Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

FF/FG/Green Government - Part 3 - Threadbanned User List in OP

Options
1582583585587588733

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 7,410 ✭✭✭jmcc


    You may be unaware, Mark, but the government does exercise a soft power over the media and in particular the newspapers.

    It is non-obvious to people who think of power in simple absolutes. Some of the newspapers have had falling sales for years and advertising has become increasingly important as the sales decrease. The government, over the last few years due to Covid, has been a major advertiser. The publishers don't really want to upset their big advertisers. It is not good for business. There are also newspaper subscriptions for government departments and semi-state organisations. The Dublin media is really that of a small village with about three Irish broadsheets (IT/Indo/Examiner), a few tabloids and some UK newspapers. TV and radio-wise, it is an equally small set. (RTE and Virgin Media for TV.) The Irish local radio market was destroyed in the 1980s by FF. This was because even some small towns had two or three radio stations and RTE was losing its audience. It even had to set up 2FM to compete with these pirate radio stations. These stations were far more independent and popular than RTE. RTE is dependent on the licence fee and advertising. 2FM has be bailed out every few years. When's the last time you watched a movie on RTE?

    When it comes to journalism, political correspondents have to be careful not to upset too many politicians or their sources will disappear and they'll be stuck recycling press releases. And if a journalist becomes too good at their job, there's always the possiblilty of being offered a job as an advisor. The funny thing is that some political correspondents who have been in the job too long become institutionalised and begin to side with the politicians. There was a funny audio clip from a newspaper political correspondent on a radio programme (Pat Kenny show, I think) before the 2016 joking about how a minority government with Independents was impossible and yet that's exactly what happened after the 2016 GE.

    That soft power exercised by the government is generally quite effective. What has happened is that small media organisations like The Village Magazine and The Ditch have become more effective at breaking stories and the legacy media generally follows up these stories when they achieve a critical mass of notability. The progression of the Troy story went from The Ditch to the Examiner (owned by the IT) and then the Independent and Irish Times and RTE.

    The small independent news organisations like The Ditch and the Village Magazine have their place in the ecology of the media and they are not constrained by a dependence on large advertisers. That makes them quite dangerous to FFG because the usual backscratching rules don't apply. A free press is essential for a democracy. It is no surprise that some politicians resent that because a free press represents a loss of control for them.

    Regards...jmcc



  • Registered Users Posts: 68,838 ✭✭✭✭FrancieBrady


    He is like a guy in the pub, you can agree with some things he says but think him a complete tool on another topic. Spice of life.



  • Registered Users Posts: 4,242 ✭✭✭brokenangel


    Excellent news for Ireland 🇮🇪

    Well done the government 👏



  • Registered Users Posts: 27,890 ✭✭✭✭blanch152


    I wouldn't call the thread a live update of the news, more like a live update of whatever is trending for 2 minutes on Twitter.



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,189 ✭✭✭Brucie Bonus


    Coming in to complain about everyone while avoiding talking about the latest with government, in a current affairs government thread, is kind of funny though.



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 5,189 ✭✭✭Brucie Bonus


    I think the workers deserve a round of applause. It's mad how things were quieter during a global pandemic all the same.



  • Registered Users Posts: 7,410 ✭✭✭jmcc


    Martin facing backlash over leadership according to the Indo. It is not as if this was unexpected. (Paywalled artocle.)

    That FF think-in is going to have some frank discussions but will they result in a leadership challenge?

    Regards...jmcc



  • Registered Users Posts: 26,978 ✭✭✭✭Dempo1


    There'll be some fiesty exchanges no doubt , any prediction on who'll get the nod to replace Troy, my money on Dara Calleary, he's been graciously and cleverly quite , can't see MM promoting Barry Cowan albeit he's the most Troublesome back bencher.

    Can't see MM staying on after December at this stage, things were bad enough but he really miscalculated the #TroyStory as to did Leo

    Is maith an scáthán súil charad.




  • Registered Users Posts: 7,410 ✭✭✭jmcc


    Calleary, Lawless and Smyth were mentioned. Calleary might get it. It looks like Martin's weak leadership on Troy has caused problems for FF.

    Regards...jmcc



  • Registered Users Posts: 26,978 ✭✭✭✭Dempo1


    Morning 😏 Lawless reminds me of a mini me of Darragh O Brien , not sure why both equally as unpalatable 😏

    Is maith an scáthán súil charad.




  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 7,410 ✭✭✭jmcc


    Morning. Lawless is probably the smartest of the bunch. Calleary resigned because of Golfgate and that would remind voters of another scandal. Smyth might be a good choice.

    Regards...jmcc



  • Registered Users Posts: 68,838 ✭✭✭✭FrancieBrady




  • Registered Users Posts: 7,410 ✭✭✭jmcc


    Think so. She would be better for PR value and not as problematic as Calleary.

    Regards...jmcc



  • Registered Users Posts: 9,298 ✭✭✭Cluedo Monopoly


    I can't see it. September will be hectic and full of chaos. The school bus thing is a disaster and the student accommodation for first years will also be emotive. I wonder will the Education minister go into hiding again. Then there is the budget to agree. Removing Martin now could bring down the coalition of chaos. Probably one of the reasons they told Troy to jump - albeit after defending the scoundrel to the hilt.

    What are they doing in the Hyacinth House?



  • Registered Users Posts: 26,978 ✭✭✭✭Dempo1


    Is maith an scáthán súil charad.




  • Registered Users Posts: 26,978 ✭✭✭✭Dempo1


    Morning, I see this School Transport debacle getting a lot of traction this morning, it's like groundhog month, August , is there nothing , even Basic and fundamental priorities that FFGG can get right . Seems a favored month for Political scandal even though most TD'S on Holiday 😳

    September is going to be Brutal for FFGG , it's mind boggling their ineptitude.

    Is maith an scáthán súil charad.




  • Registered Users Posts: 7,410 ✭✭✭jmcc


    FF can do to Martin what it did to Brian Cowen. It can remove him as leader while leaving him as taoiseach. If there is a poll this weekend and FF is down then FFers may start to panic. Martin probably hopes to get through it all with the sacrifice of Troy even after supporting him. The problem is that FFers may be worried about their own seats

    Regards...jmcc



  • Posts: 6,192 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Martin has been Stalin like in his sidelining of potential challengers for leadership......whole streghthing his internal position,but has ultimately weakened FF long-term as they are perceived as having a deficit of talent by electorate


    Lisa chambers and Jim Callaghan would be among its strongest debators and possessing some leadership material,but outside a v.narrow circle of people interested in politics would be near unknown to public



  • Registered Users Posts: 7,410 ✭✭✭jmcc


    O'Callaghan's decision not to take a minister of state job when he wasn't offered Justice was a good one. He's still a possible future leader of FF and there's going to be a lot of discussion before the Dail resumes as to who replaces Martin and when. Lisa Chambers, if she had held her seat in 2020, would have been a very good option for leader of FF as a balance to MLMcD. At the moment, she's FF's leader in the Seanad, I think. The problem for O'Callaghan is that FF only managed to get around 5% in the Dublin Bay South bye-election. That could put his seat at risk. Bacik won a seat there because of FG incompetence. That risk of losing his seat if he is elected leader of FF wiould be used against him in any contest. Calleary was, at one time, spoken of as a possible leader but Goflgate damaged that possibility. Barry Cowen seems to be backing O'Callaghan and he's much more of an FFer than Martin ever was and he's also an instinctive politician. That's something that Martin is not. Cowen's proposal a few months ago for FF to take ownership of the Border Poll issue to prevent SF dominating it was a very shrewd one. The problem for FF is that Martin won't want to go quietly. A sequence of poor opinion polls for FF will probably trigger a leadership challenge.

    Regards...jmcc



  • Registered Users Posts: 27,890 ✭✭✭✭blanch152


    FF only managed to get 5% in the Dublin Bay South by-election, yet it was FG incompetence that cost the government the seat?????



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 68,838 ✭✭✭✭FrancieBrady


    Yep, thought that was pretty spot on point myself.

    Careful candidate selection was a competence that was wholly missing on the FG team.



  • Registered Users Posts: 9,298 ✭✭✭Cluedo Monopoly


    Yes. It was a FG Minister seat and OConnell would have gotten way more votes than Geoghegan and probably kept the seat. Pettiness on FG's part in a FG hotbed constituency.

    From 2 FG seats in 2016 to Zero in 2021. Nice.

    What are they doing in the Hyacinth House?



  • Registered Users Posts: 7,410 ✭✭✭jmcc


    FF was not in the running to win a seat in the DBS bye-election. Bacik won the seat because of FG incompetence and some of those who had previously voted for O'Connell ended up voting for Bacik. This may be news to you but FF and FG are not a single party yet even if you think of them as such. FG would probably have held the seat if it had been O'Connell as the FG candidate. Even with a weak FF candidate, FG couldn't win. Think of it as another of Varadkar's electoral successes.

    Regards...jmcc



  • Registered Users Posts: 19,067 ✭✭✭✭BonnieSituation


    My my, really? Did you see how that campaign shook out?



  • Registered Users Posts: 14,551 ✭✭✭✭markodaly


    I don't believe that the government controls the media. Some others here do.

    Do you believe the government controls the media, like RTE?



  • Registered Users Posts: 26,978 ✭✭✭✭Dempo1


    I'm not aware anyone has said anyone controls the media here , can someone please direct me to were this was said , happy to be corrected.

    What has been said , correctly is Blatant Biias is evident, a toeing of the establishment line , appalling and convenient laziness etc amongst other things all of which I 100% agree with .

    Is maith an scáthán súil charad.




  • Registered Users Posts: 14,551 ✭✭✭✭markodaly


    The government, over the last few years due to Covid, has been a major advertiser. The publishers don't really want to upset their big advertisers. It is not good for business.


    Lots of stuff here to unpack, but is it your theory that the media publishers in Ireland won't run a story because the government may take out ads in a paper? Is there any proof of this ever happening in Ireland? Just one instance? Is it just a pie in the sky theory you have?

    The Dublin media is really that of a small village with about three Irish broadsheets (IT/Indo/Examiner),

    Eh, you do know that the Examiner is a Cork-based publication? LOL It was after all called the 'Cork' Examiner



    The Irish local radio market was destroyed in the 1980s by FF. 

    Ireland has about 75 independent non-RTE radio stations as of today. Another one of your points falling flat.


    When it comes to journalism, political correspondents have to be careful not to upset too many politicians or their sources will disappear and they'll be stuck recycling press releases. 

    Then why do Journalists always get stories like Golfgate? TD's know the game as well as journalists. Journalists doing their job.


    And if a journalist becomes too good at their job, there's always the possiblilty of being offered a job as an advisor. 

    Example please? One of the best Irish Journalists around is Pat Leahy, when did he get a job? What about Vincent Brown of old? Did he get one of those jobs?


    The funny thing is that some political correspondents who have been in the job too long become institutionalised and begin to side with the politicians

    Example please

    There was a funny audio clip from a newspaper political correspondent on a radio programme (Pat Kenny show, I think) before the 2016 joking about how a minority government with Independents was impossible and yet that's exactly what happened after the 2016 GE.

    Link please.


    That soft power exercised by the government is generally quite effective. 

    Effective in doing what exactly?


    The Village Magazine and The Ditch have become more effective at breaking stories and the legacy media generally follows up these stories when they achieve a critical mass of notability. 

    These are fringe publications and outlets, that don't really matter all that much and once in a blue moon may get a story. Anyone and everyone is a journalist these days because the have an iPhone and internet connect. Doesn't mean they are good at their job though.

    The small independent news organisations like The Ditch and the Village Magazine have their place in the ecology of the media and they are not constrained by a dependence on large advertisers. 

    The village magazine has been bankrupt more times than I've had breakfast. It still needs money to run.

    As for the ditch, well we all know Paddy Cosgrove our own wannabe Elon Musk funds that. Tell me, when Paddy gets bored of his side project, how long with those working for the Ditch hang about and work for free?

    These independent medias also has a crackpot element to them. Gemma o'Doherty was a frequent writer to the Village for example.


    A free press is essential for a democracy.

    About the only thing you said that is true.

    According to 'Reporters without Borders' 2022 Index on Press Freedom, Ireland ranks number 6 in the world. Not the EU, not the OECD but the world.


    TLDR, your lengthy but wrong summary on how the Irish Government welds the power to stop the press from doing its job is both dishonest and fundamentally wrong, given the facts and independent sources I have provided.



  • Registered Users Posts: 9,298 ✭✭✭Cluedo Monopoly


    I thought there were plans to reform the insurance industry and bring more insurers in?

    45 sectors of the economy struggling to get insurance (rte.ie)

    Up to 45 sectors and sub-sectors of the economy are struggling to get insurance cover for their activities, or are limited to just a single underwriter.

    That is according to insurance reform campaigners who have called for the Government to intervene directly to ensure no sectors of Irish society are left behind when it comes to insurance reform.

    The sectors include a varied range of areas, including ice-skating, mountain biking, pubs, aqua parks, thatched buildings, travel agents, circuses and more.

    He added that this was necessary "so that critical elements of the State's community, cultural, heritage and voluntary infrastructure, much of it endorsed, encouraged and financially supported by the State, can be protected."

    Others facing limited or no cover options include climbing walls, older car drivers, independent marts, late night venues and nursing homes.

    ----------

    There was a promise to reform the whole industry after the Bailey (FG) and Farrell (FG) fiascos.

    What are they doing in the Hyacinth House?



  • Registered Users Posts: 14,551 ✭✭✭✭markodaly


    Note that I provided a link stating that Ireland has more people at work than ever before.

    It was wholly and totally ignored by all.



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 26,978 ✭✭✭✭Dempo1


    Record Homeless figures expected later , the Highest ever , well done Darragh O Brien 😡

    Is maith an scáthán súil charad.




Advertisement