New RTÉ guidelines after Abbeylara

RTÉ has drawn up new guidelines for staff reporting on sieges and kidnappings following criticism of its coverage of the "siege" at Abbeylara which ended with the killing of John Carthy. The new guidelines say Garda requests not to reveal certain information "should be strictly adhered to".

John Carthy had been named by reporter Niall O'Flynn on RTÉ Radio 1's Five Seven Live on 20 April 2000. O'Flynn's report included personal information about Carthy. Barr found that O'Flynn should not have broadcast this without prior consultation with the police and that the broadcast was "irresponsible".

RTÉ had two reporters at Abbeylara, Niall O'Flynn and crime correspondent Paul Reynolds. Barr found that Reynolds had been given no information ascertained by O'Flynn until five minutes before the broadcast on Five Seven Live.

Barr wrote: "O'Flynn's conduct seems to indicate the likelihood of a desire on his part to steal a march on his news colleagues... by titillating his Five/Seven Live audience with some details of Carthy's recent, unhappy love life..."

The new guidelines will form part of RTÉ's new Programme-Makers' Guidelines, to be released in 2007. The current guidelines contain no advice on reporting on sieges or kidnappings or on cooperating with Garda requests not to broadcast information. The new guidelines were released by RTÉ in response to a Freedom of Information request from Village.