People often complain these days about a coarsening of public debate, but it’s not just happening on social media. I’ve noticed a tendency for bad language to become more common in mainstream media, both from interviewees and even worse from presenters. The practice has long been common in film and TV drama and if you…
Just when you think you can’t be shocked anymore by the terrible things that go on in the world, you get a double whammy. First off, on the News at One (RTÉ Radio 1, Tuesday) I heard about the awful stabbing of a woman in a church in Tramore, during the Rosary and just before…
I turned on the radio last Friday morning and heard Ryan Tubridy speaking – what was this, a time warp? It’s a long time since he’s had a morning radio show. But no, I was indeed in the present moment – he was a guest on Times Radio Breakfast, and what he was saying was…
I was at a funeral last week, and once again I was reminded of the wonderful support priests provide to their parishioners in times of difficulty. This brought to mind an item I had heard earlier in the week. Today with David McCullagh (RTÉ Radio 1, Wednesday) featured three priests in active duty – Fr…
It’s great to come upon a programme that’s inspiring, informative and well made. I got all three last Monday night with Heart of a Servant – The Father Flanagan Story (RTÉ One). It was a high-quality documentary about the Irish priest who founded Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska. I knew the bare bones of the story,…
The earthquakes in Venezuela dominated news and current affairs coverage last week, as the numbers of casualties rose daily. On Sunday (BBC Radio 4) Edward Stourton, describing Venezuela as a mainly Catholic country, spoke to Bishop Carlos Marquez from Caracas, the capital. He said the Venezuelan people were noted for their solidarity, and that the…
I was downcast last week to see a vote in the Dáil supporting a wider abortion regime. Our mainstream media have tended to avoid the abortion issue, a kind of ‘don’t spook the horses’ approach, but it did get an airing last week. Liveline (RTÉ Radio 1, Tuesday) gave the issue detailed coverage, and the…
In our search for meaning in life, we sometimes reach for the sky. In a very significant and metaphorical way, that seems to be the drive behind ‘God’s architect’ Antoni Gaudí’s massive basilica, the Sagrada Familia, in Barcelona. Last week Pope Leo XIV inaugurated a new tower in this building – the Tower of Jesus…
It should be no surprise that I’m interested in stories about journalists, and I’m particularly drawn to stories about war correspondents on the front line. The Road to Hope with Fergal Keane (BBC News, Thursday) was a reflective and retrospective documentary narrated by the Irish journalist who worked for the BBC for years. It was…
I finished last week’s column with a brief mention of Pope Leo’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas on the theme of AI. Subsequently the document was well noted and received in the media. On Morning Ireland (RTÉ Radio 1) Tuesday of last week, I liked Audrey Carville’s introduction on the Pope’s call for the ‘disarming’ of AI…
Brendan O’Regan