The Weekend On One With Brendan O'Connor

So journalistic integrity should go out the window then? That’s a very dangerous line to walk. You’re essentially saying I don’t mind biased reporting because I don’t like that man. I hear this view expressed frequently in Ireland and it never ceases to amaze me.

You are also of course assuming the audience doesn’t have the intelligence to make up their own minds and need a helping hand to guide them to the “correct” views and interpretations.

I could point you to several books on the topic, but here’s a relatively short piece instead:

https://harvardpolitics.com/the-importance-of-unbiased-press/

RTE bias on American politics didn’t start with Trump btw.

That’s some deflection and a complete avoidance of commentary on the point I am making re. RTÉ bias on American Politics.

It is a fact however that Boelter was a Democrat and re-appointed by Walz to a state board - RTÉ didn’t mention this at the time. Do I think it’s relevant and paints Walz in a bad light? No, and no - it’s not like they were personal friends or close colleagues after all. It sounds like he was a madman tbh.

The point I’m making is had the shoe been on the other foot and he was a Republican and had been appointed by Trump do you really believe RTÉ wouldn’t have mentioned this - especially as it was widely reported on other outlets?

That’s your opinion. Even the BBC had mentioned it.

Are you denying that RTÉ have a pro-Democrat bias when it comes to their coverage of US Politics?

The facts speak for themselves, so to speak (I know I am not speaking). It is a reliable record, put in opposition to lies presented as facts.

My point is that I don't think that story was worth talking about. You raised it as an example of RTE bias in action? Does that mean you think it was worth talking about? Do you believe it?

Slam RTE by all means, but to take umbrage over them not covering a non-story, because they might potentially cover a hypothetical aspect of a hypothetical story, if it were to potentially happen to the other side... Hmmm, I don't know if that's really a damning case for RTE bias, if you ask me.

Have you read this:

I'm sure you'll want the last word, so you can have it. I'm disagreeing with you here and I'm happy to leave it there before the thread gets closed/locked etc.

That’s some spin.

Well again, unless the BBC were incorrect in their assertions he was - I’m happy to admit if I’m wrong on this btw but I’m just going on what the BBC said. It would however be somewhat unusual for a Democrat (Walz) to appoint/reappoint a Republican given how US politics works.

Whether he was a Republican or a Democrat however doesn’t change the point on journalistic bias, which is ok according to some posters.🤷‍♂️

It's not unusual at all. It's a bipartisan committee. There is no evidence at the moment that he was a Democrat, and some evidence to the contrary based on family and friend comments.

I think expecting neutral coverage of politics outside Ireland is unrealistic in the extreme. Sure, we can expect RTE to report the facts on the news. But asking a magazine show where commentators give their opinion to both-sides foreign politics is nonsense. It is impossible not to look at it through a lens of what is normal in Ireland. RTE includes plenty of Republican views when having American commentators on their shows. It would be entirely unrepresentative of Irish society to have total "balance" when Irish commentators are discussing the majority of issues in American politics, or Russian politics, or North Korean politics. Where do we draw the line at "impartial" "unbiased" commentary on international politics? Do we need to both-sides every tinpot dictatorship in the world?

It wasn’t discussed in the panel segment. It was a 1:1 between the host and Niall Stanage before the panel were introduced.

One of the reasons Stanage was so good on the Dunphy podcast in the 18months - 2 years prior to the last US Presidential Elections was precisely because he analysed BOTH sides and was critical of both. This was in contrast to the widespread gushing and praise afforded to one side in the more mainstream mefia (particularly but not limited to RTÉ) on our shores.

Regarding balance, RTÉ seem well able to give the Israeli side of things by contrast.

Also, is America a tinpot dictatorship now?

Again I’ll refer you to the Harvard article I linked earlier. If you can’t see why journalistic impartiality and integrity from a state broadcaster are important I really don’t know what to say to you. It really is an astonishing position to have. You’re ok with it when it suits your narrative or you agree with the bias - what happens when it doesn’t? It’s not an exaggeration to say a biased media is a challenge to democracy.

Is there anywhere on Irish radio for MAGA fans to listen to their conspiracy theories get a fair hearing? Certainly not Newtalk or Today FM.

Stella O'Malley on being ghosted by RTE. What an absolute coward ballsy is. Relates to a recent piece by Hugh Linehan

https://www.irishtimes.com/media/2025/06/10/why-is-irish-media-so-reticent-about-covering-gender-issues/

At the beginning of 2023, I was preparing to release my book What Your Teen is Trying to Tell You — a broad-based guide to adolescent mental health. It covered a wide range of topics, including anxiety, eating disorders, and school refusal. It wasn’t particularly focused on trans issues, as my other book, When Kids Say They’re Trans (also released in 2023), explored that subject in more depth.

The release of a book is a highly orchestrated affair. RTÉ comes first, followed by other radio stations, and then print interviews. Everything is timed with precision so the PR campaign can land cleanly and effectively. My publishers had arranged an interview with Miriam O’Callaghan, which would be followed by a series of other media appearances. The RTÉ interview was the cornerstone of the campaign.

That’s why I became concerned when Brendan O’Connor — who had previously endorsed my work with enthusiasm — asked the publishers to remove his name from the cover of my book.

Not sure what that has to do with my point around RTÉ bias but ok 🤷‍♂️

I don't get it. Is he obliged to have his name on all her books? Or what exactly was the order of events?

I think she’s of the one “l” variety.

What's your definition of Conservative? Because you hear the views of the main centre right parties (FF and FG) as well as Aontu frequently. You also hear the opposition left parties quite a bit.

What you don't hear are the extreme right wing because they are (a) extreme and (b) not represented in the dail.