RTE thinks www and twitter more important than radio news

coylemj

I was aware of Brian Lenihan's death earlier than most this morning so was keeping eyes and ears alert for when it would hit the media.

The first report on RTE came via Twitter just before 11 a.m. when @rtenews tweeted as follows....

Former finance minister Brian Lenihan has died aged 52. Mr Lenihan died this morning at his house in west Dublin. http://bit.ly/lgWfxL

The strange thing is that the scheduled 11 o'clock news headlines on RTE Radio (during the Pat Kenny Show) came after the publication of this tweet but didn't mention it. A few minutes after he resumed his program, Pat mentioned it and immediately spoke to Mary O'Rourke.

How could RTE have the story on their website and twitter it before they included it in the news headlines on radio?

gbee

coylemj wrote: »

How could RTE have the story on their website and twitter it before they included it in the news headlines on radio?

The news, almost all of it is pre-recorded much earlier, there are perhaps just two news bulletins and the rest just repeats or extracts.

coylemj

gbee wrote: »

The news, almost all of it is pre-recorded much earlier, there are perhaps just two news bulletins and the rest just repeats or extracts.

But there's always a news editor on duty and someone to potentially read a newsflash if something really terrible happened that would warrant an immediate bulletin?

cml387

It may be that the story was embargoed,but RTE had to go with it once all the other media outlets had it.

I know that BBC tends to be behind Sky in breaking news, probably because they would prefer to be "right" than "first".

Sky News unofficial motto :"Never wrong for long".

easychair

coylemj wrote: »

I was aware of Brian Lenihan's death earlier than most this morning so was keeping eyes and ears alert for when it would hit the media.

The first report on RTE came via Twitter just before 11 a.m. when @rtenews tweeted as follows....

Former finance minister Brian Lenihan has died aged 52. Mr Lenihan died this morning at his house in west Dublin. http://bit.ly/lgWfxL

The strange thing is that the scheduled 11 o'clock news headlines on RTE Radio (during the Pat Kenny Show) came after the publication of this tweet but didn't mention it. A few minutes after he resumed his program, Pat mentioned it and immediately spoke to Mary O'Rourke.

How could RTE have the story on their website and twitter it before they included it in the news headlines on radio?

How Shocking! WHy didn't RTE rush with all possible speed to try to break a world record with getting the news out there!

Long ago, I gave up watching tv news for the very reason that it was more concerned with sensation and the stupid goal of being first to break a story. Who cares if you hear that someone died at 10:55 am or 11:07 am?

I assume RTE had reasons for its delay in broadcasting the news, and find it hard to get excited about who broke it first and where and how.

coylemj

easychair wrote: »

How Shocking! WHy didn't RTE rush with all possible speed to try to break a world record with getting the news out there!

Long ago, I gave up watching tv news for the very reason that it was more concerned with sensation and the stupid goal of being first to break a story. Who cares if you hear that someone died at 10:55 am or 11:07 am?

I assume RTE had reasons for its delay in broadcasting the news, and find it hard to get excited about who broke it first and where and how.

You're completely missing the point.

I fully accept that the news should not be broken until the family have released the information and given permission for it to be published. I do not hold with getting a story out as early as possible just to be first, as happened when TV3 broke the story of Brian Lenihan's illness over Christmas when the rest of the media were sitting on the story out of sensitivity for the man and his family.

The point I'm making is that RTE published the information first on electronic media and although the story was already on their website, it didn't even get a one-liner on the 11 o'clock radio news which came after they published it on twitter and the RTE news website.

old hippy

gbee wrote: »

The news, almost all of it is pre-recorded much earlier, there are perhaps just two news bulletins and the rest just repeats or extracts.

Jeez. Things have changed since my day. Maybe it's just RTE, mind.

Radio news, you'd be there bright and early ringing around AGS press office and checking the faxes, for starters.

easychair

coylemj wrote: »

The point I'm making is that RTE published the information first on electronic media and although the story was already on their website, it didn't even get a one-liner on the 11 o'clock radio news which came after they published it on twitter and the RTE news website.

You've already said that and, like most folks here, I read it the first time!

coylemj

easychair wrote: »

You've already said that and, like most folks here, I read it the first time!

Excuse me. Let me remind you of your earlier post.....

easychair wrote: »

I assume RTE had reasons for its delay in broadcasting the news, and find it hard to get excited about who broke it first and where and how.

Your criticism was concerned with who was first with the news whereas my point was concerned with the way RTE disseminated the news and in particular the order in which which they broadcast it using the assorted media available. I never expressed any opinion about who broadcast the story first.

Lapin

gbee wrote: »

The news, almost all of it is pre-recorded much earlier, there are perhaps just two news bulletins and the rest just repeats or extracts.

I don't think so.

Certainly not for a current affairs programme like PK.

Furthermore, if you check out the webcam available on some programmes (Morning Ireland for example), you can see the newsreaders in the studio.

giftgrub

gbee wrote: »

The news, almost all of it is pre-recorded much earlier, there are perhaps just two news bulletins and the rest just repeats or extracts.

I think you're way off the mark there. RTE doesn't pre record news bulletins. Nor does Today FM or Newstalk

I don't know why they didn't run it at 11am though...

RadioRetro

I have to agree with coylemj. I, too, was surprised at no mention of Lennie's death on the 11am bulletin, which came several minutes AFTER the Examiner's Breaking News site had posted the flash. And Broadsheet.ie had put up a photo of BL and an RIP.

Whippersnapper

The news is definitely not pre-recorded.

Is it possible they were waiting for a statement from the family?

eth0_

gbee wrote: »

The news, almost all of it is pre-recorded much earlier, there are perhaps just two news bulletins and the rest just repeats or extracts.

How do you know this? It sounds completely implausible that RTE radio stations don't have a live news report every half hour.

Then again, this is RTE we're talking about!

dambarude

Maybe they couldn't get a script to the newsreader in time?