Why do people boast about not watching RTÉ?

Haven’t watched it in years.

Odelay wrote: »

Haven’t watched it in years.

Stop boasting.

People are simply annoyed to pay for something they don't use or see value in. I flip flop on the issue. I don't like paying the licence but watch RTE begrudgingly.

they are just self hating Irish people usually, RTE is Irish so they pretend not to watch it.

completedit wrote: »

Every time a discussion about RTÉ comes up, you’ll get the usual types who say ‘I just watch Netflix’, can nobody see how bad this is for society?
It’s important to have an engaged public, a public who cares about what’s happening in the country, whose engaged in some way in public discourse and one important medium this can be achieved is through a national broadcaster.
It was a much more interesting time when people actually were engaged in what was going on, and not just consumed by the latest binge series viewing on Netflix(which is ****e btw)

I would agree with your statement I highlighted. But this is not just up to the public; if this engagement is to exist for a large part of the public, the broadcaster also needs to make an effort to be representative of society as a whole and allow for all points of view to be represented. I don’t believe it is the case with RTÉ. For exemple, if you were to poll RTÉ journalists and hosts every time there is a referendum, i am convinced the average RTÉ result would be completely misaligned with the public vote, showing that some opinions which are either a majority or a sizeable minority in the general public are virtually not represented in what is supposed to be a national broadcaster.

No surprise then that people don’t watch if they feel their views are not being represented (and to be clear: by represented I don’t mean dominant, just proportionally represented to their prevalence in the general public).

It isn’t just an Irish issue btw - and probably exists with most Western public broadcasters. For exemple close to us if you were to poll BBC host, journalists, and editors on how they voted for the Brexit referendum, it is pretty clear you would get an overwhelming majority of remain voters - which understandably makes many British people feel underrepresented. This is the problem with “diversity” nowadays: it has came to only mean diversity based on physical characteristics (skin colour, gender, etc), but it completely overlooks diversity of opinions, social classes, or territorial distribution. If all your staff consists of middle/upper class urbanites who tend to have the same class interests and all agree on most social and economical issues, you can mix skin colours and gender all you like (which of course there is no issue with), you won’t make it more representative of the general population. And of course I realise people present in the media will alway to some extend be part of an elite, but the problem is when none of that elite is able to empathise with other parts of the public and represent its views/interests.

completedit wrote: »

Every time a discussion about RTÉ comes up, you’ll get the usual types who say ‘I just watch Netflix’, can nobody see how bad this is for society?
It’s important to have an engaged public, a public who cares about what’s happening in the country, whose engaged in some way in public discourse and one important medium this can be achieved is through a national broadcaster.
It was a much more interesting time when people actually were engaged in what was going on, and not just consumed by the latest binge series viewing on Netflix(which is ****e btw)

Because rte is sh*te and people are been forced to pay silly money when the likes of Netflix offers far better value. Only people who work for rte would defend the robbing feckers. Also it's funny the amount of old people who can get bband and don't realise what their missing out on by not streaming. Even Amazon or Disney offer far better entertainment or just watch HBO shows online for quality tv. Netflix is superb these days, lots of great things to watch. Rip off rte is bad for society. Personally I hate rte almost as much as I hate junkies as they offer absolute rubbish value for money

To justify not paying a license fee?
To signal they don't buy into "state propoganda"?
To signal that they are far too smart for the sheeple Shepards?
To signal they are intellectual and require intelligent discourse?
To label those that do, as contemptible?

But...

I'm gonna go with the 1st 1

Emery Gentle Babel wrote: »

RTE's coverage of issues is hopelessly biased.

E.g., if the topic of Travellers comes up, RTE will represent them as victims of settled society, air a few sob stories, interview someone from Pavee Point who will say "ethnic minority" a dozen times, and then call for more spending on this or that to benefit them.

100% guaranteed that RTE will make no mention of Traveller criminality, feuding, bare-knuckle fighting, anti-social behaviour, marrying off girls to their cousins at 16, etc. No mention of how elderly people in rural Ireland have been terrorized by Traveller gangs.

Numerous issues are whitewashed in the same way.

RTE is not objective, and should not be trusted to engage the public in an honest, balanced dialogue. Everything is slanted towards their own insular D4 point of view, and anyone with a contrary opinion rarely gets a look in.

and thats why i dont own a TV this crap is depressing to read in newspapers alone, so nothing lost.