From top: Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald; Anthony Sheridan
A deep and disturbing malaise has taken hold of journalism right across mainstream media. The infection stems from the decades long close and inappropriate association of journalists with the rotten centre of Irish politics principally composed of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Labour.
For a long time the sickness was hardly noticeable but the brutal austerity implemented by the political centre in response to the 2008 economic collapse opened the eyes of many Irish citizens.
And not just to how power was wielded in the interests of the powerful, but how mainstream media provided unquestioning support for the actions of the political establishment.
The unhealthy relationship between mainstream media and the ruling political class has become so close that the journalists themselves seem to be genuinely unaware of it.
A recent political podcast by the Irish Times, in which readers were invited to submit questions to journalists, provides a startling example of how mainstream journalism has become a parody of what good journalism should be all about.
I submitted the following question to the podcast which was selected for discussion:
Why is the link between the rise of Sinn Fein and the ongoing disintegration of the political centre ignored by mainstream media?
Almost all comment and analysis surrounding this historic development focuses on attacking Sinn Fein on behalf of and in defence of the political centre.
There is virtually no analysis or comment as to why this is happening.
Harry McGee, the Irish Times political correspondent, responded but failed to adequately address the question. Instead, he unwittingly revealed the true nature of the tainted relationship between mainstream journalism and the political establishment. He said:
“We’re working in an environment that is like a big boarding school and the thing is, you do forge relationships with politicians. And journalists depend on politicians especially when they’re looking to get stories in advance. And that makes it slightly problematic when it comes to criticising politicians – suddenly you have to pounce and bite the hand that feeds.”
Effectively, McGee is making the shocking admission that Irish mainstream journalists do not observe one of the central principles of international journalism – the obligation to speak truth to power.
He is candidly admitting that mainstream journalists do not come down hard on establishment politicians because they depend on them for stories.
It is, of course, true that journalists line up like ducks in a pond to be fed tit bits by politicians in return for favourable reportage but it is rare to witness a journalist actually admit to this reality.
McGee went on to deny that there was any concerted attack on Sinn Féin feebly claiming that the problem lay with Sinn Fein’s reluctance to make itself accessible to media.
“It’s not so much that there’s any attempt to attack Sinn Fein. I think there’s just been a difficulty of getting access to Sinn Fein but that has become less of a difficulty in recent years.”
The notion that Sinn Féin is shy about engaging with media is almost as ridiculous as claiming that there’s no concerted campaign against the rise of that party.
So here’s the truth that McGee and his colleagues in mainstream media are so fearful of confronting.
The political centre is on a death spiral after decades of corruption, incompetence and arrogance wrapped in a blanket of delusion that they have a divine right to rule.
This is not opinion, it’s fact. Labour are in the waiting room to extinction, Fine Gael effectively lost the last three elections and Fianna Fail are struggling to remain relevant as the the party begins to tear itself asunder in an internal civil war.
All of this has come about for one simple but powerful reason – the Irish electorate, in election after election, has rejected the old corrupt regime and is demanding radical change.
But this ongoing revolutionary shift across the entire political landscape is practically ignored by mainstream media. Instead, in an increasingly desperate effort to defend and preserve the old regime, we see an avalanche of ‘end of civilisation’ type articles and broadcasts warning of the dangers of populism, Trumpism, the so-called evils of social media and increasingly bizarre anti-Sinn Fein propaganda.
The sickness that has resulted in mainstream media abandoning its obligation to speak truth to power is best summed up by McGee’s mindset:
‘We fear criticising politicians in case they stop giving us stories’
This dangerous mindset is in stark contrast to the highest principles of the profession as expressed by the French philosopher Michel Foucault:
“Only the courageous may pursue the truth-to-power course as they risk losing their friends, their liberty, even their lives.”
Anthony Sheridan is a freelance journalist and blogs at Public Enquiry.
“the Irish electorate, in election after election, has rejected the old corrupt regime and is demanding radical change.”
The Irish electorate, in election after election, has re-elected the old corrupt regime in one form or another.
Fixed that for you.
Oh dear ….ReproBertie have you not noticed or are you blind to the diminishing votes for FF/FG by the electorate in the last few elections?
Filthy corrupt FF/FG are being rejected more and more at each election by ordinary decent taxpayers and their only path is downhill. The younger voters can see FF/FG sleaze and corruption and are rejecting it more and more. The joke mis-named Labour party has never recovered from their previous disgraceful behaviour acting as boot boys for both FF and FG and they have nothing to offer but more of the same. The country needs an election a.s.a.p. for real change to happen.
Excellent article by Anthony Sheridan, in a representative democracy real journalists would be holding truth to power but instead most of the press is owned by FF/FG apart from a very few decent journalists.
Oh dear ….Joe have you not noticed the return to government of one or both of FF and FG in every election? And after every one there’s some loser calling for an election to introduce “real change” and then when we have an election one or both of FF and FG is returned to power.
woah, great article Anthony. probably the best ive read on Broadsheet. i agree. it has taken me 30 years to see the Irish Times as the sham it is and only did so over last few months.
I kind of hoped the public could make up their own mind when reading a main stream article. But like we need to protect people from alcohol, and gambling, we need to protect people from reading the biased media.
Because the vast majority of public buy into what they read, you cant have any challenge of their ideas. i felt scapegoated when i voiced a contrary opinion to what media was saying in regards to lockdowns in C19.
Trumpian
We also need to protect people from Una Mullaly.
The mainstream media is clearly running a campaign against SF and it started with British agent Conor Cruise O’Brien and his revisionist history.
SF only engage with the media on the stories they feel comfortable with. For example if a journalist was to ask Mary-Lou to justify her belief that Gerry wasn’t a Provo I doubt there’d be much engagement but it’s relevant as it speaks to her competence and willingness to speak truth to power. Also SF last year voted to block a cartoonist from painting a Belfast Council meeting because he had criticised them. Censoring cartoonists, I’d like the see them answer that.
That’s the same person who shut down the satirical LAD website because he didn’t like what was being posted.
Because according to Spencer himself: “as soon as I levied the same criticism on the Republican movement that I did on Loyalism I was abandoned, even blackballed”
Also,,have you nothing at all to say about a political party trying to block cartoonists?
Shinnerbottage of apocalyptic proportions. Shameless and dangerous. Akin to a wordy and polite version of what an angry frothing Shinnerbot like @Giggidybot comes out with.
Shinner salvation?! No thank you.
I did allow myself a slight guffaw when I saw the Shinners giving out about an assault on democracy over the protests on Capitol Hill.
I can imagine the IRA Army Council having a good giggle when they WhatsApped MaryLou with her press release.
When did FF, FG and Labour suddenly become “politically centre”?
I thought Anthony said they were all extremely right-wing.
Excellent article. McGee openly admits the sycophant ic nature of irish journalism. It’s no surprise that readership is dwindling.
This is all fine, but the moral outrage is a bit overstated in my view. Media companies are just that: companies. McGee’s comment was an honest assessment of the relationship between journalists working for a business that depends on political contacts for its product, and politicians seeking to advance their own particular agendas. Yes, this is a Chomsky argument. This is how the relationship would function even if the ‘centre’ falls out and is replaced with a less pathetic stance on either left or right, unless of course we do some economic restructuring and invent a non-profit driven media sector. This is not to excuse the insidious boys club racket described above, but the point is journalists are not free agents. There is a system in place – direct your energy at that, not internet-shaming the individual.
The Irish times are too busy engaging in client journalism for the good people of Sandymount and their campaign to block the installation of a, check notes, bicycle lane. During a pandemic and climate crisis.
Anyone who thinks the MSM in Ireland would be any different if Sinn Fein were in Government is deluded
Sinn Fein would be no different to FG and the likes by making sure MSM follow their spin above all else
With their own Fraperoom & On Line Activists and SPADs and Communications Gurus
Along with Appointments to State Boards, the Senate, allocations etc
Seriously, Sinn Fein in Government won’t be doing a whole lot of things differently
and the sooner people recognise that the more likely you will actually see Sinn Fein actually in Government and getting decent Portfolios
+1
Good article.
What McGee talks about the relationship – it’s undoubtedly true. I’d imagine that Journalists are very much at the mercy of politicians and their PR staff.
I’ve seen a similar situation in the music industry.
When the majority of record labels were bought out to become the “Big Three” – Sony, Universal and Warner, music journalists were put in a precarious position. Even more so when Ticketmaster and LiveNation merged in 2009.
If a journalist says something crap about ‘Artist A’, the next time they want to interview ‘Artist B’ on the same label – the request will be somehow denied.
They may not even get free tickets to review a live show from any artists on that label.
So, who’s the editor going to give the show or review to – the journalist who plays ball and gets free tickets or the one the newspaper has to buy tickets for.
Ultimately hurting the journalists career and their ability to pay their mortgage etc.
I’ve seen journalists flat out blacklisted from ANY show from certain promoters. The whole thing leads to a similar situation where everyone is terrified to say anything scathing about any Artist for fear of being blacklisted.
“I’ve seen journalists flat out blacklisted from ANY show from certain promoters.”
Not limited to the music industry either. Are Irish Times journalists still banned from Newstalk?
Maybe it’s just lads called Denis who are up to this craic. ;)
all the “bbbb but Sinn Fein” comments here prove his point. all people who subscribe to MSM and thusly having their opinions influenced by it.