Irish vs International media coverage

southsiderosie

What do people think of the Irish media coverage of last month's events (Cowen radiogate, yesterday's cement truck stunt at the Dail, increasingly horrible economic statistics, rising interest rates on Irish debt, etc)?

I'm not living in Ireland right now, and it seems like the foreign media's coverage of the political and economic situation is significantly different. They are far more blunt about the economic situation, and far less hysterical about the public response to it (I thought yesterday's coverage on RTE of the stunt with the truck at the Dail was particularly disgraceful).

Is the rest of the world's media just anti-Irish, as some would like to argue (especially about the UK media)? Is local media just too in bed with the country's political leaders? Or is there just some kind of collective delusion that everyone in Ireland has to buy into so as not go totally crazy over how ****ed the country really is?

Stercus Accidit

I'd trust foreign media more than the government run and payed for RTE.

Sanjuro

When it comes to international matters that don't really involve Ireland, I think their coverage is pretty good. They don't have an agenda, so it's more fact based and less leaning towards a political goal. However, when it comes to internal matters, it's a bit of a gamble believing one source. Especially when it comes to Pravda RTE. And their constant failure to actually ask probing questions of politicians is infuriating. The government get a fairly easy ride on RTE. The journalists should be more like Paxman and less like fucking arse-kissing machines.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Less interest in making money and more interest in delivering the news aborad.

Also, there seems to be less of an interest in tabloids. I know there are tabloids in Germany, but they don't seem to be as well read or at least people take them more with a pinch of salt over here, rather tyhan beleiving blindly and running for guns and/or the hills.

It also helps not being a naitve English speaking country and one further step aweay from the crap that comes out of the US.

bonerm

I'm fairly convinced you can't trust domestic news coverage in any country. If you want to find out what's going on in the USA ask Al Jazeera. If you want to know what's going on in Ireland ask the BBC etc

Shenshen

Stercus Accidit wrote: »

I'd trust foreign media more than the government run and payed for RTE.

^^ This.

southsiderosie

bonerm wrote: »

I'm fairly convinced you can't trust domestic news coverage in any country. If you want to find out what's going on in the USA ask Al Jazeera. If you want to know what's going on in Ireland ask the BBC etc

As an American I would agree with that when it comes to political and social matters, especially given the mass hysteria about Obama, Tea Partiers, etc. But I don't think that American media sources shy away from negative economic reporting the way so many Irish news outlets do. I'm especially surprised by how many articles I read where only the government line ('the bank bailout is manageable') is reported, and there are no alternative viewpoints presented (of which there are many).

As for Ireland and UK media sources, whenever someone cites, say the Telegraph or the Economist, they get dismissed because those sources are seen as anti-Irish or neoliberal on economic issues. But even the Guardian has been critical of Irish economic policy, yet there seems to be very little questioning in the domestic media (and here I mean off the opinion pages) of the government's pronouncements on jobs or budget cuts.

dotsman

Em, I've actually found it to be the opposite, with the Irish media being the most negative and over-hyped. It is very clear that every single one of the main newspapers in Ireland is extremely anti-government, anti-banks, negative-outlook etc and generally indulging in tabloid reporting when it comes to the economy.

The international media really only seems to concentrate on the bad stuff coming out of Ireland after/because the local media have done it to death (ie cowengate, economic sentiment etc). In the past year, I've read/watched several in-depth articles/documentaries/reports on Ireland from international sources, (Time, Economist, RT, Al-Jazeera etc), and most have been very spot-on, neither fluffing over the problems, but at the same time focusing on what's being done or what should be done and not treating it like some "end-of-the-world" type scenarios that the irish media love to indulge in.

Ultimately, the Irish media make their money selling their stories to the Irish people, so will always hype them up. When the international media report on Ireland, it is generally as some minor story, so typically either do an unbiased, honest, intelligent piece, or just copy-and-paste from an Irish source (if they are focusing on an amusing piece such as Cowengate).

southsiderosie

dotsman wrote: »

Em, I've actually found it to be the opposite, with the Irish media being the most negative and over-hyped. It is very clear that every single one of the main newspapers in Ireland is extremely anti-government, anti-banks, negative-outlook etc and generally indulging in tabloid reporting when it comes to the economy.

The international media really only seems to concentrate on the bad stuff coming out of Ireland after/because the local media have done it to death (ie cowengate, economic sentiment etc). In the past year, I've read/watched several in-depth articles/documentaries/reports on Ireland from international sources, (Time, Economist, RT, Al-Jazeera etc), and most have been very spot-on, neither fluffing over the problems, but at the same time focusing on what's being done or what should be done and not treating it like some "end-of-the-world" type scenarios that the irish media love to indulge in.

Ultimately, the Irish media make their money selling their stories to the Irish people, so will always hype them up. When the international media report on Ireland, it is generally as some minor story, so typically either do an unbiased, honest, intelligent piece, or just copy-and-paste from an Irish source (if they are focusing on an amusing piece such as Cowengate).

I think the international press has been far more critical of the government budget cuts than the domestic media. And by "critical" I mean an actual analysis, rather than just moaning about the government.

Scuid Mhór

i believe anything the bbc says about america and anything cnn says about the uk. never needed international news for the sake of the homeland.

Scuid Mhór

also i believe anything al-jazeera says about anybody.