Get Charlie Bird on the real stories

With three Russian actors now in Fair City, a very false subliminal impression is created that all Russian life is fun, fun, fun. However, with the murder of Alexander Litvinenko and other mysterious events associated with it, we are seeing another side of Russia – a very evil side – being under-ruled by a slimy world that words fail to explain, and mostly associated with the murder of journalists eg Anna Politkovskaya.

Let's hope that 2007 will be the year of the turning of RTÉ. The turning of Charlie Bird, chief news correspondent, away from adventure trekking in Brazil to reporting on trolley-filled corridors in Irish hospitals. Turning him away from promoting his book while Bryan Dobson usurps his senior post and interviews Bertie Ahern in his lair in Drumcondra. Turning him towards Russia and Chechnya to ask the real Sergei, Olga and Lana about the Russian Tim (Putin).

We expect more from Charlie Bird as chief news correspondent in a semi-state organisation. He may wish to be known as some small hack reporter, but every student journalist wishes to have his, the highest journalistic post in the country.

Peter Kennedy
Sutton, Dublin 13