You know the way you sometimes get the impression that someone is trying to give you a hint, but you’re not quite sure. I felt that way when I saw two programmes flagged – about the last priests and nuns in Ireland – was this a nudge? Wishful thinking? An attempt at self-fulfilling prophecy? The…
Category: TV & Radio
The gravest injustice I have ever seen
When organisations are caught out doing something wrong it often happens that they get defensive and opt for cover up and obfuscation. Whistleblowers can be treated as pariahs rather than being welcomed as liberating the organisation from corruption or malpractice. This certainly seemed to be the case in Mr Bates v. the Post Office (UTV/ITV…
The dos and don’ts of diversity box ticking
Looking back on the year just ended, I had a whimsical notion to reflect for a change on what we rarely if ever see in the broadcast media. And if I appear to be complaining too much, check out my Review of the Year from the December 21 edition for its positivity! It’s so rare…
Secret peacemakers and media bias – 2023 in review
When I look back on the year in the media I usually see what comes to mind before re-reading my columns. This gives me a good impression of what really stands out, though I’m often surprised by what I’ve forgotten about. The first thing that springs to mind is war. Last year it was the…
TV & Radio Pick of the Season
A Christmas HeroRTÉ Two Sunday December 17, 11.40am A guardian angel shows a disillusioned war veteran what he means to others and that his life makes a difference. Songs of Praise BBC One Sunday December 17, 1.15pm Sharing the Joys of Christmas: Rev. Kate Bottley visits County Durham to find out why one primary school…
‘Suffer the little children…’
Last week I finished on a somewhat positive note with the release of child hostages in the Holy Land. However, the positivity was short lived – it was abhorrent to see the end of the ‘humanitarian pause’. Now it’s more like humanity itself being on pause. Once again, the news programmes last weekend featured images…
Thuggery in Dublin dishonoured those little children
When adults pursue their own selfish ends it’s often the children that suffer, even if the excess of individualism comes nicely wrapped and rationalised. Last Thursday I was listening to an interesting discussion on cribs (the Christmas kind) on Liveline (RTÉ Radio One). It was quite positive – the live animals were being restored to…
Newstalk works hard to foster a real diversity of viewpoints
With very little publicity, significant in itself, the ‘Safe Access Zones’ Bill passed in the Dáil last week. The only coverage I came across was on Newstalk Breakfast (Wednesday). It was unfortunately a short item, though the coverage was welcome and I thought presenter Shane Coleman (pictured right) was even-handed – increasingly Newstalk is the…
Religious programmes showcasing the best of Ireland
In the last few weeks, I’ve been welcoming new religious programmes on RTÉ – this week I’m lamenting the departure of one of them. Life and Soul (RTÉ One, Sunday) had a very short run but it ended well with a particularly uplifting episode. ‘Unbroken’ told the inspiring story of Tiglin. Fiachna Ó Braonáin (of…
A feast of drama to ease the dark evenings
Several drama series have been catching my attention of late – there are so many good ones it’s hard to keep track of them all. Time (BBC One, Sunday) is the second series of the prison drama by Jimmy McGovern, this time joined by Helen Black on writing credits. This series sees a change to…
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