Accuracy etc of RTE website

Slideshowbob · 11-02-2010 11:58pm #1

Over the last few years I've noticed the website to be off the mark on several occasions in terms of their news content etc.

I'm now going to document it here from now on if that's ok with everyone as and when it happens!

Now, they have Alexander McQueen's death under the ''Entertainment'' category.

Is a death classed as entertainement or as this guy was a fashion designer; is fashion entertainment?

silverharp · 12-02-2010 8:54am

I dont see a problem with that one. It not really a mainstream news story. Personally I never heard of him (not that that means anything) so it seems reasonable to me that that its classed in the "and from world of fashion design we are sad to learn of the death of...................."

IRE60 · 12-02-2010 10:57am

Silverharp2 wrote: »

I dont see a problem with that one. It not really a mainstream news story. Personally I never heard of him (not that that means anything) so it seems reasonable to me that that its classed in the "and from world of fashion design we are sad to learn of the death of...................."

you have to be taking the p1ss.

Because your complete lack of knowledge on the person/subject you would simply shoehorn the story into the 'catch all' entertainment section - because he was in the fashion industry? You would obviously excel in the Web department of RTE - which in this particular case has shown itself to be a complete disgrace.

If it's not a mainstream story, in that myopic vision that you have, out of the 13 UK papers on sale today - why did ALL 13 carry it on their front page? Because is a crap story, of absolutely no importance?

Stay clear of the news decision making of any media, including the Beano.

Keano · 12-02-2010 11:10am

IRE60 wrote: »

you have to be taking the p1ss.

Because your complete lack of knowledge on the person/subject you would simply shoehorn the story into the 'catch all' entertainment section - because he was in the fashion industry? You would obviously excel in the Web department of RTE - which in this particular case has shown itself to be a complete disgrace.

If it's not a mainstream story, in that myopic vision that you have, out of the 13 UK papers on sale today - why did ALL 13 carry it on their front page? Because is a crap story, of absolutely no importance?

Stay clear of the news decision making of any media, including the Beano.

Yes. It maybe a massive story in the UK but we are not the UK.

Meeja Ireland · 12-02-2010 11:23am

IRE60 wrote: »

you have to be taking the p1ss.

Because your complete lack of knowledge on the person/subject you would simply shoehorn the story into the 'catch all' entertainment section - because he was in the fashion industry? You would obviously excel in the Web department of RTE - which in this particular case has shown itself to be a complete disgrace.

I think Silverharp is right.

1. The death of a person from the world of entertainment IS an entertainment story. Putting it under that category is not suggesting that it was trivial, and your outrage is very hard to understand.

2. Someone whose death is important news should also be noted in the main news report. Does the death of this particular fashion designer have that level of importance? You think so, and no doubt you have your reasons. The RTE News Editors apparently don't, and no doubt they have theirs. Can't you agree to disagree? Or at least make a case for your view that isn't limited to abusing the people you disagree with?

Slideshowbob · 12-02-2010 11:40am

Meeja Ireland wrote: »

I think Silverharp is right.

1. The death of a person from the world of entertainment IS an entertainment story. Putting it under that category is not suggesting that it was trivial, and your outrage is very hard to understand.

2. Someone whose death is important news should also be noted in the main news report. Does the death of this particular fashion designer have that level of importance? You think so, and no doubt you have your reasons. The RTE News Editors apparently don't, and no doubt they have theirs. Can't you agree to disagree? Or at least make a case for your view that isn't limited to abusing the people you disagree with?

Don't know much about this fashion designer but how exactly is he an entertainer? Like Bart Simpson? Brad Pitt? Beyonce? Peter Andre?

Can't you Meeja Ireland agree to disagree also?

Meeja Ireland · 12-02-2010 11:51am

Slideshowbob wrote: »

Don't know much about this fashion designer but how exactly is he an entertainer? Like Bart Simpson? Brad Pitt? Beyonce? Peter Andre?

Can't you Meeja Ireland agree to disagree also?

What do you mean? I haven't insulted anyone. I haven't even expressed an opinion about the impoirtance of this story.

You may not think of fashion design as a branch of the entertainment industry. Fair enough. Other people might. Fair enough. I can't see anything to get worked up about.

If you're going to start filing the mistakes of the RTE news website, which I think is an excellent idea, you might start with a clearer example.

silverharp · 12-02-2010 1:35pm

IRE60 wrote: »

you have to be taking the p1ss.

Because your complete lack of knowledge on the person/subject you would simply shoehorn the story into the 'catch all' entertainment section - because he was in the fashion industry? You would obviously excel in the Web department of RTE - which in this particular case has shown itself to be a complete disgrace.

If it's not a mainstream story, in that myopic vision that you have, out of the 13 UK papers on sale today - why did ALL 13 carry it on their front page? Because is a crap story, of absolutely no importance?

Stay clear of the news decision making of any media, including the Beano.

very good! this is Ireland not the UK, so what is first page over there doesnt automatically mean it should be here. A newspaper isnt the same as a television website so I'd expect the priorities to be different, funnily enough when I logged on to Bloomberg today I dont remember seeing it at all. and assuming it was a suicide, it could be turned into a vehicle for discussing the issue but that would be more for analysis/opinion sections of an Irish newspaper.

shotgun mike · 13-02-2010 2:59pm

IRE60 wrote: »

you have to be taking the p1ss.

Because your complete lack of knowledge on the person/subject you would simply shoehorn the story into the 'catch all' entertainment section - because he was in the fashion industry? You would obviously excel in the Web department of RTE - which in this particular case has shown itself to be a complete disgrace.

If it's not a mainstream story, in that myopic vision that you have, out of the 13 UK papers on sale today - why did ALL 13 carry it on their front page? Because is a crap story, of absolutely no importance?

Stay clear of the news decision making of any media, including the Beano.

The very nature of the set up of the rte website means that stories are categorised into news/business/sport or ents. Roy Keane returning from Saipan was front page news in every Irish and UK paper but would you expect to see that in the news section.

Fashion designers, like it or not, fall more comfortably into the entertainment category. The news section, I would imagine, is not intended to be the 'catch all' type as you so described the entertainment section, if it was then any story, from and spectrum of news and media would so qualify.

And your last comment with regards to the beano is completely out of line to a poster who was just voicing his opinion.

Slideshowbob · 03-03-2010 12:35pm

What a facetious and misleading headline!

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0303/liveregister.html

Maybe they could name the 20! ;-)

shotgun mike · 03-03-2010 3:51pm

Slideshowbob wrote: »

What a facetious and misleading headline!

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0303/liveregister.html

Maybe they could name the 20! ;-)

What about the fact the x amount of people have been added to the live register is viewed as tongue in cheek, or misleading?? Seasonally adjusted figures show that the live register has decreased but the fact is that an increase of 20 people was recorded for february. It is the first figure in the cso report, and rightly the headline figure. If it had gained by 100 would it be misleading to say that? or 1,000?

See CSO figures below:

http://www.cso.ie/releasespublications/documents/labour_market/current/lreg.pdf

expectationlost · 03-03-2010 8:00pm

i know they usally report on the increase and decrease but i don't think 20 ppl really reflects the story the only number in the headline should be 436,956

436,956. thats the story.

shotgun mike · 04-03-2010 12:59pm

expectationlost wrote: »

i know they usally report on the increase and decrease but i don't think 20 ppl really reflects the story the only number in the headline should be 436,956

436,956. thats the story.

The story is whatever increase or decrease there is. the figure alone does not reflect much of anything, not least if things are getting better, worse or remaining the same.

tipperaryboy · 07-03-2010 11:04pm

It has to be said that the rte news website is really terrible.will they ever wake up and fix it up properly.

Slideshowbob · 30-03-2010 7:40pm

How delightful to see RTE website main news headline is currently:

"LIVE - Transfer of loans to NAMA"

What the hell does that mean? They are all still alive in Montrose? Or even though the Dail is empty the security guards there are still alive?

shotgun mike · 30-03-2010 9:04pm

Slideshowbob wrote: »

How delightful to see RTE website main news headline is currently:

"LIVE - Transfer of loans to NAMA"

What the hell does that mean? They are all still alive in Montrose? Or even though the Dail is empty the security guards there are still alive?

I would imagine it is denoting the that it is tracking the transfer of loans live on the website as opposed to just doing a news story about it. Live trackers are used by most websites now in news and sport as a way of conveying the story as it happens for people unable to watch on tv etc... and not just have them read the same news story throughout the day to see how the story evolves...

Slideshowbob · 30-03-2010 10:09pm

shotgun mike wrote: »

I would imagine it is denoting the that it is tracking the transfer of loans live on the website as opposed to just doing a news story about it. Live trackers are used by most websites now in news and sport as a way of conveying the story as it happens for people unable to watch on tv etc... and not just have them read the same news story throughout the day to see how the story evolves...

was that not all sorted earlier in the day though???

shotgun mike · 31-03-2010 2:03pm

Slideshowbob wrote: »

was that not all sorted earlier in the day though???

no, if you read the tracker reaction continued both in the Dál and from different interest groups until after 10pm i think

silverharp · 07-04-2010 10:23pm

it's not wrong as such and it is the entertainment section but not in a million years will I remember Martina as someone who was on a reality show.

http://www.rte.ie/arts/2010/0407/imacelebrity.html

Jungle star Navratilova has cancer

Former 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here' star Martina Navratilova has been diagnosed with breast cancer..............

Slideshowbob · 07-04-2010 10:45pm

Silverharp2 wrote: »

it's not wrong as such and it is the entertainment section but not in a million years will I remember Martina as someone who was on a reality show.

http://www.rte.ie/arts/2010/0407/imacelebrity.html

Jungle star Navratilova has cancer

Former 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here' star Martina Navratilova has been diagnosed with breast cancer..............

Disrepsectful and ignorant - is it a 12 year old writing this ?

Stargal · 08-04-2010 2:02am

Silverharp2 wrote: »

it's not wrong as such and it is the entertainment section but not in a million years will I remember Martina as someone who was on a reality show.

http://www.rte.ie/arts/2010/0407/imacelebrity.html

Jungle star Navratilova has cancer

Former 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here' star Martina Navratilova has been diagnosed with breast cancer..............

Great spot.

IRE60 · 08-04-2010 8:53am

I made a reference to this before and became 'slightly animated' (and warned!), so I will try composure this time around.

An argument voice about why RTE would put stories like that into the 'entertainment' section was that 'they had no place else to put them'.

To my mind its such a disrespectful thing to do. To the 'lovvies' and lefties in the state funded palace, it may not be strictly 'news' in the 'lovvies' and lefties brief.

But, for the rest of us, a woman suffering of cancer is far from 'entertainment', and she slips into that section simply because she appeared on television.

edit: I see that they don't even spare one of their own the 'entertainment' curse:

http://www.rte.ie/arts/2010/0407/oneilld.html

they even manage a plug for their magazine at the end of the piece...

Slideshowbob · 08-04-2010 12:59pm

Reminds me of a song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv55WsedLYI

shotgun mike · 12-04-2010 6:08pm

IRE60 wrote: »

I made a reference to this before and became 'slightly animated' (and warned!), so I will try composure this time around.

An argument voice about why RTE would put stories like that into the 'entertainment' section was that 'they had no place else to put them'.

To my mind its such a disrespectful thing to do. To the 'lovvies' and lefties in the state funded palace, it may not be strictly 'news' in the 'lovvies' and lefties brief.

But, for the rest of us, a woman suffering of cancer is far from 'entertainment', and she slips into that section simply because she appeared on television.

Although I would agree with many that it is a sports story as I will always associate her with sport, Martina Navratilova chose herself to release the information she has cancer to raise awareness of it and tell people to get tested... the post above implies some sort of voyerism or vulturism, when Navratilova herself went to the media to reveal the illness and so spread awareness. Far from doing a bad job reporting it, media all over the world helped to spread awareness

Also, was it not reoprted in the main body of of newspapers around the world? not simply kept to the sports pages. As she is no longer so much of an active participant in the sport, and probably more a celebrity name there is massive scope for crossover.

although 'entertainment' is an unfortunate name for a website in this instance, anyone who reads the site would know that entertainment refers to film, books, television and music news - not just to stories that are 'entertaining'. I would imagine the poster above knows this but chose to ignore this intrinsic fact....

Slideshowbob · 12-04-2010 7:44pm

Shotgun Mike you are so 'off-target' here with your shooting I ain't even bother to pick you up on your points. I am sure others who concur with me on this thread earlier will back me up on this.

shotgun mike · 12-04-2010 7:49pm

Slideshowbob wrote: »

Shotgun Mike you are so 'off-target' here with your shooting I ain't even bother to pick you up on your points. I am sure others who concur with me on this thread earlier will back me up on this.

that's a good a retort as any. sure why even bother respond to well-thought out arguments instead of having a rant at probably the easiest target ya can find. There is plenty, plenty wrong with rte, its website, its television and radio coverage, but the rants I have read on this aren't them. It just points to people who are unfamiliar both with the website and the media in general.

Slideshowbob · 12-04-2010 7:58pm

shotgun mike wrote: »

that's a good a retort as any. sure why even bother respond to well-thought out arguments instead of having a rant at probably the easiest target ya can find. There is plenty, plenty wrong with rte, its website, its television and radio coverage, but the rants I have read on this aren't them. It just points to people who are unfamiliar both with the website and the media in general.

OK - here you go:

MN was a superstar in tennis - no harm or ego with her telling people she has cancer - would get out in time anyway.

She is known primarily as a tennis star - not a celeb. Any doubious celeb value she ascertained stemmed from the fact she was a great tennis player.

To put the story in the Entertainment section of RTE's website was inappropriate but unsuprising given the previous faux-pas's from the genii responsible for the site.

I gather the intention of the Entertainment section is exactly to spread Entertainment news such as film, books, television and music news, I rarely see purely entertaining items on there - there is plenty of space for such frivolity on youtube etc.

LookingFor · 14-04-2010 8:58pm

This article annoyed me for its original headline:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0411/terreblanche.html

It was initially titled 'Homosexual sex link to Terre'blanche death', now titled 'Rape allegations in Terre'blanche inquiry'.

I can't fully articulate why exactly, but the original headline quite annoyed me. If the allegation was that he'd attempted to have sex with a girl against her will, then it would have been simply 'Rape link ... ' as per the second, 'fixed' headline. But they wanted to go for salaciousness or something (and it seemed to work - it was the most popular or second most popular article on the site when I initially read it). There was also a mere hint about something controversial or sinister or dark about 'homosexual sex' too.

kpbdublin · 16-04-2010 11:17am

Silverharp2 wrote: »

it's not wrong as such and it is the entertainment section but not in a million years will I remember Martina as someone who was on a reality show.

http://www.rte.ie/arts/2010/0407/imacelebrity.html

Jungle star Navratilova has cancer

Former 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here' star Martina Navratilova has been diagnosed with breast cancer..............

By God, I have rarely seen something so idiotic. She wins Wimbledon umpteen times - and RTE thinks she is just a Jungle star. Do you have to be a complete airhead to get into RTE these days?

Accuracy etc of RTE website

Comments