers that be want action". It's clear what your implication was.

Now it is I who is not sure about what You mean. To repeat,I directed you to this sites discussion for mods on what can and cannot be said in a thread because I was afraid the next step for this thread was it was going to go there.But isn't that one of the uselessness's of a post compared to a live conversation and an example of understandable misinterpretations.
I hope you are now clear why I brought it up.

The same evidence there is that RTÉ decided to take the clip down before it was approached by the Government Press Office.

With respect,I was asking what evidence there was of someone on high [the government] presurising the garda investigation.
Theres nothing in RTE's actions displaying evidence of interference in Garda operations.

While I completely despise vox pops in any form if the decision was made to get the "people's voice" I don't think it would be acceptable to cut them because they might be seen as positive or negative.

It's a risk you run with the vox pop format and RTÉ took it, they should stand by it. I'm not certain what was said in these vox pops that could be offensive so I'll have to wait and see if I think they were just negative or if they were over a line.

I'm guessing from having seen the entire that Cowens family thought the entire report was structured so as to be insulting in tone whereas it was actually structured to be funny in tone.
The problem arose because in making it funny,the tools used are equally insulting to those that complained.

I don't know but as I said,I'm more open to that explanation than an experienced politician blindly waving a stick at RTE.
I believe he's experienced enough to know that this was trivial but as his family was mentioned in the complaint then I think it is they that drove the complaint.

There shouldn't be an informal process that allows anyone, particularly the state, to put pressure on a broadcaster to change its output in any way. If they want to complain they have established structures to do so and they should use them.

The structures are new enough.Over the years/decades governments have contacted RTE and other broadcasters directly.
I'm not disputing your view on the need for that.

I don't think the scripted lines were derisory of Brian Cowen - they were really tongue in cheek references to the artist.

Oh I think they are so I disagree with you there.
Where we seem to agree is I'd have laughed it off..though possibly not if my Wife or mother were upset.

There was nothing transparent about this - if there was we'd know who contacted who, when they did it and what was said.

The fact that the call was made,the complaint made,how it was made and the nature of it was transparent thanks to the speed of the on air apology.
Requiring the transcript of the calls is ott.

I accept that the BCC process would have been only a bit more transparent but it would have been far better if that's what you're looking for

I'm not disputing that-just pointing out established lines of communication between government and Broadcasters.

It's not a matter of whether you find it funny or not but you are saying sarcasm and so on is unacceptable in news broadcasts and yet you don't think Halligan's comments are all that bad.

Well initially I was thinking of her discussion programme and not her news reports.
They are perfectly acceptable in her discussion programme just as they are in VB's part of TV3's nightly news programme as it's a discussion programme.
If she's displaying a politician [any politician] ina bad light other than commenting on what they have done-then thats unacceptable and would be grounds for complaint.
I'm thinking if she was saying something like..."The rather fat Mary Harney said xy and z today in the Dáil" now that would be totally unacceptable.
Whereas saying I give her an F for what she said in the Dáil wouldnt be as she would be giving reasons.
As you know it's a fine line and rightly so because you can't have a newscaster ridiculing one particular party/politician on their own as it's open to be construed as bias.
By the way,the only TV3 news programme I watch is the Vincent Browne part of their 11pm nightly news so I wouldn't be overly familiar with Ms Halligan.

I very much doubt he is and I don't think there's a great conspiracy; I just think Government are very sensitive about media coverage at the moment as it has tended to make them look bad and they reacted in a way that they otherwise may have not.

I'd give Cowen more credit than that in terms of his ability to see what would cause more harm than good.

Out of curiosity can I ask you how many instances of the government contacting RTE or other broadcasters has there been lately for you to form the opinion that they are more sensitive lately to media coverage ?

dissident · 26-03-2009 2:18pm

Just found this :pac: www.teeshock.net

Fionn · 26-03-2009 2:39pm

He he... I love it a T-shirt for the Taoiseach!!!

lets hope nothing too serious ever happens - we'll all be in the ****e!!!

thebman · 26-03-2009 3:58pm

youcrazyjesus! wrote: »

1 Incitement? ......to what exactly?

2 Indecency? .....hmmm....every newspaper and magazine editor in the country would be in doing hard time if that was enforced as a crime these days.

3 Criminal damage? .....I'd imagine there would need to be some intent on his part to cause damage. There was absolutely no intent to damage any property.

If I were him I'd have refused to speak to the Gardai. He could have offered 50 euro to the gallery as a gesture of goodwill towards the structural damage to the building caused by his nail but thats about it.

Illegal dumping maybe ????

I don't know, it seems clear dragging him to a police station was more to make it inconvenient and to send the message to other people what happens if you do this. Other people will hear the police got involved and go, dear god I'm glad I didn't do it.

TBH, this is abuse of police powers and government powers since no real crime was committed IMO. He should have refused to go and if they told them he had to, asked on what grounds. I guess he didn't want the hassle of causing a fuss with the police because next time he does anything wrong, they'd try to come down harder on him because he gave them hassle before.

I think it was stupid for the Taoiseach to do but hey the guy gets ridiculed in the media like nobody I've ever seen.

Not by RTE specifically but definitely by other newspapers and radio stations. I think it is very disrespectful to refer to the leader of our country as BIFFO instead of his rightful title. I usually switch over or stop reading when I hear or read such remarks as the person obviously has nothing useful to say if they have to reduce to insulting the man like that.

He has made plenty of professional errors that you don't need to go to those levels to have a dig at him.