Mary Lou McDonald with Sinn Féin supporters during the General Election 2016 count at the RDS, Dublin on February 27, 2016

Yesterday.

In the Business Post.

Eoin O’Malley, associate professor of political science at Dublin City University and co-author of Resilient Reporting: Media coverage of Irish elections since 1969, wrote:

“We don’t yet have a systematic analysis of the Election 2020 coverage, but in an analysis of the years from 1969 to 2016, my colleagues in Dublin City University and I found that all party coverage during elections was negative, from all news outlets.

On average, the media didn’t speak about any party in positive terms.

During the Troubles, the Irish Times and Irish Independent coverage of Sinn Féin was more negative, but from 1989, it was treated the same as other parties, and moved in a more positive direction in 1997, perhaps reflecting the party’s involvement in the ongoing peace process.

In election 2016, however, both papers were much more negative in their coverage of Sinn Féin, separating it from the other parties.

“Our research found that the Irish Independent gave more coverage to Sinn Féin than any other paper or broadcaster, and that coverage was more negative than for any other party.

“But similarly, we also found coverage of Sinn Féin in 2016 was more negative for most media outlets.

So there is some evidence of bias against Sinn Féin in 2016, which may well have continued to 2020.”

Is the media really out to get Sinn Fein? (Eoin O’Malley, Business Post)

Previously: Will I Get The Coronavirus If I Vote Sinn Fein?

Rollingnews