For the respectful formation of young people, I reckon the three most important influences are family, schools and peers. It’s great when all three are good and aligned, disastrous if all three are bad. There is a lot of talk about ‘influencers’ today, especially the online variety, but parents and teachers were surely the early…
On News at One (RTÉ Radio 1, Tuesday) former Haiti hostage Gena Heraty spoke of her ordeal, and more strikingly showed her forgiving attitude towards her captors. She feels sad for them even though they had her petrified her, and prays for them regularly. Haiti is still a country in turmoil she said, but life…
For my first column of the year, I normally write about my Christmas and New Year viewing and there’s plenty to write about. Last week there was Daniel O’Connell: The Emancipator (RTÉ One), an excellent documentary from Ruan Magan, exploring the life and legacy of O’Connell on the 250th anniversary of his birth. Narrated well…
When I sit down to write my review of the media year, I always start with what comes to mind without having to trawl through this year’s columns – in this way, I find what has made most impact. I feel we have a much more unstable world, and the media is relentless in pointing…
Simon Schama: The Road to Auschwitz RTÉ 2 Saturday, December 20, 8 pm In the most personal and unflinching film of his career, historian Simon Schama confronts the Holocaust as not just a Nazi obsession but as a European-wide crime of complicity. The Catholic University of America’s Christmas Concert EWTN Sundy, December 21, 6 am…
Young people’s engagement with social media is definitely problematic, and became a hot topic last week as Australia moved to ban young people under 16 from social media, YouTube included. The Pat Kenny Show (Newstalk, Wednesday) explored the issue, but with a loaded start – reference was made to extreme content online, instancing “negative commentary…
As Advent approaches, I have hope on my mind, and a few programmes last week gave grounds for some hope that good programmes and insightful discussions can make their way into the media. Shetland (BBC One, Wednesday) recently returned for another series, and last week’s episode saw the reappearance of the local Minister, a brother…
It might be a bit of a mixed metaphor to talk of sparks breathing, but I’ve found an example. Divine Sparks (RTÉ Radio 1, Friday) now has an hour to play with, compared to the half hour of its predecessors. This allows presenter Áine Lawlor to cover a wide variety of topics – allowing the…
It’s great when I can highlight positive items in the media – I hope I do it often enough. The long-running Nationwide (RTÉ One) is a great source of positivity, and religious themes are regularly featured, with a strong emphasis on community. Last Monday’s episode marked the 200th anniversary of the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin and…
I was pleased to find several positive examples of religion and spirituality in the media last week. A few weeks ago, I favourably reviewed Blue Lights (BBC One, Mondays) after seeing the first few episodes. It finished last Monday and must upgrade my rating to ‘outstanding’. It worked as gritty crime drama but it was…