Michael Kelly
“RTÉ clearly takes the responsibility of connecting people with this faith experience very seriously”, writes Editor Michael Kelly
RTÉ is often roundly (and rightly) criticised for an apparent hostility towards faith and Catholicism in particular. Many people saw the disgraceful 2011 defamation of Fr Kevin Reynolds as confirmation of bias, or even an anti-Catholic agenda, at the national broadcaster.
Indeed, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has upheld a number of complaints against RTÉ for a lack of fairness in dealing with issues related to the Catholic Church.
It’s an issue that runs across the board in large sections of the Irish media. Baroness Nuala O’Loan (a columnist with this newspaper) singled out The Irish Times in a recent speech as a particularly bad offender.
Papers like the self-styled ‘paper of reference’, Baroness O’Loan claimed, “now run columns in which things are said about and imputed to Catholics which would not be tolerated in the context of Islam or Judaism, or of homosexuals or humanists”.
Many readers will find themselves chanting “hear, hear”. A combination of bias and sheer ignorance has contributed to a deep decline in the quality of much of what passes as the reporting of religion in Ireland.
In the interests of fairness, it’s important that when dishing out criticism we can highlight the very considered approach taken to religion by media outlets.
I was in the RTÉ television centre on Sunday morning for the live broadcast of Mass to mark Vocations Sunday with Bishop Phonsie Cullinan. The liturgy was enhanced by the beautiful choir of the National Centre for Liturgy under the admirable direction of Sr Moira Bergin RSM.
One of the things that struck me was the absolute professionalism, courtesy, respect for the liturgy and understanding of the centrality of the Mass shown by the RTÉ staff. What also struck me was the seriousness with which RTÉ approaches the broadcasts.
In total, a crew of 18 people were involved in the broadcast of just this one Sunday Mass. From director to floor manager, set designer, lighting co-ordinators, sound supervisors, camera operators, makeup artists etc. it was a massive operation. It is also a considerable investment by RTÉ to ensure that people who are unable to attend Mass for whatever reason can participate in the celebration of the Eucharist in their own environment.
Whether it be a nursing home, a hospital bed or simply one who is at home feeling isolated, RTÉ clearly takes the responsibility of connecting people with this faith experience very seriously.
It’s not something that we should take for granted, especially since the cost of such a production would run in to tens of thousands. Many other national broadcasters that once took the production of worship very seriously no longer do so. RTÉ as an institution and the staff who work tirelessly to bring Masses and other ceremonies in to our homes, smartphones and tablets deserve credit.
More generally, RTÉ religious programmes are of a high standard and work to achieve balance. We might sometimes grumble about the presence of some guests, but it’s the right and responsibility of RTÉ to represent the variety of views that are present within the Church, even if we feel that some of those views are just plain wrong.
So, the next time you grumble about an RTÉ programme that you think is unfair to the Church, consider the stuff you enjoy and the programmes RTÉ excel at as well.