Media's Role in the Election

[Billsthoughts]

My take on it was that they seemed to be wanting a FG majority because Labour are not big on public sector reform. They were deliberatley overplaying FG majority to make them more attractive to voters. Well that was my reading anyway. who knows what the sindo is thinking!

[Spudulika]

I had a look at the 11th hour again last night and not for the first time noticed them absolutely skewering Enda Kenny, before that it was SF, before that Labour. Now the FG attacks have been regular, they slammed SF and they've ridiculed Labour, and the Greens. It falls into the general media behaviour, though I'm wondering am I alone in seeing the lack of balance? Monty is being presented as if he is the second coming of Jack Lynch, yet he hasn't (like the others) brought forward a single piece about sports in the campaign.

[Kingdom]

My urge to criticise the 11th hour is overruled by my urge to bone Shanley. Gamey.

[Spudulika]

I think she's a crier Kingdom. She's cute, clever, but a crier.

[jebus]

If ever there was an advertisement for dismantling the RTE due to their ties with Fianna Fail

http://www.broadsheet.ie/2011/02/18/why-did-rte-cut-off-the-pensioner-who-challenged-michael-martin/

[Dodge]

On the flipside, George Hook was warming up the crowd at a FG even yesterday, taking great delight in poking fun at FF.

With him in the evenings, and Yates in the morning is the "no state spin" spin any better?

[Spudulika]

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/co...d-2548027.html

Now, unless Mr. Moan Harris is looking for a new sugardaddy (bye bye Bertie and all that), this is one of the better pieces he's written, yet it drips with hatred of labour, unions and perversely a Labour dominated RTE! I love his use of language which is purely done to evoke fears of reds under beds - SIPTU sleepers coming out of the closet. Brilliant :-)

[Eminence Grise]

is the "no state spin" spin any better?

That’s a good point, Dodge. NewsSqualk are annoying me with this "no state spin” well, as you put it, spin. Apart from Yates and Hook, there’s Denis O’Brien, who has done everything he can to discredit the tribunal and the government, though like his buddy, Michael Lowry, he’s quick enough to accept any largesse they’ve dispensed. Then there’s Dunphy, currently canvassing for Shane Ross, one-time FG councillor and pinch-hitter for Hook. Then there’s David McWilliams, so neutral that until he lost his nerve he was going to form a new political party with... oh yes, Messrs Ross and Dunphy. And as for that oily, sycophantic, miserable excuse for a broadcaster Damien Kiberd... don’t get me started.

And this is not a defence of RTE either: Tubridy, Miriam et al are no less partial, but at least on RTE I've heard none of the sneering at other media outlets for their biases.

If media outlets want to support a party, fine: I don’t have an issue with that. But they should nail their colours to the mast and stop being so bloody invidious and insidious. Who do they think they are – politicians?

[Billsthoughts]

The indo is behaving disgracefuly with its spin on the "polls".

[Dodge]

The indo is behaving disgracefuly

I don't think you need to go beyond that in fairness billsthoughts

That rag continues to surprise me everytime I think it has hit rock bottom

[Macy]

With him in the evenings, and Yates in the morning is the "no state spin" spin any better?

The spin is all right wing - both RTE and Newstalk. At least with Hook and Yates it's out in the open, rather than RTE's FF bias. Haven't listened to Hook in years - he seemed to go rapidly down hill around the time that Newstalk went national - tried to recreate himself as the Irish version of that yank (Graham?) he has on once a week.

I've gradually come back to newstalk breakfast to be honest, after a few years - Yates is pretty balanced imo, and their coverage of the election is much better than Morning Irelands daily FF propaganda.

Anyone who thinks there's a labour bias in RTE is deluded, never mind the hypocracy of Harris - it was alright when it was the stickies influence RTE policy on the provo's, but sure wouldn't be like Harris to U turn.

[BonnieShels]

My urge to criticise the 11th hour is overruled by my urge to bone Shanley. Gamey.

I feel precisely the same way. I only turn it on for a gander. As the saying goes... there's just something about her.
Though sometimes I'm unlucky and manage to catch Daire O'Brien's snaggletoothed head.


Anyway. There had been a definitely noticeable toting down if the anti-fg brigade in RTÉ thevlast week and labour, thankfully have been getting it in the neck. Now whilst I agree with milling Comrade Gilmore's lack of policy out of it, the bias against him is noticeable.
The rage I feel when I hear any voxpops knows no bounds however.

[Spudulika]

Anybody catch the return to crapitude that is the VB show last night? Now that Enda is anointed the next leader of the land and soaring in the polls they decided to go after him. The sketch was funny to a point with "Enda" tied to a chair, then out came the gimp to re-inact the sick scene from an excuse for a movie (imo). Apparently it's hilarious to do such. Earlier listening to the pundits on the 11th hour it was as if they were all SF acolytes - or in other words, talking sense. Won't make a difference though as our glorious media mandarins will tell the population who to vote for.

[Charlie Darwin]

Still think FF will get 40+ seats and go into coalition with Labour, Spud?

[mypost]

Still think FF will get 40+ seats and go into coalition with Labour?

It's only a matter of time, before someone says FF will retain the 60 seats they currently have, and the past 2 years have all been an illusion.

[Spudulika]

Still think FF will get 40+ seats and go into coalition with Labour, Spud?

I think I said 30+, and yes, I can't get that out of my head. FF, Labour and some Indo's. Or else it's as Eminence Grise said, 2 years of FG-Labour and the FF sweep back into power. I'm now reading through the last minute things FF have enacted from an email sent to me by an FG friend, I won't post any as only some (GM crops, 9-year taxis) I can verify, but it's quick shocking. FF are looking to screw up whoever comes into power!

[Charlie Darwin]

40+: http://foot.ie/threads/145786-Media-...=1#post1438337

[Spudulika]

40+: http://foot.ie/threads/145786-Media-...=1#post1438337

Stand corrected, 40+ was the initial bounce in the polls with Monty in charge. 30+ now looks realistic, imo, no matter what the polls say nobody can discount the Irish DNA fault of standing in the booth and thinking, sure my father and his father thought they were good enough, so I'll give them my number 2, or maybe 1, ah sure, my vote doesn't matter anyway.

Listening to the Healy Rae's almost makes me physically ill, in this day and age there are still people willing to vote for such goms because they're sticking it up to them up in Dublin. Lowry the same. Jesus wept.

[culloty82]

I'd say 25-30 is more likely, there are several Dublin constituencies where none will be returned, and the same goes for both in Kerry and Tipperary. In the areas where they are returned, it's hard to see two FF returned anywhere, even Laois-Offaly looks unlikely at this point.

[bennocelt]

Agree . FF for me will get about 25, coming in third.
Sf to get about 16 maybe, Greens none, Socialist party 3, PBP maybe the one. Fingers crossed that Mick Wallace gets elected, might pull it off