Maman Poulet

Charlie Brooker is must see television at the moment with Newswipe on BBC 4. This segment makes for some uncomfortable viewing for many TV newsrooms in the US, UK and Ireland.

(Things I want RTE to stop doing?

• Putting pol corrs outside Government Buildings when there is nobody there;
• Putting two different correspondents outside different bits of government buildings to do live talkies to Anne Doyle;
• Ciaran Mullooly on a helicopter ‘bringing’ hay to a stranded farmer;
• The Week in Politics and the features with the music and the screen fades…

feel free to add your suggestions.)

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John Burn’s writes in today’s Sunday Times about blogging in Ireland and asking where have all the blogs gone like there is some sort of crisis afoot, that it really matters in the state of things, or more like he wants us to think that newspapers were always right about the ‘amateurs’ and indeed are making a comeback.  He also has a chance to slag off colleagues in the mainstream who blog including Michael O’Toole for not writing frequently like it’s a crime itself!

Many in the media refuse to accept that there are people who enjoy writing and thinking about issues and don’t want to get paid for it. There are many others who like to read these opinions and statistics from Google show that people search for information on everything from news to sport to receipes to reaching out to other parents of children with disabilities. Bloggers don’t need to write everyday because they don’t want to! Yes we don’t have an editor standing over their back making us do so.  It does not matter how many there are or who is reading them. Or that bloggers give up, start again or decide to do something different instead.  How this makes us any less valid or indeed worthy of the continual jibes and comment from the mainstream media won’t be keeping me awake.

The fact is that blogs still exist and things change as technology and people’s interactions change.   Many express opinions and exchange information on Facebook – indeed I often get more comments on blog posts I write on facebook than on the blog itself. My posts are shared on facebook amongst many others who would never visit the blog.  I don’t know what Burns’ problem with niches is either.

Be it on blogs, facebook, twitter or elsewhere people are talking to each other and they don’t need to hang on to every word typed by a journalist or a columnist who is paid.  They thought Guthenberg was mad – some would like to see all bloggers and online researchers and commentators as eejits, that’s fine by me.

Damien Mulley publishes the email correspondence between himself and John Burns on what seemingly started out as a piece on political blogging in Ireland. It’s a shame he didn’t stick to writing about political blogging and the reasons that it is not as developed as in the USA or elsewhere. The party political system, difficulty in accessing information through FOI’s and control freakery of political parties about what their candidates do online, or the positive experiences parties and candidates have had in interacting with readers would all have been interesting discussions to have.

Burns refers to a ‘tipping point’ in 2008 on my blog re Sarah Palin and how we have not had one since. I’d love to know what his tipping point meter consists of.  In the next week or so I will be reviewing my year online and I think we’ll see different.

Did you read the last sentence?

An important absence in Ireland are leading players from business, the arts, education, politics and property who write honestly and revealingly, giving an insight into their sectors. Instead, the blogosphere has been left free for “amateur” commentators and journalists. While some are entertaining, not one continually demands our attention. No Irish blog is important enough to read every day. Until that changes, you’ll be getting your news and comment on paper.

It made me laugh a lot given I had read the story online and rarely get my news on paper. I know I am not alone. I now less frequently get all my ‘news’ from old school newspapers online either.

Ireland as a nation is still too small to be able to resource internet only professional media. However a joint venture between those paid and unpaid may be possible – the so called and often belittled ‘citizen journalists’ without whom people in the Sunday Times and other places would spend a lot of time not finding things out or being able to write articles about.

Last week the Huffington Post held it’s staff holiday party – the crowd was over twice the size that was at last years party, and easily three times the size present in 2007. Love the jumpers by the way!  I wonder what Murdoch bought his staff for Christmas.

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The Limerick Leader ran a online poll on Monday on the matter of Donal Murray, the Bishop of Limerick who is under pressure to resign in light of the findings of the Murphy Report.

However there was a lot of voting on the poll and the results changed wildly. So the Editor of the Limerick Leader has decided to take it down.

As a result of a huge upsurge in voting on Monday night, the indicative result of the poll was dramatically altered. The poll had asked readers if Bishop Murray should remain in office and earlier on Monday it was running at 75% No and 25%. Following an unusually high level of votes recorded in a three-hour period on Monday night, the result changed to 18% No and 82% Yes.

Limerick Leader Editor Alan English said “This is a very serious matter and it is important that an accurate picture of the views of Limerick people is represented.

“The Limerick Leader was not satisfied about the accuracy of this poll and for this reason we have decided to discontinue it.

“We regret that our readers have been denied the opportunity to make their views known through the poll, but it is vital that such polls are reliable and we had strong reasons to doubt that this one was. Readers are invited to submit their views on the matter to our Letters to the Editor page, by emailing letters@limerickleader.ie.”

Eh online polls are a bit like that – not very scientific.  But surely if you decide to run one you just publish the results and get on with it? No letters from the bishops palace to the Editor asking him to take it down I trust?

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The online news evangelist and tweeter extraordinare (@marklittlenews) is heading for the superhighway on a years leave of absence. Best of luck to him!

RTÉ Prime Time presenter, Mark Little, has announced that he is taking a year’s leave of absence from RTÉ in the New Year to pursue a project combining digital media and global journalism.

In a statement today, he said: “During eighteen happy years with RTÉ as a correspondent and presenter, my first love has always been reporting on global affairs. The rise of social media platforms like Youtube, Twitter and Facebook provides an opportunity for journalists to change the way we report the world. I would like to take a more direct role in that transformation. Unfortunately, that means taking a break from my work with Miriam and the Prime Time team who have been like a family to me. In particular, I would like to mention Miriam who has been a great personal friend to me and someone who has taught me an amazing amount about broadcasting. Whilst I will be leaving in the New Year, I look forward to maintaining a long-term relationship with RTÉ.”

Ken O’Shea, Editor of RTÉ Current Affairs, said “We are delighted for Mark who is leaving us temporarily to embark on an exciting new project, but are obviously going to miss him and the enormous contribution he makes to Prime Time and the area of current affairs. He is an outstanding journalist with a natural talent for broadcasting”.

Mark began his journalistic career at the Sunday Business Post before being hired by RTÉ as a TV news reporter in 1991. He launched RTÉ’s first Washington office and as its first correspondent, covered three US presidential election campaigns during his tenure there from 1995 to 2001. He returned to Dublin to take up the post of RTÉ’s Foreign Affairs Correspondent before joining Prime Time in 2002.

Mark specialises in coverage of world affairs and was named TV Journalist of the Year in 2001 for his reporting on the situation in Afghanistan just months prior to the Sept. 11th attacks.

He wrote and presented the documentary series Who’s Afraid of Islam? in 2006 for which he travelled to Muslim communities throughout the Middle East, Europe and America. Mark has also reported from several disaster and conflict areas including Iraq, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

He is the author of three books, Turn Left at Greenland, Zulu Time and last year’s The New America – The Rise of the Obama Generation, which follows the American presidential election and the birth of a new era in U.S. history.

Mark was born in 1968 and was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and Dublin City University. He is married with two children and lives in Dublin.

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People following me on twitter or reading the liveblogs are probably sick to the teeth of my ranting through the last few weeks about Vincent Browne’s problem with women.

For a broadcaster so obsessed with equality this season’s show on TV3 has been marked by a lack of female guest on the first part of his programme on an average of 3 out of 4 shows per week.

This lack of female expert on the state of the nation has now been accompanied by a plethora of young female journalists appearing after the break to review the newspapers. There are no women in Ireland to discuss NAMA, national debt, public/private pay etc. etc. except for Joan Burton? (And absolutely no disrespect here to the Politician of Year 2009)

No feminist neurosis on #vinb because you can’t find a feminist.

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On the day when private clubs in Ireland won the right to discriminate not only against women but against anyone based on gender, sexual orientation, religion, parental status, family status and membership of the Travelling Community I hear RTE are launching a new radio programme.

Girl Talk starts broadcasting next Saturday.

The Apprentice’ star Jennifer Maguire, ‘Fair City’ actress Clelia Murphy, television presenter Geri Maye and ‘Gerry Ryan Show’ reporter Evelyn O’Rourke have launched a new radio talkshow together today.

The show, which was launched today in Dublin, is due to begin broadcasting on Saturday 7 November on RTÉ’s digital radio station RTÉ Choice.

Every week the show’s presenter Evelyn O’Rourke will be joined by a panel of female guests to discuss everything “from the real truth about labour pain to hiding the sneaky shopping bags from himself.”

Now you may think that I’d be only ecstatic at the thoughts of a programme on a station few can hear presented by some of RTE’s talented females. However it’s very clear from the blurb that this is not going to be positive discrimination and equality central. Doireann Ni Bhrian and Marian Finucane were the pioneers of broadcasting on women’s issues in Ireland in Women Today 30 years ago. (see some interesting photos of that programme on a great blog on Radio Eireann)

We’ve moved on so far (have we?) that we’re now going to be treated to a version of the Sunday Indo on the radio. And not a girl among them btw – girls are young females. But sure Women Talk would be far too political a statement would it – never mind a bit truthful? Maybe Ladies Talking will remind them too much about their actual ages. (I can’t stand the word Lady btw.) Interestingly enough last months feature on women in Irish radio in the RTE Guide (entitled Radio Gals…groan) doesn’t mention the programme or any of the presenters.

Perhaps they are trying to emulate Loose Women from ITV or have been watching the rubbish now all female (think that might stop them inviting me to appear on it again…phew) Midday Programme on TV3.

Novelist Amanda Brunker and journalist Larissa Nolan will also feature in the series.

Presenter Evelyn O’Rourke said: “Presenting the show is like going to a fabulous Hen party with a group of ladies who have strong opinions on anything and everything and aren’t afraid to share them.”

“Laughter, tears, arguments and revelations are all part and parcel of a normal ‘Girl Talk’ show.”

I’m all for new shows and innovative radio – RTE Radio 1’s programming for specialist sectors has been decimated in recent years. However I doubt we’ll be hearing much about women as carers, innovators, immigrant workers, pregnant women losing their jobs due to discrimination, symphysiotomies , older women and the role of women as grandparents in Ireland today. But I’m sure they’ll all be talking about kissing girls and liking it before running off to their boyfriends.

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The soon to be monikered ‘Woodward and Bernstein’ of the Irish Blogosphere, Gavin Sheridan (Of Tribunal and other corruption blasting central blog, Gavinsblog) and whippersnapper Mark Coughlan (lately of Irishelection.com) last week launched TheStory.ie

… dedicated to sharing documents, combing and combining data and promoting transparency in public life: An experiment in journalism and crowdsourcing hoping to shed light on the government. If you’re spending the Irish taxpayers’ money, you’re on the radar.

They’ve got shovels and they are going digging and have a number of investigations and documentary displays under their belts including Ministerial expenses. Yesterday they threw their eyes over the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report into FAS and have picked up stuff not highlighted in the newspaper coverage.

You’ll find online spreadsheets regarding donations to political parties and TD’s, graphs and other infromation hosted for people to review and comment on.

Through the power of FOI’s and donated documentation there is a lot of interesting reading on the site. Up to now they have put their own hands into their pockets to cover FOI’s and company registration office fees. It is definitely worth throwing them a few bob if you have it as one never knows what next they might show up and they are doing it not to earn to but to tell the real story.

I hear that some in fourth estate are not very amused poor souls. Oh dear a blog that might be interesting to read for data and analysis, another one to join Irisheconomy.ie in being a trend setter in 2009. Congratulations and I’m looking forward to the first Storygate.

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Emerging from Montrose is the title of the new Current Affairs show to be hosted by Pat Kenny on Monday Nights.

The Frontline will be broadcast in the same timeslot as it’s predecessor but word is that it will be more news driven and flexible rather than panel or audience driven. No news on the Youtube/Twitter effect yet.

The first programme will air on September 28th – 4 days before the Lisbon 2 vote and just as I return from holidays to join in the liveblog fun no doubt!

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Ah it is the silly season and RTE1 decided tonight to repeat a special on the Young Irish and Wealthy originally shown last Christmas.

What a difference 8 months makes.

Several of the projects and inflated bank accounts of the people profiled are no longer with us.

Moviestar.ie is a mere Web Awards sponsor memory from last year having being taken over by (handed over to?) Screenclick a short 7 days after the original broadcast.  Bubble Hits is also in that great memorial garden dedicated to once great ideas.

And then there were the builders childer!  Forgive me for laughing…

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Sniffle… Peninsula Ireland have appeared on Maman Poulet’s hall of shame before. Invariably they are described in the media as an employment law firm, one with a penchant for tabloidesque press releases, they never fail to get their guff covered in some paper or other.

‘Peninsula offers a full range of services covering health and safety, tax and employment law. These services provide bespoke assistance to you and are designed to allow you to concentrate on the day to day needs and priorities of your business.’

So every so often they do a few phone calls, release a press statement, and get air time spouting ‘rubbish’ from their ‘research’, while they try not to hawk their ’services’. The actual research statistics are never published for sociological analysis – just a press release full of noises to make bosses worry and fill pages of Metro and a column inch or two in the Irish Times.  (Journalists are not free from my ire here – stop fecking printing press releases and do some research of your own!)

This weeks press release is about Swine Flu. Seemingly 7 out of 10 employers think that employees are going to fake swine flu. Alan Price, Managing Director has given us the phrase Pandemic Panic and said

“The problem many employers face is that some members of their workforce will see Swine flu as a good excuse to take some time off, and this is where employers need to take action and be fair but firm.”

He advised investigating the matter thoroughly if you suspect employee sickness to be fraudulent and conducting back-to-work interviews, pointing out the impact the individual’s absence has had on the business in order to discourage further offending.

“There have been cases where an employee has stated they wouldn’t be coming in because someone in the office may be showing symptoms. This is unacceptable and employers are well within their rights to record this absence as unauthorised and take appropriate action. As much as employers should be understanding and careful, they do need to ensure they protect their bottom line.”

Can you imagine the team meetings in Peninsula HQ about the next PR/Panic initiative? – Next week they’ll be publishing research on the amount of time spent by employees skiving off to visit Ikea! They could of course publish research on the amount of time Peninsula’s own employees spend visiting blogs and leaving comments pretending to be ordinary punters but failing.

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