On Friday 21 November, 2008,, at a Law Society gathering, Adrian Hardiman of the Supreme Court addressed the issues of distortion and bias that characterises the media's coverage of the courts. His remarks, which have caused some anger among the media, were actually too constrained. By Vincent Browne
Adrian Hardiman's arguments were:
The Press Council of Ireland was launched in January of this year, an event that was celebrated as a "defining moment in Irish journalism" by the Irish Times. Seven months in, however, there is very little evidence of the council's code of practice providing the predicted "impetus to improve journalistic standards into the future". By Chekov Feeney
[Pictured: Press Ombudsman John Horgan]
"Exposing myself to many sensations" The Kevin Myers Experience. Middle England, a place that's proud of being dull, shares this smug sense of itself with one of its best-known exports. The voice of Kevin Myers familiar to other mediums rang hollow on the airwaves. By Marie Louise O'Donnell
The July launch of Dublin Community TV (DCTV), at long last a small glimmering dot of “ordinary people telling their own stories” in the Milky Way of commercially dominated television, should be a cause less for celebratory hoopla than for outrage at its isolation.
The Lisbon Treaty referendum thoroughly dominated press coverage in both the lead-up to the poll and in its aftermath. The most striking thing about this coverage was that every single newspaper, bar none, adopted its proprietor's opinions as their editorial line. So, for example, Rupert Murdoch is a critic of the EU's ambitions to become an independent strategic player.
It begins like an underground sensation. The sound is fuzzy, the image a little pixelated. It arrives in your inbox – an email you can't afford to miss. Suddenly you feel like an adventurer discovering hidden treasure.
"Have you had to do a lot of [dramatic pause] soul-searching? Have you [another emotional pause] questioned your ability? Have you doubted yourself in the last while? I don't mean that in a negative sense.”
The Sunday Tribune publishing company, Tribune Newspapers plc, has lost a total of €49.5 million to date, according to the chairman of the company, Gordon Colleary. Almost all of these loses have occurred since Independent News and Media (IN&M), controlled by Tony O'Reilly, has been in control of the company (ie since 1991).
Eamon Dunphy's interview with Gabriel Byrme exemplified the best of both men as interviewer and interviewee, a high point before the dreary summer schedule of RTÉ began in earnest.
If you're a movie buff and have a particular penchant for Independent films, the Independent Film Blog at Suite 101 provides a wealth of information on new releases, festivals and interviews/biographies of indie actors. An indispensible source of information, the site relies on a slew of film buffs and critics for posts on happenings in the indie world.