Lack of Credibility in RTE

M three

Recent story about how an RTE staff member put a Labour Party member into the audience of Pat Kennys frontline show and then also nominated him as one of the questioners.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/how-rte-worker-put-labour-pal-in-frontline-audience-3297156.html

"AN RTE worker allowed his Labour party friend to ask questions in the critical 'Frontline' Presidential debate, it's been revealed.

The RTE production staff member made the pal one of the few hand-picked questioners in the 'make or break' show."

Gets you thinking, have you ever watched an RTE current affairs show or news report and thought that there was something dodgy going on?

Mr.Micro

M three wrote: »

Recent story about how an RTE staff member put a Labour Party member into the audience of Pat Kennys frontline show and then also nominated him as one of the questioners.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/how-rte-worker-put-labour-pal-in-frontline-audience-3297156.html

"AN RTE worker allowed his Labour party friend to ask questions in the critical 'Frontline' Presidential debate, it's been revealed.

The RTE production staff member made the pal one of the few hand-picked questioners in the 'make or break' show."

Gets you thinking, have you ever watched an RTE current affairs show or news report and thought that there was something dodgy going on?

I do believe that sort of stuff has been going on for years at RTE. The show audience prior to that Questions and Answers with Bowman was stuffed with Party supporters and got to ask the questions as well. If it is the case then nothing has changed.

M three

Mr.Micro wrote: »

I do believe that sort of stuff has been going on for years at RTE. The show audience prior to that Questions and Answers with Bowman was stuffed with Party supporters and got to ask the questions as well. If it is the case then nothing has changed.

How can RTE news or RTE current affairs programs ever claim to be in any way impartial if thats the case?

And its also makes you wonder about the "sources" they also quote when discussing a story, but never name. "Sources close to the minister" etc etc

It would make you think that RTE is just another part of the governments spin machine and just accepts stories that are pushed by the government of the day.

M three

M three wrote: »

"AN RTE worker allowed his Labour party friend to ask questions in the critical 'Frontline' Presidential debate, it's been revealed.

As much as I hate RTE etc., I wouldn't exactly call that debate "crucial".

M three

Deleted User wrote: »

As much as I hate RTE etc., I wouldn't exactly call that debate "crucial".

I agree with you, but what are they doing to affect debates that are crucial then?

Mr.Micro

M three wrote: »

How can RTE news or RTE current affairs programs ever claim to be in any way impartial if thats the case?

I do not think anyone can ever accuse RTE of being impartial.

Death and Taxes

Deleted User wrote: »

As much as I hate RTE etc., I wouldn't exactly call that debate "crucial".

The swing in the opinion polls directly after the debate might indicate differntly.

M three

Mr.Micro wrote: »

I do not think anyone can ever accuse RTE of being impartial.

Do you think its a wider issue then?
Are newspapers, tv and online forums home to "plants" that spin stories to suit a certain agenda?

Have you ever come across people even here on boards who's motives you were suspicious of?

Shea O'Meara

TV isn't real, reality TV is scripted, documentaries are generally coloured to a certain viewpoint...that's how attracting an audience works.
Approve or not they mix it up on purpose in the name of entertainment, I highly doubt they have any other concerns.
As posted, questions are handed to audience members should they volunteer themselves. That's always been the way on Questions & Answers. As with the guests, they try stir it up. Imagine a show where the entire audience agreed with the one sided panel?
What about the nod given to the audience when to clap. Do you really think the Late Late Audience are happy to be stuck sitting there and applaude Tubbs because he's just that good?
A television show is just that, a show. Like any editor of a newspaper, the producer and in some cases the presenter can manipulate any which way they want. It wasn't a courtroom hearing. It was a TV show.

M three

Shea O'Meara wrote: »

TV isn't real, reality TV is scripted, documentaries are generally coloured to a certain viewpoint...that's how attracting an audience works.
Approve or not they mix it up on purpose in the name of entertainment, I highly doubt they have any other concerns.
As posted, questions are handed to audience members should they volunteer themselves. That's always been the way on Questions & Answers. As with the guests, they try stir it up. Imagine a show where the entire audience agreed with the one sided panel?
What about the nod given to the audience when to clap. Do you really think the Late Late Audience are happy to be stuck sitting there and applaude Tubbs because he's just that good?
A television show is just that, a show. Like any editor of a newspaper, the producer and in some cases the presenter can manipulate any which way they want. It wasn't a courtroom hearing. It was a TV show.

I get that but do you think there are a lot of cases where people from political parties and perhaps even civil servants are getting involved in discussions on tv current affairs programs, newspapers, even on online forums, without letting people know they have a vested interest in the outcome of a particular discussion?

Not really talking about the likes of the late late where its obvious the subject matter is often a blatant attempt at making people more accepting of our current economic "situation" - each week now the late late has a heart wrenching tragic story designed to affect public opinion

Heres another example;

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/call-to-radio-station-by-civil-servant-improper-289446.html

Shea O'Meara

M three wrote: »

I get that but do you think there are a lot of cases where people from political parties and perhaps even civil servants are getting involved in discussions on tv current affairs programs, newspapers, even on online forums, without letting people know they have a vested interest in the outcome of a particular discussion?

Not really talking about the likes of the late late where its obvious the subject matter is often a blatant attempt at making people more accepting of our current economic "situation" - each week now the late late has a heart wrenching tragic story designed to affect public opinion

Heres another example;

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/call-to-radio-station-by-civil-servant-improper-289446.html

Yes, 100%. What you often get on boards is someone proporting to be say, Fine Geal, who come out with nonsense designed to turn you off Fine Geal and towards FFail etc.
It's easy to forget RTE was a branch of the Civil Service and supposedly impartial and answerable to the people. It's a fact that the same few families have been running it behind and in front of the scenes since day one. Also there has been some blatant party support. The reality/documentary starring and co-produced by Charles Haughey. Nothing more than a promo piece and a disgrace on RTE. Also before the last FFail disaster of a government fell the Late Late wheeled in an FFail member at least every other week and never grilled them about anything of note and filled the audience with bussed in supporters from their constituency.
The trouble with RTE on a practical level is talent and skill takes a back seat to nepotism. That's why live bands sound terrible on air and the sets look dark and shadowed. Put that with 'personalities' from the same gene pool generation after generation and you'll certainly get a bias in all things broadcast.

Mr.Micro

Shea O'Meara wrote: »

Yes, 100%. What you often get on boards is someone proporting to be say, Fine Geal, who come out with nonsense designed to turn you off Fine Geal and towards FFail etc.
It's easy to forget RTE was a branch of the Civil Service and supposedly impartial and answerable to the people. It's a fact that the same few families have been running it behind and in front of the scenes since day one. Also there has been some blatant party support. The reality/documentary starring and co-produced by Charles Haughey. Nothing more than a promo piece and a disgrace on RTE. Also before the last FFail disaster of a government fell the Late Late wheeled in an FFail member at least every other week and never grilled them about anything of note and filled the audience with bussed in supporters from their constituency.
The trouble with RTE on a practical level is talent and skill takes a back seat to nepotism. That's why live bands sound terrible on air and the sets look dark and shadowed. Put that with 'personalities' from the same gene pool generation after generation and you'll certainly get a bias in all things broadcast.

Indeed, little or no new talent. Dobbo let Ahern of the hook many times, also Cowen was treated softly far too often, add to that the cringing apology from RTE after it showed his portrait on the news. There was Dobbo the other night trying to be rabid with Alan Shatter........

The late late is just 2 hours of adverts to sell books, shows, cars, films, and thats what RTE has become itself, one long boring advert.

Son Of A Vidic

I probably spend only about two-three hours every year watching any of the RTE channels. I just reached a point few years back, where I couldn't endure their amateurism any more. The poor delivery and diction of many their reporters is quite embarrassing and is usually enough to force me to turn over. I'd sooner watch political programming on the cartoon network, than watch anything emanating from the bowels of RTE.

Mr.Micro

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

I probably spend only about two-three hours every year watching any of the RTE channels. I just reached a point few years back, where I couldn't endure their amateurism any more. The poor delivery and diction of many their reporters is quite embarrassing and is usually enough to force me to turn over. I'd sooner watch political programming on the cartoon network, than watch anything emanating from the bowels of RTE.

I watched the first episode of the 21st Century railways programme RTE on mondays, half expecting to see some of the old rail networks. I was sadly disappointed, it is very poor IMO. The narration is like someone bored reading a shopping list and the content dull. I decided to give the second episode a go ( as I had set the Sky box on series link), and I had enough after 10 mins. Is this is an example of home content at RTE then its a backward step, just like the Nationwide show, I could not believe it could get any worse, but it did 3-4 segments advertizing someone or something is what it is now, sad. Rant over.

expectationlost

the question wasn't actually that earth shattering, just asking about norris' judgment, the guy was just playing a role in the show, really the prob was the another question wasn't ask a maybe more pointed one.


doesn't make it ok though

i wonder if she was the same person to not double check the tweet

Shea O'Meara

I'd say they were trying to be clever. The logical journalistic route would have been for Pat Kenny to simply ask the question as say, Pat Kenny.

What is amusing to me and very FFail, it's not the fact that Gallagher was proven to be full of **** that's the issue but how it was raised. His being full of **** a side issue as far as both himself and FFail are concerned.

Not unlike Biffo being hammered on an international broadcast....How dare Coveney tweet what everybody listening was thinking :rolleyes: