National broadcaster jokes about bi-polar disorder

Slideshowbob

http://www.rte.ie/ten/2011/0723/zetajones.html

Quote: "Zeta-Jones has been fighting bipolar disorder in recent months and its anybody's guess as to whether cruising around on a swish boat (15 staff, sleeps 12, jacuzzi, sun deck) is helping to cure her afflictions."

I've noted editorial downfalls in RTE's website previously aswell. They never fail to disappoint. Would they make similar jibes about other diagnoses?

tricky D

Poor taste indeed. Makes you wonder about the quality of editorial control.

IRE60

Ohh! I threw them a comment to publish on the website yesterday on the back of this thread. I thought the article was in very poor taste, I also mentioned the licence fees we a individuals pay etc etc.

and have a look now

http://www.rte.ie/ten/2011/0723/zetajones.html

Slideshowbob

IRE60 wrote: »

Ohh! I threw them a comment to publish on the website yesterday on the back of this thread. I thought the article was in very poor taste, I also mentioned the licence fees we a individuals pay etc etc.

and have a look now

http://www.rte.ie/ten/2011/0723/zetajones.html

Well done.

Is it worth raising with the Broadcasting Complaints Commission??

brian_t

IRE60 wrote: »

Ohh! I threw them a comment to publish on the website yesterday on the back of this thread. I thought the article was in very poor taste, I also mentioned the licence fees we a individuals pay etc etc.

and have a look now

http://www.rte.ie/ten/2011/0723/zetajones.html

OOPS! Error 404

The page you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.

RGDATA!

brian_t wrote: »

OOPS! Error 404

The you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changpage ed, or is temporarily unavailable.

in fairness, it was the entertainment news, not the regular news. the tone of entertainment news is generally more gossipy. probably some writer for the website pulled the story from some other entertainment site and put their own spin on it.
doubt this would have had a chance of going out on a news broadcast, or been deemed newsworthy in the first place.
imo, the barb is more aimed at catherine zeta jones than people with bipolar disorder.
congratulations on your successful crusade though!

Slideshowbob

RGDATA! wrote: »

in fairness, it was the entertainment news, not the regular news. the tone of entertainment news is generally more gossipy. probably some writer for the website pulled the story from some other entertainment site and put their own spin on it.
doubt this would have had a chance of going out on a news broadcast, or been deemed newsworthy in the first place.
imo, the barb is more aimed at catherine zeta jones than people with bipolar disorder.
congratulations on your successful crusade though!

In fairness, I can't imagine it making mainstream news but it was on the RTE website none the less.

Is the website there to provide factual information (albeit titilating entertainment news) to taxpayers or get into innuendo about illnesses etc. Would such joviality wash if it was about cancer victim?

Why have they taken down the page since, in fairness?

Do you know about bi polar or anyone with it? Do you know it's hard to diagnose, it aint black and white and it's hard to assess clinically? In the context would you expect the national broadcaster to make quips about it and not wonder about the particular sensitivities from those who may have been diagnosed with it etc? Just wondering, in fairness!

Under RTE's "What we do" page on the website (http://www.rte.ie/about/index2.html), it states:

"Publishing: RTÉ Publishing has a portfolio of five major brands: RTÉ Aertel, the RTÉ Guide, RTÉ.ie, the RTÉ player and RTÉ News Now. RTÉ Aertel is RTÉ’s teletext service. The RTÉ Guide remains Ireland’s RTÉ’s biggest selling magazine, combining TV listings, entertainment and lifestyle features.

RTÉ.ie, RTÉ’s website provides up-to-date news, current affairs and entertainment information; a wide range of free, web-based online services, and access to RTÉ programmes and services."

How is what was spouted over the weekend (probably by some media savy unsupervised making-their-way-up-the-ladder-of-darlingness know-all degree wielding twenty something) classed as information where it's mere fancy?

Dare I say it would Heat magazine or a tabloid even descend to profer such tripe as considered opinion or even jesticulation?

brian_t

brian_t wrote: »

OOPS! Error 404

The page you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.

I found the article.

Catherine Smokes A Cigarette - or Nine ..

Saturday 23 July 2011
Catherine Zeta-Jones has been spotted smoking on a Meditteranean cruise, thereby risking her husband's health.
Catherine Zeta-Jones has been spotted smoking, thereby risking her husband's health. However, Michael Douglas didn't seem to mind that his wife is is puffing away on cigarettes aboard the luxury yacht they have rented for a month's tour in the Meditteranean. Last January, Michael was diagnosed with cancer.
Subsequently the actor assured the world that he was confident he had beaten the illness. Recently in Portofino the couple were seen shopping together and they spent the day strolling around the picturesque town.
Zeta-Jones has been fighting bipolar disorder in recent months and its anybody's guess as to whether cruising around on a swish boat (15 staff, sleeps 12, jacuzzi, sun deck) is helping to cure her afflictions. The actress and her husband have been joined by their two children, Dylan, 11 and eight-year-old Carys. Aside from Italian riviera, they have visited Greece and Turkey.

brian_t

Slideshowbob wrote: »

Well done.

Is it worth raising with the Broadcasting Complaints Commission??

If you found the article distasteful then yes.

However I just wonder will the content of RTEs website be covered by the BAI.

Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI)

http://www.bai.ie/index.html
http://www.bai.ie/broadcasting_complaints_decisions.html

Slideshowbob

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/3725044/Michael-Douglas-sneaks-a-cigarette-while-on-holiday.html

Looks like MD can do all the damage himself.

Further evidence that there was no need for RTE to throw in the titillating irrelevant association with CZJ's condition.

Condatis

I have read and re-read that comment and just can not see how anybody could find it offensive.

It is a bit glib certainly, even puerile, but hardly offensive.

JustinDee

Purile, ill-informed and pointless. Suits the readership of most 'entertainment' columns really.