From top: Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald and Sinn Fein TD Louise O Reilly; Anthony Sheridan
I have submitted the following complaint to RTÉ regarding the broadcaster’s disgraceful and disturbing bias against Sinn Féin.
To Whom It May Concern:
Please find complaint submitted for breach of Section 39 [1] [a], [b] of the Broadcasting Act 2009.
Substance of complaint: RTÉ News and Current Affairs is heavily biased against Sinn Fein.
This bias takes several forms, for example:
Stacked discussion panels where Sinn Fein representatives/supporters are ambushed not just by opponents of Sinn Fein, but invariably, by RTE presenters.
The creation of fake news stories which generate a damaging impression of Sinn Fein.
Minimising or completely ignoring stories that favour Sinn Fein, for example, good poll ratings.
Giving precedence to those opposed to [and fearful of] Sinn Fein’s electoral success particularly the centre parties in the republic and unionism in the North.
The following is an example of the creation of a fake news story that was then used to ambush Sinn Féin representatives.
During an interview with the Irish Examiner [5 Jan 2022] Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald expressed the following view regarding reform within the civil service:
“There is immense talent in our civil service, our public service, and our public administration, that’s the first thing that needs to be said. But we have, in many respects, a system that is constipated, a system that is slow, and a system that needs to be jolted into more efficient actions.”
This is a perfectly legitimate and reasonable comment for a politician to make. Nobody can seriously deny that the civil service is in need of radical reform. It is in no way a major story that would warrant further coverage and comment from a national broadcaster such as RTÉ.
But somebody of authority within RTÉ, ignoring the positive elements of the comment, made a decision to select one word, ‘constipation’, and weaponise it to cast Sinn Féin in a bad light – For example:
Today with Claire Byrne [7 Jan] – Ms. Byrne upbraided Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly for the potential offence caused by use of the word. She [Byrne] then invited the [stacked] panel for their opinion, all of which, predictably, condemned Sinn Féin.
News at One [10 Jan] Bryan Dobson, ignoring Ms. McDonald’s reasonable account, repeatedly badgered her with the question – Do you stand over those remarks?
My specific complaint against RTE is as follows:
On Friday May 20 last, An Taoiseach Michael Martin travelled to Belfast for talks with all political parties concerning the crisis surrounding the refusal of the Democratic Unionist Party [DUP] to partake in the newly elected Assembly.
The dramatic result of the election saw Sinn Fein become the largest party in the North, a truly historic moment in the history of the province. The Sinn Fein victory was, at least partly, the reason the DUP refused to participate in the new assembly leading to the crisis that saw An Taoiseach travel to Belfast.
Despite the central and important role played by Sinn Fein in these developments, somebody of authority in RTE decided to severely restrict the party’s access to the airwaves over the three days the story remained live.
Friday 20 May
Morning Ireland – RTÉ journalist interviewed by RTÉ journalist on the issue. No Sinn Fein [27 MLAs].
Today with Claire Byrne – No Sinn Féin.
News at One – No Sinn Fein. The programme featured much analysis and opinion with An Taoiseach, Jeffery Donaldson of the DUP [25 MLAs] and Doug Beatty of the Ulster Unionist Party [UUP] [9 MLAs].
Drivetime – No Sinn Féin. Programme featured An Taoiseach, a journalist and an interview with the leader of the SDLP [8 MLAs]
Six One News – No Sinn Féin. Programme featured DUP leader Jeffery Donaldson and An Taoiseach
Nine News – Ditto for Six One News – No Sinn Féin
Saturday 21 May
Saturday with Philip Boucher-Hayes
DUP MLA Gregory Campbell facilitated with an 8 minute uninterrupted interview.
This was followed by a brief interchange with the panel which included SF TD Darren O’Rourke.
The last word was granted to Campbell in a two minute, uninterrupted, summing up of his party’s position.
Sunday 22 May
Brendan O’Connor Show – The issue completely ignored.
This Week – Extended interview with Bertie Ahern – No Sinn Féin
The Week in Politics – Relatively brief chat with panel of politicians including Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly.
It is reasonable to conclude from the facts outlined above that Sinn Fein was deliberately excluded particularly on Friday 20 May when the issue was the main news story of the day.
It is also reasonable to conclude that the exclusion of the party was not accidental or due to incompetence. Preparations for such programmes are carefully planned, meetings are held with presenters, producers and other decision makers. Decisions are made about content, questions/issues to be explored and what person[s] parties should be included.
Anthony Sheridan is a freelance journalist and blogs at Back Garden Philosophy
Tony old sport a word in your shell-like.
If you think RTE is biased against the Shinners you should see the sort of crap they come out with about Blighty.
Get over it pal.
He who pays the piper calls the tune.
‘He who pays the piper calls the tune’
Ergo, the political parties in government who use tax payers cash to buy up large swathes of advertising airtime for state messages then get to dictate?
There might be a slight hitch in that proposition if democracy is to function.
Fair dues to Mr. Sheridan for calling RTÉ out in their bias. I am not particularly convinced that SF will be much better than the current lot, but the bias against SF by state run media and their mates is putrid.
+1
Breaking news RTE News reports on news…
Sinn feins views on the DUPs views of the NI protocol are not as important as the DUPs views.
This article appears to be very biased toward sinn fein, needs more quotes from the alliance party, which isnt mentioned.
Colm eastwood also comes across very well and not as biased as Sinn Feind
Hey Max, are you suggesting that Broadsheet has misappropriated public money in some way by publishing Sheridan’s article?
Here’s hoping they scrap the TV licence if they are elected. They’ve certainly been incentivised
I’d love if SF got in next general election and stopped funding RTE and let them float on their own. Then you’d see some much needed salary changes int he station. And SF could say to RTE “you’re free to be as biased as you like now you’re private. We can’t fund a state TV station that has a clear bias, so you can do it on your own now”
They could turn the tables, sack the current higher ups and re write the scripts. FFFG would be crying foul and they’d have their buddy DOB and his media businesses to help them push it. Either way the status quo can’t continue when/if they are elected. Interesting times ahead
Yes to this sort of thing.
The bias against SF is evident in most media.
I wonder what happens if SF get into government. Can RTE and SF work together? Would they work together?
Sinn Fein and RTE will work together just fine, as soon as the BBC influence is repatriated.
The current management in RTE will eat a lot of humble pie if SF get into government, as will upper management in various other public bodies.
The Gardaí comes to mind here for some reason.
The reason we had decades of violence on our island are those ready to use violence to achieve their goals
Sinn Fein like their unionist opposites have very dark men of violence lurking in the background
All you have to do is look to the Northern Ireland assembly and the fact that both sides cannot bear to share the same room
Hundreds of days when the assembly was closed due to this and that
And with blood on your hands it takes decades to scrub the blood off them
Indeed, Kin, you are absolutely correct, although the time period you mention is rather shorter than what the reality was.
Modern Ireland grew out of Cromwell’s violence, with the stage having been set by Tudor and Stuart violence. Violence never disappeared from Ireland after that, although there were lulls (and for good measure – famines) from time to time.
The founders of FF and FG followed in that tradition, and both used violence to break away from Blighty, they then immediately used violence against one another.
In brief, SF holds no monopoly on violence; neither does Ireland. By way of example, I have heard that you can count the countries that haven’t been invaded by England/Britain on the fingers of one hand.
Before this I hadn’t realized that RTE wasn’t giving the Shinners airtime ! If I’d known I would have tuned in.
I love this notion that Sinn Fein will be able to come in and sweep the decks at RTE and government departments. That they’ll suddenly fix our ailing health system and they’ll build enough houses for everyone to have a free one.
Fact is, many of the issues we face as a nation are as a direct result of a public service that does anything but actually serve the public. What will happen is SF will get in to power (I have no doubts about that) and they’ll promptly tax anyone who makes any sort of decent money to within an inch of their lives and pump the money into all these new plans they have. But the impact of all this money will be negligible.
They talk about the fact that building a hospital is costing billions and that it’s a disgrace (and it is) but do you really think they’ll be able to build out projects like this any cheaper? Like hell they will. They’ll face the same issues that any government will face. A public sector that couldn’t find pigeon in St. Stephen’s Green.