It was good to see the theme of vocations getting prominence last week in the media. It was sparked by journalist Sean O’Rourke’s address to a gathering at Knock. He favoured encouraging young people to consider joining the priesthood. Stand-in presenter Jonathan Healy discussed the vocations crisis on the Pat Kenny Show (Newstalk, Friday). David…
I’m not a great fan of sumptuous costume dramas – sometimes there is too much costume and not enough drama. I was inveigled, not entirely against my will, to watch several episodes of Downton Abbey (Netflix). I found it very contrived, predictable and cliched. And yet because some characters and plot lines were interesting, I…
Going to Sunday Mass these days you can be demoralised by the lack of young people present. It’s great then to see young people enthused by their faith, and so it was on World Youth Day in Lisbon last weekend. So many of the events were impressive and I managed to follow many of them.…
True crime dramas can be riveting especially if you can’t remember the original story. The strangest things happen, plot developments you’d never accept in fiction. You just hope that events are accurately portrayed and that the real people involved are respected. The Sixth Commandment (BBC One, Tuesday) came to an end last week and it…
I’ve often thought that if all the Twitter warriors, rough coots and autocrats would just get gardening the world would be a far better place. It’s one of the best interests parents can pass on to their children, but it takes time and patience. Gardeners’ World (BBC Two, Friday) is always full of inspiration, and…
Can comedy go too far? Oh yes, I think so. I don’t see free speech as an absolute right, and most people draw the line somewhere. Disputes tend to happen over the where the line should be drawn, and over who should draw it. The question was posed by presenter Ciara Kelly on Newstalk Breakfast…
One of the many concerning news items last week was the decision of the US government to supply cluster bombs to Ukraine. And this was after they had previously condemned Russia’s use of these weapons, banned in 123 countries (not including the USA or Russia), because of their indiscriminate nature and the dangers they pose…
I know media outlets have to report the bad news, but sometimes I question the priorities and the prominence. So, it’s welcome to hear a good news story, with people at their inspiring best. The story of Sr Helen Culhane on Drivetime (RTÉ Radio One, Wednesday) fit the bill. A Sister of Mercy in every…
Media stories go through several phases – at first a story can make a minor impact (the slow-burn phase); then it gets legs (the leggy phase); then the controversy gets intense and finally there’s the fizzling out phase. Other stories just blow up unexpectedly scattering news shards all over the place. Controversy The controversy over…
The hate crimes legislation was discussed in the Seanad last week, with spirited contributions circulating on social media – especially from Senators Rónán Mullen and Michael McDowell (both raising serious concerns) and Senator Pauline O’Reilly (Green Party) supporting the legislation on the grounds of the common good. This didn’t get much coverage in regular media,…
Brendan O’Regan