Fact checking from RTE! Would you accept their bias on issues?

plodder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123337541#Comment_123337541

There doesn't seem to be any evidence that this was deliberate disinformation, but that is what they are implying.

The inaccurate post has since been deleted - but it has served to highlight how easily markets can be manipulated in times of uncertainty and heightened anxiety.

From their own description of what happened it looks more like sloppy misinterpretation/Chinese whispers.

corkie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123338312#Comment_123338312

From reading and looking into last night from the CNN article, it wasn't deliberate but a misquote by a reporter, I believe. Post this on the 'X' thread last night:-
"So a misquote I believe by a reporter caused some frustration on the markets in US today!"

@taratee I just pasted the update info because it masked the creation time/date of the article and was wondering when it was created. Because I tagged them in a social post about the CNN article 17 hours ago. Not saying I sparked them following up on it.
Something to possibly feature under your new 'Clarity' categorization!? It goes with your theme of social media been bad?

corkie

So a misquote '90 day pause' of a discussion is now a reality, did anyone else 'Take Beat' on hearing the news and double check and get confirmed from multiple sources. So Trump using announcement of tariffs to force countries in trade talks to sort out the deficits?

FT: US stocks soar as Donald Trump backs down in global trade war

An Claidheamh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058404975/www-rte-ie-news-clarity-fact-checking-from-rte-would-you-accept-their-bias-on-issues

The Journal ‘fact check’ is self indulgent nonsense.

Essentially, confirming things you already knew were false.

Not exactly hard hitting.

RTÉ and establishment media’s problem is they neglect to report news - usually crime and lack of response to same.

Then they moan about the real world being shared on social media for free.

RTÉ, of course, were proud censors of opposition parties and what was going on in the North for decades.

More recently, the IMF in town anybody?

plodder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123341941#Comment_123341941

Oh dear! Not a great start to Clarity then. It was a bit credulous to just accept the denial of the Trump administration at face value, to be honest.

corkie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123342260#Comment_123342260

Can't really blame RTE, they just ran with the story based on US Media reports of it (CNN!?).

A lot can change/happen in politics over the course of two days. Raises questions about the original leak of it, was it purposeful to just testing the waters to see the reaction to it? Checked the article just now to see if there has been any updates giving the latest change. But not yet!

https://www.rte.ie/news/2025/0409/1506798-five-things-trump-tariffs/

See the '2. The Art of a Deal?"

• This was the "strategy all along", according to the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent who spoke to the media from the White House.

plodder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123342442#Comment_123342442

Can't really blame RTE, they just ran with the story based on US Media reports of it (CNN!?).

So, there was a rumour that affected the markets. The source of the rumour denied it and the market gains disappeared. Normally, journalists would just report this kind of stuff without passing comment on whether it was fake news (even if the person denying characterises it that way). There's always the chance that something is being considered but not decided yet. That kind of thing happens all the time. Either way, the rumour turned out to be correct and there was never any evidence it was disinformation or market manipulation.

RTÉ is deemed to have a leftwing bias, yet here's Joe Brolly saying it betrays a position that wouldn't be leftwing at all.

https://x.com/JoeBrolly1993/status/1909959149552619566?t=u6sRU6XGlJl9t-Ol8v737w&s=09

I think people see what they want to see at times (ftr, while I can't stand Brolly, I'm hugely critical of Israel's excesses in Gaza).

corkie

@Frost Spice That is worth embedding!? Which you can get the correct twitter url, instead of 'X' so it does so, by choosing the embed option on the website, under the "…"!

https://twitter.com/JoeBrolly1993/status/1909959149552619566

One reply: -

Brian Flanagan
What is dictating this editorial policy in RTE which is supposed to be independent, neutral and professional. If RTE had been around during the War of Independence, I dread to think how it might have reported on events.
BTW what has happened to Clarity??

What indeed has happened to it? Or is the above an example of bias by RTE?
Or is a case of RTE been politically correct, so not to receive backlash from Israel?

https://www.declassifieduk.org/battle-for-the-truth-pro-israel-bias-inside-uk-newsrooms-revealed/

One journalist at Sky News suggested there are a whole set of unwritten journalistic rules that apply exclusively to Israel. “It’s a continuous battle to report the truth,” they said. “We would see the raw footage being sent to us from Gaza – we’re all well aware of the carnage. Yet you can’t describe what your eyes are seeing.

Hopefully the above embed correctly, can't believe I'm still posting guidance for the platform.

plodder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123342692#Comment_123342692

I think they are fairly independent most of the time. If you are annoying people on the left and the right in equal measure, then it's probably a good sign. One recent thing that impressed me was a TV news report about the launch of a new solar farm providing power to Dublin Airport. The launch was organised by the DAA with government ministers etc and they were blessed with a beautiful day. Perfect for a TV report. The reporter upset the "sunny" narrative though by pointing out that if the passenger cap gets dropped, then the CO2 savings from the solar farm will be eliminated four times over from increased aviation emissions. Good journalism means pointing out inconvenient facts like that.

corkie

Has anyone else been checking out the category to see what they have been covering?

Latest articles: -

plodder

I saw this post today on X and thought - well that's a very different impression to what I got already about the same report.

https://twitter.com/Mark_J_Henry/status/1922911089320226901

Here is how The Journal reported it

https://www.thejournal.ie/report-irish-teens-most-unhappy-6704282-May2025/

"Some of the least happy among the world's high-income countries" …

That seems to be based on Ireland being at the bottom of the second of three tiers for mental health. The Journal goes on to say

Despite topping the list for academic performance, the data indicate a notable decline in the mental health of Irish teenagers in a period characterised by increased levels of isolation, the stifling of social interaction and the removal of critical support systems owing to long period of lockdowns.

I don't see the evidence in this report for a "notable decline in the mental health of Irish teenagers". The summary table (table 2) that shows the change in the six indicators from 2018-2022 says that all six indicators for Ireland were either stable or improving. The report also shows that Ireland had among the shortest of school closures due to lockdown

It's notable as well that the #1 score for Ireland in skills doesn't just refer to academic performance, it also refers to social skills in school (ability to make friends), which is surely an influential predictor of long term mental health, as much as subjective current life satisfaction.

Does someone need to fact-check The Journal on this?

ShagNastii

I was intrigued when the Journal came out with the Factcheck stuff. Fast forward a couple of years and it is one of the main things I hate about the place. They most certainly are rooting out examples of "fake news" but from what it looks like they'll inspect and critique instances where it fits with their agenda.

If something leftie or immigration based has been "fake news"ed on social media. You can guarantee TheJournal will fall over themselves to get out their factcheck article to dispel anything wrong which may have been reported. If they know deep down these straight-from-horses-mouth social media reports have legs will they F do a Fackcheck on it.

Varik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123451096#Comment_123451096

Thing that's pisses me off the most with all factchecking is they'll find something one comment or statement they can judge as false and then use that to dispel any other information they don't like.

A lot of the time you'd never have even seen the false information they're stating is being shared or it's hyperbole that doesn't make a difference.

With George Nkencho, they were fact checking he had a machete when it was just a really big kitchen knife. What difference did that make. All to discredit all news that isn't them, as if all other people are a uniform group.

plodder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123451189#Comment_123451189

That's it in a nutshell. They pick out some terrible take (often just a ridiculous rant on Twitter) and they fact check it. Well so what? Why don't you pick out the best arguments and see how you do against them?

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123451189#Comment_123451189

they were fact checking he had a machete when it was just a really big kitchen knife. What difference did that make.

A bit like the constant hair splitting that goes on here on some topics.

magicbastarder

Whether someone has an actual weapon or is using an everyday item as a weapon is not nitpicking. It can indicate the difference between having planned something, and it being impromptu.

Boggles

Any thing that doesn't support my alternative facts is fake news.

It's a literal alternative fact, there is no debating it.

AllForIt

https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2025/0519/1513751-bahaalddin-alshwawrah-court/

https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2025/0519/1513742-francis-broughan-court/

Two stories in the same period of sepearte convictions. One with a photo of the convicted and one with a photo of a building.

I see this time to time, off the top of my head from last year…

https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2024/0513/1448875-cork-rape-sentence/

For clarity, would anyone know if there would be a good reason for this rather that assuimg RTE are being 'selective'.

If they are being selective, what else are they being selective about I wonder?

Raichų

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123467781#Comment_123467781

the first one had his face hidden anyway, coward.

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123325385#Comment_123325385

Ivan Yates admitted that the bailout paved the way for some very pro FFG coverage during the election campaign. He was amazed at the easy ride they got on housing and health. I thought RTE could have probed the fake housing numbers more. The government were allowed to continuously lie all about housing completions in November. We haven't seen Darragh O'Brien since.

top floor

RTE had another long news report last night on gorse and hillside fires in Wexford and Mayo. Interviews with fire service personnel, locals and Aer Corps pilot on the damage, difficulties and dangers of dealing with these fires. Not the first or the last such report this year I'd say. And similar reports every year.

Oddly I have never heard the RTE local correspondents ever comment on, or even ask anyone interviewed the question as to how these fires start? Urban fires generally will have a line about "It is though the fire may have started…….."

Are they afraid of having to report the answer if they even ask the question? RTE do seem to mention suspected causes when the fires are in Greece or California.

eightieschewbaccy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123467781#Comment_123467781

The first case you listed doesn't have a particularly usable photo of the man who did it. The third case you've listed doesn't have the convicted named to allow for anonymity of the victim I'm guessing so it makes sense that they wouldn't have his photo.. You'll find plenty of cases like it over the years.

plodder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123467781#Comment_123467781

Yes, the victim would have to waive her right to anonymity in the third case, before any details incl. a photo could be printed.

Raichų

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123467781#Comment_123467781

I had my best people look into this.

Turns out the one who got pictured never paid his TV licence. The others did so RTE didn’t shame them the same way.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123467861#Comment_123467861

they probably have to be more careful about broadcasting accusations of criminality within the jurisdiction, than they would be on events outside the jurisdiction.

AllForIt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123467943#Comment_123467943

My bad, it was this one I was thinking of where he was named. Very similar case.

https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2024/0311/1437189-kamal-kumar-nepali/

Raichų

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123468879#Comment_123468879

but he is pictured?

AllForIt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123468912#Comment_123468912

No, that's the point.

Raichų

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123468926#Comment_123468926

yes he is? He’s literally filmed coming out of court no? Is that not who is on the broadcast?