RTE’s skewed damage limitation logic
Posted by Maman Poulet on 13 Jul 2009 at 02:30 am | Tagged as: Irish Politics, MSM
A complaint is not a complaint if the complainer is shown not to be disadvantaged by it? Even if the issue is proven as being valid?
That’s what RTE have said in reply to a complaint to the Broadcasting Complaints Commissionmade by Councillor Kevin Humphreys about Gabriel Byrne’s promotion of Mannix Flynn’s candidacy for Dublin City Council on the Late Late Show in May.
Both Humphrey’s and Flynn were elected and so RTE believe that Cllr. Humphreys should drop his complaint. But they have said it was wrong that Gabriel Byrne was allowed to endorse his fellow actor’s campaign on the show.
Cllr. Humphreys says he is not dropping the complaint.
i don’t see the problem it was bryne’s personal opinion,
didnt’ see a follow up on picturegate.
Under RTE election balance rules the other candidates were not mentioned – that’s one of the problems.
And rather than Byrne bringing the matter up out of the blue, Pat Kenny actually raised it with him and made favourable comments about Mannix Flynn being their common friend.
yeah but those balance rules are over the place.
This one isn’t Steve.
Imagine if Gabriel Byrne had had a ‘Yes to Lisbon’ pamphlet in his pocket. That’s his personal opinion too.
Now, imagine if Pat had said ‘Ho; I’m quite a fan of Europe too’.
Montrose would be in flames.
why?
anyway the flyer was sticking out of his pocket pat couldn’t ignore it, he had to say something about it.
what was pat suppose to say, other politicians are available, would that have solved this balance nonsense?
are rte balanced no, why pretend.
If Gabriel Byrne was trying to do some underhanded campaigning I am sure he would of been capable of a much more subtle approach. He had an opinion as do most people who follow any politics/news etc….the reality is Kevin Humphreys is coming across as a sore winner just because Gabriel didnt pick him…perhaps he should see someone “In Treatment” for those insecurities….oh and of course this is just my opinion!
Pat Kenny could have ignored whatever he wanted it was the very last Late Late with him as host. The fact is both Byrne and Kenny overstepped the boundaries of any type of impartiality by giving a party political broadcast on behalf of one person to one of the largest audiences of the year and a personal endorsement too.
I’m no fan of SF but the fact that Daithi Doolan lost out to someone who was a favourite of the luvvies was regrettable. Electing Mannix Flynn as a city councillor because he was abused in Letterfrack and because the appalling content of the Ryan report was in the air makes no more sense than picking someone because they had been abused in the Dublin half back line. There is a job of work to be done as a city councillor and I’ve seen nothing to indicate that Mannix Flynn is likely to be interested in it. I could be proved wrong on that.