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RTE News coverage of Donegal Accident

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    #32
    Fighting Irish
    Registered Users Posts: 7,065 ✭✭✭Fighting Irish


    speakeasy900 wrote: »
    Eight of our fellow citizens lost, countless other friends and relatives left devastated, we are one of the most car dependent countries in the world, young men losing their lives on our roads all the time.... it's a story that "doesnt effect many people". Are you sure about that?

    It affects the people who are close to the people who died, but why do i need details about some car crash?


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    #33
    Fighting Irish
    Registered Users Posts: 7,065 ✭✭✭Fighting Irish


    speakeasy900 wrote: »
    so there should be no in depth report of such a major incident?

    by rte?
    what's the point?


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    #34
    20goto10
    Registered Users Posts: 1,210 ✭✭✭20goto10


    Fighting Irish wrote: »
    It affects the people who are close to the people who died, but why do i need details about some car crash?
    Thats a fair point. But its more the overall safety of Irish roads that is of national concern.


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    #35
    silkcutmauve
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8 ✭silkcutmauve


    I think RTE did a good job, interviewing the priest and the comments of Jim McDaid were hard to listen to. They got the message across. I think rural communities must come together and we all have to stop arguing over fault.

    This is the kind of issue where a RISE! organisation would do well.

    God help all of those killed and injured and their families and friends.


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    #36
    20goto10
    Registered Users Posts: 1,210 ✭✭✭20goto10


    silkcutmauve wrote: »
    God help all of those killed and injured and their families and friends.
    It's a bit late to be asking God for help for the victims :rolleyes:


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    #37
    JonathanAnon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,718 ✭✭✭✭JonathanAnon


    Gay Byrne was on earlier.. He said that a few of the lads got a lift in the Passat, leaving their own cars outside the pub so as not to be drink driving .... Gay seemed to think that the fact that the other guys did not drink and drive was some sort of success for the RSA. I just dont understand how he can say that "there is a huge problem with the group of male 17-24 years of age".. and then does nothing to target that group..


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    #38
    20goto10
    Registered Users Posts: 1,210 ✭✭✭20goto10


    JonathanAnon wrote: »
    Gay Byrne was on earlier.. He said that a few of the lads got a lift in the Passat, leaving their own cars outside the pub so as not to be drink driving .... Gay seemed to think that the fact that the other guys did not drink and drive was some sort of success for the RSA. I just dont understand how he can say that "there is a huge problem with the group of male 17-24 years of age".. and then does nothing to target that group..
    I can hear his patronising tone of voice...


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    #39
    Fighting Irish
    Registered Users Posts: 7,065 ✭✭✭Fighting Irish


    20goto10 wrote: »
    Thats a fair point. But its more the overall safety of Irish roads that is of national concern.

    99% of irish roads are grand, it's the way people drive
    We have all drove on dodgy roads when it's pissing down(or whatever) and we don't all crash and die, there are just some people that can't be saved


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    #40
    irishgeo
    Registered Users Posts: 9,398 ✭✭✭irishgeo


    the irony of interviewing jim mc daid on road safety.

    driving the wrong way down a motorway while pissed, he could have killed someone.


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    #41
    Fighting Irish
    Registered Users Posts: 7,065 ✭✭✭Fighting Irish


    20goto10 wrote: »
    Thats a fair point. But its more the overall safety of Irish roads that is of national concern.

    So if RTE had more details than BBC then that would make our roads safer?


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    #42
    20goto10
    Registered Users Posts: 1,210 ✭✭✭20goto10


    Fighting Irish wrote: »
    99% of irish roads are grand, it's the way people drive
    We have all drove on dodgy roads when it's pissing down(or whatever) and we don't all crash and die, there are just some people that can't be saved
    I wasn't referring to the condition of the roads but the safety level when driving with wreckless dirvers.

    Having said that the infrastructure is in a serious state of disrepair and even new some surfaces are of a very poor standard (parts of the M50 are far too bumpy for example). Not to mention their hap-hazard layout, narrow roads and dangerous bends. Yes its all fine if you drive safely. But thats the problem, people don't drive safely and we need roads that take this into account. Wider lanes, visible bends, properly surfaced, sign posts, consistency in layout and junctions etc etc There is so much to complain about but I do agree the main issue here is wrecklessness. We need to drive as if our life is in danger, because it is.


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    #43
    20goto10
    Registered Users Posts: 1,210 ✭✭✭20goto10


    Fighting Irish wrote: »
    So if RTE had more details than BBC then that would make our roads safer?
    What? No I am criticising RTE's journalism. Whether they had more details or not, religion has nothing to do with the issue they are reporting on.

    Even still they are at it. Still nothing of significance to report on so instead they are reporting on ther funerals. Dead people have funerals, whats the news?

    And considering the funerals are on different days, are we now in for 3, 4, 5 days of headline news. Victim A gets buried, victim B gets buried. As has been said already, why should anyone care. The only thing of national concern is road safety, for which this should reopen a serious debate on. But instead our national broadcaster is more concerned with the opinions of church goers and priests and funeral arangements. Its totally bizarre.


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    #44
    JonathanAnon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,718 ✭✭✭✭JonathanAnon


    It was reported last nite that a guy travelling on the same road had flashed them (to say slow down) as they overtook him with speed.

    One of the the guy's Uncles was on DriveTime yesterday and said that the guy who was driving was the designated driver that night, and that they were on the way to a nightclub in Buncrana.


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    #45
    Fighting Irish
    Registered Users Posts: 7,065 ✭✭✭Fighting Irish


    20goto10 wrote: »
    What? No I am criticising RTE's journalism. Whether they had more details or not, religion has nothing to do with the issue they are reporting on.

    Even still they are at it. Still nothing of significance to report on so instead they are reporting on ther funerals. Dead people have funerals, whats the news?

    And considering the funerals are on different days, are we now in for 3, 4, 5 days of headline news. Victim A gets buried, victim B gets buried. As has been said already, why should anyone care. The only thing of national concern is road safety, for which this should reopen a serious debate on. But instead our national broadcaster is more concerned with the opinions of church goers and priests and funeral arangements. Its totally bizarre.

    What can RTE say? Don't hit other cars, Don't speed, Don't be reckless


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    #46
    20goto10
    Registered Users Posts: 1,210 ✭✭✭20goto10


    Fighting Irish wrote: »
    What can RTE say? Don't hit other cars, Don't speed, Don't be reckless
    Well if they have nothing to say then they should say nothing. What exactly are they trying to do? Because it looks to me like they are trying to gather the nation in prayer. Like I say, its hardly worthy of being called journalism.

    I'm not a journalist but if they are going to report on a car crash on the national news (a bit unusual in itself) I would expect it to concentrate on the national issue of road safety. The talk where I am from (Dublin) when this news broke was of the boy racer culture in Donegal and the North of Ireland in general. I would have liked to have seen some investigative journalism into what is the core disease on Irish roads. not immediately obviously, but they've had time now to get a report of significance together but they're still spouting sh!te about funerals. wtf? What exactly is the story they are reporting?


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    #47
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    20goto10 wrote: »
    Well if they have nothing to say then they should say nothing. What exactly are they trying to do? Because it looks to me like they are trying to gather the nation in prayer. Like I say, its hardly worthy of being called journalism.

    I'm not a journalist but if they are going to report on a car crash on the national news (a bit unusual in itself) I would expect it to concentrate on the national issue of road safety. The talk where I am from (Dublin) when this news broke was of the boy racer culture in Donegal and the North of Ireland in general. I would have liked to have seen some investigative journalism into what is the core disease on Irish roads. not immediately obviously, but they've had time now to get a report of significance together but they're still spouting sh!te about funerals. wtf? What exactly is the story they are reporting?

    There does seem to be a "boyracer" culture in Donegal but someone in Donegal may verify that. As pointed out in the news reports Donegal has a high number of accidents in comparison with the rest of the country. However this "boyracer" mentality does seem to be the cause of this accident.

    However like most TV news reporting we hear allot of talk about whats happening now rather than waiting to report on the investigation that is currently taking place.


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    #48
    fontanalis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,619 ✭✭✭fontanalis


    20goto10 wrote: »
    Well if they have nothing to say then they should say nothing. What exactly are they trying to do? Because it looks to me like they are trying to gather the nation in prayer. Like I say, its hardly worthy of being called journalism.

    I'm not a journalist but if they are going to report on a car crash on the national news (a bit unusual in itself) I would expect it to concentrate on the national issue of road safety. The talk where I am from (Dublin) when this news broke was of the boy racer culture in Donegal and the North of Ireland in general. I would have liked to have seen some investigative journalism into what is the core disease on Irish roads. not immediately obviously, but they've had time now to get a report of significance together but they're still spouting sh!te about funerals. wtf? What exactly is the story they are reporting?

    I think Prime Time done a special on it a few years ago. The country is full of young muppets who I wouldn't let iron my shirt let alone get behind the wheel of a car.


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    #49
    amacachi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Not so much an RTÉ issue, but why had all the papers just got photos of the 7 highly intelligent young men who were in the one car but no picture of the innocent pensioner caught up in it?


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    #50
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    amacachi wrote: »
    Not so much an RTÉ issue, but why had all the papers just got photos of the 7 highly intelligent young men who were in the one car but no picture of the innocent pensioner caught up in it?

    Do we know who was at fault that night? I know he was playing Bingo but older people also drink. I also realize that the Passat was carrying too many passengers.

    I am trying to be as delicate as possible with that statement.


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    #51
    monkeypants
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,386 ✭✭✭monkeypants


    Elmo wrote: »
    but older people also drink.
    From what I read in the paper yesterday, he was a teetotaller who went home early to avoid people coming out of pubs.


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    #52
    amacachi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Elmo wrote: »
    Do we know who was at fault that night? I know he was playing Bingo but older people also drink. I also realize that the Passat was carrying too many passengers.

    I am trying to be as delicate as possible with that statement.

    Even leaving aside any snideness which may be perceived in my post, it still doesn't explain why his picture is being left out if they're, as you say, being delicate.
    The Passat wasn't just carrying too many passengers, it had just been involved in another collision which the driver left the scene of.


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    #53
    baldbear
    Registered Users Posts: 5,545 ✭✭✭baldbear


    amacachi wrote: »
    The Passat wasn't just carrying too many passengers, it had just been involved in another collision which the driver left the scene of.

    Did it actually leave the scene or hit the ladys car then nearly straight after that hit the poor auld fellas car?
    Elmo wrote: »
    Do we know who was at fault that night? I know he was playing Bingo but older people also drink. I also realize that the Passat was carrying too many passengers.

    I am trying to be as delicate as possible with that statement.

    The car carrying the youngsters appears to have been speeding. It had passed a car out at speed and that man actually flashed his lights at the Passat to slow down. It then hit a womans car who actually was at the same bingo as the poor elderly man Hugh Friel.The elderly man was a tee totaller and by all accounts a careful driver.


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    #54
    JonathanAnon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,718 ✭✭✭✭JonathanAnon


    amacachi wrote: »
    The Passat wasn't just carrying too many passengers, it had just been involved in another collision which the driver left the scene of.

    Well like I said previously, a driver whose car was overtaken by the Passat said he flashed them to tell them to slow down. Both of the drivers were completely sober, by all independent accounts.

    The Passat was overloaded (making the car more difficult to control) and travelling at excessive speed.
    Did it actually leave the scene or hit the ladys car then nearly straight after that hit the poor auld fellas car?

    From what I've read and heard on the radio, there seems to be a bit of confusion over this.. Some suggest that it was clipping this car that caused the Passat to go out of control and then hit the second car. BUT it seems there was a noticeable distance between the first minor impact and the second catastrophic impact, which would indicate that the young driver had in fact regained control of his vehicle.


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    #55
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    amacachi wrote: »
    Even leaving aside any snideness which may be perceived in my post, it still doesn't explain why his picture is being left out if they're, as you say, being delicate.

    Sorry, I didn't mean that the News was trying to be delicate I was stating I was trying to be delicate in my statement about Hugh Friel. I assume that the pictures was only due to their age.

    Anyway it is a sad story and perhaps we should let it be.


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    #56
    amacachi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    JonathanAnon wrote: »
    From what I've read and heard on the radio, there seems to be a bit of confusion over this.. Some suggest that it was clipping this car that caused the Passat to go out of control and then hit the second car. BUT it seems there was a noticeable distance between the first minor impact and the second catastrophic impact, which would indicate that the young driver had in fact regained control of his vehicle.

    Aye, when it shows the first car they hit on TV ya can see a good 100 yards if not more down the road and there was no sign of the cops even, so it must've been a bit more than that away.


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    #57
    buzzlink
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4 ✭buzzlink


    JonathanAnon wrote: »
    I think RTE dealt with the accident with adequate sensitivity.

    I dont get the whole "this is a terrible tragedy that has befallen upon our community" type soundbytes that local priests, TDs etc etc deliver in these such incidents though.. Someone is to blame for this, and if as a state we are prepared to make criminals out of old people having a couple of pints and driving home from the local, then we should similarly be prepared to point the finger of blame where gratuitous speed (for the purpose of showing off) is concerned. I am course, speaking generally about these types of accidents, a number of which happened in my own locality and received similarly "sensitive" treatment on the news.


    I totally agree. I understand that the investigation into this crash is still ongoing but certain things are clear: the passat was outrageously overcrowded with only the driver wearing a seatbelt, it was flashed by another driver sometime before the accident for overtaking at a reckless speed so we know it was speeding, it clipped the megane and whether it then continued speeding from the scene of that accident or whether it lost control before it hit the Corolla 150/200metres down the road we don't know and there's no point speculating - but for 8 people to die in that collision meant the car must have been travelling at a very high speed (I accept the weight from overcrowding would have attributed to this).

    I thought this accident would finally make people stand up and say ENOUGH but it appears not. The coverage is so sensitive and politically correct - everyone is afraid of not being PC these days it's infuriating.

    I feel so sad for all 8 who died and their families, I don't know how they're getting through it. but we can still feel sorry for them and at the same time condemn the fact that the car was overcrowded and speeding.

    How else are we going to change driver attitudes if we don't all stand up and say this has gone too far?
    Young lads (and older people too I freely ackowledge) driving too fast in cars that are far too powerful (apparently this was a 2.5 litre). I'm sick of driving in fear on the roads that I will run into someone driving too fast to control their car - i've witnessed one such accident and come across another and the scene of devastation was unthinkable.

    Very disappointed in the coverage. I'm not saying they should come out with pitch forks and storm the hospital but constructive criticism instead of this overly sensitive reporting would be far more effective. I wonder if there had been 5 pensioners in the corolla on their way back from bingo would the reporting be different? All I know is that Hugh Friel could have been you or me or one of our parents, and it's a frightening thought because we are powerless in such a situation. Until we stand up and say we are not taking anymore of this instead of glorifying the offenders (speaking generally here - think of the guys playing chicken in Monaghan) things will never change and more lives will be lost.


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    #58
    JonathanAnon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,718 ✭✭✭✭JonathanAnon


    I dont get the whole "this is a terrible tragedy that has befallen upon our community" type soundbytes that local priests

    "Someone described it as a tsunami rolling across Inishowen overwhelming us all" - Fr. Neil McGoldrick at Mark McLaughlin's funeral

    I wasnt far wrong, was I? Father McGoldrick, this wasnt a natural disaster... This was a man made disaster. I think the only person's perspective from whom the metaphor of a tsunami could be appropriate is poor old Hugh Friel. That's what he thought must have hit him as he drove home that night.

    I'm not saying that I dont have huge sympathy for the families or the guys, who I'm sure were decent people. I just dont see what the point in air-brushing out the fact that they were in an overcrowded, speeding vehicle. We learn nothing by doing this..

    And how is a 22 year old allowed to drive such a powerful car, especially considering he already had a conviction for dangerous driving in 2007(citation below).

    http://www.independent.ie/national-news/motorist-had-warned-driver-to-slow-down-2257350.html


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    #59
    The Express
    Closed Accounts Posts: 373 ✭✭The Express


    Good point there Jon, RTE ignored the 'elephant in the room' on this one; namely the amount crammed into the passat.

    Typical, tip-toey RTE fare. Reminds me of a massive riot in Mullingar between 'two families'. We all knew what they meant but they didn't have the balls to say it, factually, like it is.

    Standard RTE reporting on a story like this usually goes as follows:

    1) Threadbare report of the incident, followed up with...
    2) Regional correspondent being wheeled out to get a bit of stuff on the ground.
    3) The parish priest. There's always one of these interviewed for some reason, always seems to be the mouthpiece of the community, regardless of whether he knows the victims or not.
    4) Bit of overtime for some of the lads off Morning Ireland, doing a night shift to 'sense the palpable pain' in the community, to get another day out of the story. Then it's back to Aine/John in the studio....

    Number 3 really gets my goat. You could put money on it that a priest will turn up when theres misery.

    Anyway, RTE's standards, the way they are, will always find us googling or channel-hopping for the full story.


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    #60
    amacachi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    That "Tsunami" word was used on the front page of the Sun today I think.

    Also is anyone else sick of the use of the "since records began" line? Are they thinking that maybe there were lads bombing around in the 1850s in Imprezas?


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    #61
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    The Express wrote: »
    Number 3 really gets my goat. You could put money on it that a priest will turn up when theres misery.

    Weather you like it or not PPs are usually there when misery is about, after all they will have been in contact with the relatives of the victims at this time. Doctors, Nurses and Emergency people that worked at the scene and in the hospital are unlikely to comment on the incident.


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