Media bias is an ever-present problem in Ireland

When I criticise media bias I often find myself tempted to distance myself from some person or cause lest people miss my point and assume I’m supporting them, whereas I’m just looking for more objectivity.

Last Friday I listened to yet another soft and palsy interview with Alastair Campbell, former press secretary to Tony Blair, on the Pat Kenny Show (Newstalk). I agreed with much of what Mr Campbell said, especially about the need for cross party co-operation across Britain in the fight against Covid-19, and the often-uninspiring leadership of Boris Johnson. Yet there was an inherent unfairness about it. It would have been more interesting if he had debated with someone who disagreed with him or if Mr Kenny had asked some challenging questions, even as devil’s advocate. They even managed to get in a few tired digs at Donald Trump (no I’m not a supporter of Mr Trump etc., etc.,) There was one pertinent question but it was put by a texter, not by Mr Kenny, suggesting that Mr Campbell was the Dominic Cummings of his day – the bogeymen were really out to play.

Mr Campbell accused Boris Johnson of telling lies and the presenter did not demur. Normally in these cases the interviewer will say something like ‘You can’t say that, he’s not here to defend himself’, or ‘I’m sure he wouldn’t accept that’. Is it ok to libel someone from outside the State or are figures that media folks find distasteful fair game? Or would Mr Campbell welcome a court case where Mr Johnson had to defend himself against the charge? Now that would be interesting.

On the subject of media bias, RTÉ and BBC are still tagging Mr Trump with the ‘without evidence’ label, thus giving him the fuel of special attention when in other respects he’s now yesterday’s man. So, for example, last Sunday morning on the News on RTÉ Radio One there was reference to his “unsubstantiated claims” about the US election. This was RTÉ not just reporting the news but adding in their own spin (curiously BBC continues to do the same). Whether the claims are unsubstantiated or not is not the point – it’s an interpretation, so it should be left to the commentators, not the newsreaders. By contrast, last Monday morning, also on the RTÉ Radio One News, this time during Morning Ireland there was a report on the coup in Myanmar (now there’s an actual coup, not like the despicable fracas in the US Capitol last month). The report included a reference to the military’s claims of “alleged flaws” in their recent elections. That was fair enough as, factually, flaws have been alleged. Significantly RTÉ did not pass any judgement on the quality of these claims. So, the military dictators who have effectively overruled the democratic election in Myanmar get better treatment from RTÉ than the democratically-elected president of the USA.

Away from this aggravating stuff, Nationwide (RTÉ One) is usually a tonic. Last Wednesday’s episode marked the Holocaust Remembrance Day in Ireland, when the annual ceremony had to take place online. We met Dublin-based art dealer Oliver Sears whose grandfather was murdered by the Nazis and whose mother, Monica, was a Polish Holocaust survivor. A child at the time of the war she hadn’t spoken of the family story until she was in her fifties, a common reticence among survivors. Mr Sears and his Irish wife Catherine Punch are now active in promoting Holocaust awareness. Part of his motivation for keeping the family story alive is his concern about the instability in the world today and the fragility of democracy.

The second half of the programme was a fascinating exploration, with presenter Anne Cassin and guide Marnino Winkler of University College Cork (UCC), of the Jewish heritage of Cork city. A frequent visitor to that wonderful city I was struck by how much I hadn’t known about the many landmarks linked to that heritage – like ‘Shalom Park’ or the new pedestrian bridge dedicated to Mary Elms, known as the ‘Irish Schindler’, who had helped so many Jewish children to escape the Nazis in occupied France. We were reminded of former Lord Mayor Gerard Goldberg from the 1970’s who spoke in an archive interview of being educated in Catholic schools in the city and never found a problem fitting in – no difference felt between himself and the other students – never occurred to them.

It was a timely lesson for our divisive and divided times.

Pick of the week

Risen
RTÉ One Saturday February 6, 3.45pm

(2016) With Joseph Fiennes and Peter Firth in 33AD, a Roman Tribune in Judea is tasked to find the missing body of Jesus Christ, who his followers said rose from the dead.

Where God Weeps
EWTN Saturday February 6, 5.30pm

Ruled by Hamas and blockaded by Israel and Egypt, the Gaza Strip is sometimes called the largest prison in the world. Sr Bridget Tighe talks about the issues of ministering to the 1.9 million residents there.

Mass
RTÉ One Sunday February 7, 11.00am

Fr Eamonn Bourke leads today’s Mass from the RTÉ studios, with a congregation from Music Ministry Ireland. Today’s musical director is Ian Callanan with Ciaran Coll on piano and Andrew Clayton on guitar.