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What do you hate about Irish Media - Papers / TV / Radio

barneysplash

Hi all

I don't usually post these kind of threads but I feel I have to ask if
there is anyone else out there who feels the same. It's just some things
that I see again and again on telly, radio or in the papers,
it feels like painting by numbers:

The Irish Times
Our "paper of national record" is really mediocre. It's like Marks & Spencer corn flakes -
overpriced, edible but they soon get boring.

Those cartoons - Look it's the Irish taxpayer, a man done up in a patchy
suit with holes in it. And there is the government character with a big bag
marked "pensions" and those little things in the corner, saying something
about "this wouldn't happen if..." or something about the 1913 lock-out.

Miriam Lord's Dail Sketch - a "satirical" look at our government that
usually ends up reading like a backslapping after dinner speech at
a civil servant's retirement party.
". ...and Enda's so dull he's fifty shades of grey."

Ross O'Carroll Kelly - far past his sell-by date. This was a a once humerous
send-up of the lives of the rich and privieleged. Paul Howard continues
to reinforce the truth that his creation is a one trick pony that is being milked
for all the money available.

Those television adverts - "The story of why" Having some chap
in a room full of post-it notes and newspapers going on about how stories are vital -
positive re-enforcement post purchase marketing at it's best.

The Saturday Magazine - Something about a new family-friendly bicycle holiday
center in Cork that is a "real" holiday, and will give you mental closure about your
shopping trips to New York in 2006.

Roisin Ingle's diary - Her colums read like someone who is trying to
hypnotize their readers into believing that she is the next Maeve Binchy /
Mammy of the Nation. "Oh, and I've just written a lovely novel about a
family that moves from Dublin 4 to Connemara to renovate an old cinema."

The going up and down meter "loving those velvet shoobs!"
"Artisan ice-cream made from cows who only speak Irish"
"Craft Beer brewed by former estate agent turned subsistence farmer."

And yet another cooking feature with a pornographic close up of a stir-fry or
picture of a salmon dish done with lemons that takes up most of the page.

RTE Six-One
Brian Dobson standing up when reading the news.
It's going to be bad news, whatever the story.

RTE Radio
Joseph O'Connor doing his readings on RTE Radio 1. "I am the
self-appointed spokesperson for the arts and modern poerty. You will not
feature anyone else doing a routine about those old school books
we had years ago, or how we all lost our way with the Celtic Tiger."
"By the way I have a new compilation of my speeches and ramblings out now
at €16.95. Yes, that's an oil painting of yours truly on the cover with my suit
jacket, complete with anarchy badge, and intellectual looking glasses. Buy it now."

Hector Ó hEochagáin's Blarney-a-thon
"Ho-ho keep her lit"
"Be the hokey"
I'd say he sits there in the studio spouting this drivel, with his eyes closed,
counting his money into big wads before wrapping them with rubber bands
and putting them in old USA Biscuit Tins. "Go on you good thing!"

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Grayson

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

It's not so much that they do it right over there. Phone hacking etc. It's that when they do something wrong they are held to account. Same with politicians. Compare going to prison over for trying to evade penalty points with someone here on the House Committee on Ethics completely taking the píss with the High Court.

Also our libel laws stiffled real journalism

To be fair, phone hacking might be morally wrong & illegal. And their targets might mainly have been celebrities and sensationalist stories, but at least they were doing some investigation.

barneysplash

heartseeker wrote: »

Colm hayes has to be one of the greatest unfunny unhip buffoons to have graced the airwaves in decades.His continual showbiz gossip sections with Lottie Ryan are so irritating and vacuous that to listen is a form of deadly brain cancer.

I forgot about him. I think he was looking a financial chasm
when his mate Jim-Jim split up their double act. So he wiped the (white)
dust off Gerry Ryan's studio mic, and turned the human interest up to the max:

"You're a busy mum who moonlights as a burlesque dancer.
You lost your confidence after your last baby.
You wanted to feel sexy and feminine again.
Well I think you're an inspiration".

"You're an unemployed brick-layer.
You've started a Facebook campaign.
To have all the dog muck in Ireland
picked up by TDs convicted of expenses fiddling.
You're an inspiration."

"You and your friends are doing a 10K run dressed in pink.
Through a minefield in Siberia for a charity.
That provides Christian burials for orphaned hedgehogs.
Well I think you're an inspiration."

"You've written a book about being bullied.
Because you were raised to call Paris "Supertown"
not Paris like everyone else in your class.
Your new book out is a compilation of your blog postings.
You really are an inspiration."

"Someone has just tweeted in to the studio:
I think that person is: a disgrace / inspiration.
What they are doing is: disgusting / inspirational.
Thy should be: shot / given a medal.
They are: what's wrong with this country / what this country needs.
Tell us what you think - text, tweet or Facebook the show now,
back after this ad break."

Once the red "On-Air" light goes out, he leans over and switches on his
banknote counting machine to tot up last weeks takings.

For Forks Sake

CaraMay wrote: »

I'm sick and tired of looking at Kathryn Thomas. She is on everything. Who cares about her ex the cop. Mother of god is there no one else to present a programme or to write about.

For 75% of RTE programming there's Kathryn Thomas. For everything else there's a member of the Seoige family.

mike65

Kathryn Thomas is the current Carrie Crowley and like her in a year or two you'll go "whateverhappenedto?"

Aidric

The scaremongering agenda of The Daily Mail.

The very existence of The Sunday Independent with such luminaries as Barry Egan & Lucinda O Sullivan.

Jennie O Sullivan's whiny tones.

David Davin Powers choice of scarves.

Son Of A Vidic

barneysplash wrote: »

What do you hate about Irish Media - Papers / TV / Radio

Hate is to strong a , I find all of the above to be completely shyte.

Son Of A Vidic

barneysplash wrote: »

What do you hate about Irish Media - Papers / TV / Radio

Hate is to strong a word to use, for something that has very little relevance in my life. But generally, I find all of the above to be completely shyte.

Richard Hillman

I dislike how left wing our media are. I also think they are anti-government just to boost their sales/listenership/viewership. No matter who the government of the day is, the media will do their best to discredit them at every opportunity. Its lowest common denominator stuff.

experiMental

Too much fluff and padding, not enough hard facts and analysis.

languagenerd

The way they twist statistics and make comparisons that are completely illogical. For example, last year the Irish Times ran an article saying that Tallaght was officially the worst place in the country to live, based on the fact that Tallaght Garda Station had the most reports of burglaries. Ok, fair enough... but then they compared it to Rathfarnham Garda Station and showed that Tallaght had at least double the amount of burglaries... without ever mentioning that the catchment area for Tallaght is around 100,000 people and Rathfarnham is 16,000. That's like saying Dublin has more burglaries than Carrick-on-Shannon...

Stuff like that happens all the time, though, and if you're not from whatever area they're talking about or you're not paying attention to the way statistics are presented, it's easy to fall into the trap of believing it. Probably not just Irish media in fairness, but it makes me angry when I see articles like that!

Suckler

languagenerd wrote: »

The way they twist statistics and make comparisons that are completely illogical. For example, last year the Irish Times ran an article saying that Tallaght was officially the worst place in the country to live, based on the fact that Tallaght Garda Station had the most reports of burglaries. Ok, fair enough... but then they compared it to Rathfarnham Garda Station and showed that Tallaght had at least double the amount of burglaries... without ever mentioning that the catchment area for Tallaght is around 100,000 people and Rathfarnham is 16,000. That's like saying Dublin has more burglaries than Carrick-on-Shannon...

Stuff like that happens all the time, though, and if you're not from whatever area they're talking about or you're not paying attention to the way statistics are presented, it's easy to fall into the trap of believing it. Probably not just Irish media in fairness, but it makes me angry when I see articles like that!

This is the one for me. They throw out sensationalist statistics wit no relevant reference or comparisons to show why they should be in a headline. It's like they read "investigative journalism for dummies" and stopped after three pages.

BuilderPlumber

Some of the issues that annoys me about Irish media are:

1. Negativity: One of the best moves RTE made this year was to get rid of The Frontline, the king show of negative and stress TV. Obsessed with the banking problems and the detrimental affects of corruption with 100% doom and gloom, no hope, this show summed up the 2008-2013 era of Irish media best. If this continues, people will give up hope and the country cannot improves. Negativity's other bastion is the awful drivel on the Sunday Independent often written by politicians to take a swipe at other politicians. As Pat Shortt calls it, political football!

2. Inanity: From one extreme to another, inanity is the other thing Irish chat show TV and radio does best. Look at the stupidity of the Tubridy Show on Friday nights. Some gems include his inane interview with Nigella Lawson (who was too polite to voice her obvious annoyance), his constant live baby doting, the stupid interviews with Cuba Gooding and Peter Kay, and his falling all over the likes of Westlife, Ruby Walsh, and One Direction. On radio, you have Tubridy doing the same thing and the papers are full of silly often insulting articles too.

3. The same old people show up EVERYWHERE!! Tubridy is on radio and TV. In fact, he seems to be on somewhere every minute of the day! The same guests appear year in year out on the Late Late Tubridy Show and other RTE chatshows. The ones mentioned in 2 above along with the likes of Twink, the boxers, the rugby players, Imelda May and of course Des Bishop, Ronan Keating and Louis Walsh. Some of these are good and talented, some are good business people who have done well or got lucky depending on your views, more (Twink!!) are 100% unnecessary and pointless. However, what they ALL tell you in 2012 is the same as what they have to say in 2013.

4. Bad Taste. For example, another too often featured chatshow guest Bill Cullen's advice to people to work for nothing. That is easier said than done and he never did it!!

5. The salaries of the TV, radio and paper personalities. We are told by the likes of John Drennan, Gene Kerrigan and Sean O'Rourke how "bad things are" but what we are not told is how well paid these guys are when talking and writing their doom and gloom!! Pat Kenny, Ryan Tubridy and other TV stars really take the biscuit and Joe Duffy gets paid 100s of 1000s for Liveline!! The recession has been a harvest for all of these.

6. Brian Ormond. He has got to be the worst presenter on TV! He even makes Tubridy look excellent by comparison!!

M three

Irish times mouthpieces conor lally, miriam lord and mary minihane.

Every single article is a pathetic piece of pro government crap.
They must just sit around government buildings all day waiting to be handed their next "story" by a government press officer

colossus-x

I agree with observations entirely especially your references to newspapers.

When I was in college a couple of years ago I took a mandatory random module and I chose 'Economic & Society'. It was lectured by a certain Mr Moore McDowell who I didn't know off at the time. Anyway he was aghast that many of the student didn't read newspapers. I was personally aghast that in the academic arena that it's expected because I personally am sick of newspapers. I haven't bought a newspaper in 10 years or more precisely as a result of the said banality / disillusionment that you allude to in your OP.

I suppose a lot of 'commentators' expect to get a column when they retire but I'm afraid the internet has taken over and I'm personally very glad of that.

colossus-x

4. Bad Taste. For example, another too often featured chatshow guest Bill Cullen's advice to people to work for nothing. That is easier said than done and he never did it!!

I saw this as I passed by the TV when mum was watching the late late and was utterly appalled especially how it was received with applause. As someone looking for a job, seeing a wealthy son of a ... say that ppl who need money should work for free made my blood boil. How the rich promote taking advantage of the less well off !

BuilderPlumber

colossus-x wrote: »

I saw this as I passed by the TV when mum was watching the late late and was utterly appalled especially how it was received with applause. As someone looking for a job, seeing a wealthy son of a ... say that ppl who need money should work for free made my blood boil. How the rich promote taking advantage of the less well off !

I agree 100% with this and am glad others noticed this as well. Bill Cullen never worked for nothing in his life. He was always on the make and got into big positions because of clout.

We know that unemployment is a massive scourge in this country. On top of this, the attitude of employers is worse and the poor treatment of workers by them is rife. Cullen airs what all bosses dare not express but feel.

I know people who are in offices in banks, accountant's offices, and the like who regard day to day work as a living hell. Often, the treatment of workers (from probationary contracts where the employer can fire workers at will to piling on the pressure to snide remarks) by employers makes being a worker an anticlimax. Loads of people get the new job and are released from unemployment to face abuse often from bosses who are less qualified and less intelligent than those they employ.

With all that in mind, Bill Cullen should not get RTE airtime to voice his negative views.

BoardsMember

Bobby Kerr on Newstalk. I just cannot abide his programme on Sunday morning. He just comes across as such a dunce, doesn't seem to listen or try to understand things he is not already very familiar with. He's just not a competent broadcaster at all.

iDave

David Quinn

Gorilla Rising

bgrizzley wrote: »

although, it will be interesting hearing the theme from Star Wars once the Jedis overtake the Catholics....

http://www.dailyedge.ie/a-td-wants-to-know-how-many-jedi-knights-are-there-in-ireland-438677-May2012/

This kind of thing really gets on my nerves.

You can't just declare yourself a Jedi Knight.

You must possess and a certain level of skill and natural talent in the way of how strong you are with the force before being considered. And only then, after years of training are you ready to take your full role of Jedi Knight - protector and ambassador.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

The Sunday World with "sleezy brothel discovered promoting SEX in Dublin x" on one page, and then dozens of 0915 "call Michelle NOW for the night of your life!" on the other.

gobnaitolunacy

George Hook - uninformed twaddle and the oft referred to 'lovely Ingrid' and now his co-presenter Barry Kenny...does he even work for Irish Rail anymore??

Bobby Kerr and his raspy tones as if he was on Majors all his life.

Copy & paste journalism from joe.ie or similar, usually an article that's a couple of weeks and past its sell by date.

Use of Twitter as a 'reliable' source of information.

Constant lionisation of so-called 'celebrities' when they do well, and a feeding frenzy unleashed when they slip up.

storker

Radio & TV:

Bad grammar and pronunciation. You'd wonder if some presenters even managed to pass Inter Cert English.

People with "awful dreary oul'" voices that Tesco wouldn't use for in-store announcements. They must have known someone in order to get the job (I'm looking at you RTE).

Overdosing on a single presenter at a time and sticking them into arenas that just don't suit them. (RTE again)

Hector.

Language:

The apparent abolition of the words "pay" and "increase". Instead now we have "fork out" and "hike". Too many presenters trying to work on their "street cred" when it's their journalistic ability that's painfully lacking.

Presenters Opinions:

"You know what I have a problem with....?" No, and I couldn't give a toss. Just carry on with the bloody interview/broadcast/whatever.

Presenters using their stastus to give themselves the last word. (Cathal McCoille)

And while we're on the subject, Cathal McCoille.

Laziness:

Too much parrotting of press-releases with bugger all critical evaluation to go with it...effectively acting as government mouthpiece.

Failure to really pursue inconsistencies or fallacious reasoning in interviewee claims/arguments. If comeone's talking rubbish, they should be challenged on it. If they're lying, they should be exposed. Instead, we get interviewers who meekly proceed onto the next question.

Licking it for the man:

Cheerfully aiding and abetting the government's divide-and-rule strategy. Employed v unemployed...public v private...long term v short term unemployed etc etc.

A failure to hold the government (be it this one or the previous one) to account that is so abject that it's hard to escape the conclusion that it is in fact a deliberate policy.

I'm sure I'll think of more as soon as I've posted this...

Allyall

I don't read any newspapers at all, some online news sites.

I have read the Herald and hate the way they try and make celebrities out of their journalists. Hate the way they also give themselves a pat on the back when they have done something.

I had to filter the Herald and the Independent out of Google News, as their new sites are also horrific. Trying really hard to mimic the Mail (I've filtered that out too), and failing miserably.

I hate the sh!te all newspapers (Not just Irish) write about "Celebrities". Who honestly gives a toss?

Most annoying of all (Not the media) are the people that do read that tripe, encouraging them to write it, and then give out when they write something they don't like.

Irish Celebrities.. Jaysis.. When they try to give advice.. :mad: That's just insulting. They're qualified for nothing. They can barely do anything, most of them are brutal at what they do for a living, How dare they give people advice. More is the fool that listens.

BuilderPlumber

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

Use of Twitter as a 'reliable' source of information.

Twitter? I just don't get it at all. Anyone coming from another social media site like Facebook or the old Bebo will find Twitter limited. To me, it seems to be all about would be celebs telling us what they are doing with their day.

wuzziwig

Amanda Brunker in the Sunday World is great though. Now that's what I call a journalist.

Mardy Bum

colossus-x wrote: »

I agree with observations entirely especially your references to newspapers.

When I was in college a couple of years ago I took a mandatory random module and I chose 'Economic & Society'. It was lectured by a certain Mr Moore McDowell who I didn't know off at the time. Anyway he was aghast that many of the student didn't read newspapers. I was personally aghast that in the academic arena that it's expected because I personally am sick of newspapers. I haven't bought a newspaper in 10 years or more precisely as a result of the said banality / disillusionment that you allude to in your OP.

I suppose a lot of 'commentators' expect to get a column when they retire but I'm afraid the internet has taken over and I'm personally very glad of that.

I'd say he was talking about the Financial Times. Those doing Economics and Finance are meant to be be up on the day to day markets although the internet is just as good now. That module had one of the highest failure rates in the college.

Wacker The Attacker

mcwinning wrote: »

Joe Duffy and his crusade to give every idiot with a stupid agenda airtime on national media.

disgrace mcwinning

dd972

CaraMay wrote: »

Oh and everytime there is a murder or shooting in a neighbourhood, the residents interviewed always say 'we are so shocked, nothing like this ever happens around here' every single time.

Yeah, and it's usually in the middle of Moyross, Finglas or Neilstown as well :pac:

BlatentCheek

I really resented the shameless attempts over the last year by print media spokespeople to angle for a share of any revenue from the proposed broadcasting charge, which may replace the TV licence.
The argument was that newpapers performed a valuable public function and therefore a charge imposed on every household in the country should subsidise them.
In only a few posts in a mere six pages this thread has fairly comprehensively debunked that "valuable public function" claim, without even mentioning how much they contributed to the property bubble by irresponsibly puffing it up, largely to sell advertising in their property supplements (and they're already at it again with sporadic BS pieces about how imminent price climbs).
The manner in which journalists of every hue were sent out to discredit new media and thus make themselves appear indispensable was particularly brass-necked, I remember Fintan O'Toole was even conscripted into the big push.
Remember all that ****e about how malicious, shallow and lacking in journalistic integrity new media was and that the only protection society had against these barbarians was our glorious broadsheets?
It's insulting enough to Irish people to make them support Gerry Ryans Cocaine habit if they want to watch the telly but making every household pay for Roisin Ingle's artisan scone outing to West Cork whether they read the IT or not is an incredibly cheeky thing to suggest.

Heres a typical example of what I mean:
http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2012/0207/world/aposgive-part-of-broadcast-funds-to-print-mediaapos-182925.html

storker

CaraMay wrote: »

Oh and everytime there is a murder or shooting in a neighbourhood, the residents interviewed always say 'we are so shocked, nothing like this ever happens around here' every single time.

Thanks for the reminder. I get irritated by the overuse of phrases like "coming to terms with" and "community is in shock" when actually people are just either discussing the matter out of curiosity/interest as they will and apart from an initial frisson of shock or surprise or sadness are just getting on with their lives.

Or maybe that's just me. In which case I would certainly be in shock but I'm sure that eventually I could come to terms with it.