Media coverage of abortion in Ireland in 2017

[ger12]

There has been widespread coverage by the media in Ireland over abortion and the 8th amendment in 2016 and 2017 in the build up to a referendum.

The coverage has been been almost totally one sided (I say almost though I don't know of any media outlet that hasn't been partisan to one side - pro choice). From the Irish Times in the print media to Ireland's most popular online media outlet, thejournal.ie which has been perhaps the most proactive in supporting the pro choice movement.

The media can of course take a side, their Code of Practice allows for "the press is entitled to advocate strongly its own views on topics."

But they are also guided by other Principles:
Principle 1 − Truth and Accuracy
1.1 In reporting news and information, the press shall strive at all times for truth and accuracy.
Principle 3 − Fair Procedures and Honesty
3.1 The press shall strive at all times for fair procedures and honesty in the procuring and publishing of news and information.
Code of Practice

The Rally for Life coverage from today is interesting and I believe in breach of their Code of Practice with their widely reported headlines.

Over 70,000 people attended the rally in Dublin today, as reported by RTE and a couple of hundred people held a counter demonstration yet reading the headlines and the content of media coverage, one would be left believing this was not the case. Instead the false impression given is one where there were two equally prominent demonstrations.

RTE coverage has been fair today but it's hard not to ignore that a leading presenter at their radio station has been found by the BAI to have breached standards of fairness and impartiality in relation to abortion a number of times without any obvious sanction noted in the last two years.

Examples of the headlines/coverage are below.

The Eighth Amendment: Thousands take part in opposing rallies in Dublin | BreakingNews.ie
Eighth amendment campaigners take part in opposing rallies |...
Pro-life and pro-choice demonstrations held in Dublin · TheJournal.ie

How can the media hold organisations to account when they ignore their own code of professional practice?



Edit:
Thejournal.ie have changed their headline now. As did the Irish Times.

"Thousands attend pro-life demonstration in Dublin"
http://www.thejournal.ie/rally-for-life-3473818-Jul2017/
From "Pro-life and pro-choice demonstrations held in Dublin".

 

[ShoutingIsLeadership]

RTE News just led with news of a 70,000 strong "pro-life" march

 

[ger12]

RTE News just led with news of a 70,000 strong "pro-life" march

And? I don't understand your point, I pointed out that RTE had reported that figure :roll:

 

[Deleted member 17573]

RTE News just led with news of a 70,000 strong "pro-life" march

While the Journal reported the attendance at "thousands" which when I read it I took to mean less than 10,000!

 

[users]

And the guards regularly get their estimates wrong by the order of two.

 

[ShoutingIsLeadership]

And? I don't understand your point, I pointed out that RTE had reported that figure :roll:

Yeah, and then made a bizarre claim about there being an impression left of an equally large counter demonstration.

No such impression was left on anybody not wildly paranoid

 

[ShoutingIsLeadership]

While the Journal reported the attendance at "thousands" which when I read it I took to mean less than 10,000!

So, you decided that a figure meant something, and that's the fault of the journal?

 

[ShoutingIsLeadership]

And the presence of children on these protests is wrong, in my view. On both sides.

 

[users]

And the presence of children on these protests is wrong, in my view. On both sides.

Well only one side has them

 

[ger12]

There has been widespread coverage by the media in Ireland over abortion and the 8th amendment in 2016 and 2017 in the build up to a referendum.

The coverage has been been almost totally one sided (I say almost though I don't know of any media outlet that hasn't been partisan to one side - pro choice). From the Irish Times in the print media to Ireland's most popular online media outlet, thejournal.ie which has been perhaps the most proactive in supporting the pro choice movement.

The media can of course take a side, their Code of Practice allows for "the press is entitled to advocate strongly its own views on topics."

But they are also guided by other Principles:
Principle 1 − Truth and Accuracy
1.1 In reporting news and information, the press shall strive at all times for truth and accuracy.
Principle 3 − Fair Procedures and Honesty
3.1 The press shall strive at all times for fair procedures and honesty in the procuring and publishing of news and information.
Code of Practice

The Rally for Life coverage from today is interesting and I believe in breach of their Code of Practice with their widely reported headlines.

Over 70,000 people attended the rally in Dublin today, as reported by RTE and a couple of hundred people held a counter demonstration yet reading the headlines and the content of media coverage, one would be left believing this was not the case. Instead the false impression given is one where there were two equally prominent demonstrations.

RTE coverage has been fair today but it's hard not to ignore that a leading presenter at their radio station has been found by the BAI to have breached standards of fairness and impartiality in relation to abortion a number of times without any obvious sanction noted in the last two years.

Examples of the headlines/coverage are below.

The Eighth Amendment: Thousands take part in opposing rallies in Dublin | BreakingNews.ie
Eighth amendment campaigners take part in opposing rallies |...
Pro-life and pro-choice demonstrations held in Dublin · TheJournal.ie

How can the media hold organisations to account when they ignore their own code of professional practice?

Yeah, and then made a bizarre claim about there being an impression left of an equally large counter demonstration.

No such impression was left on anybody not wildly paranoid

The headlines suggest that there were two protests of equal numbers or thereabouts.

It's blatantly misleading.

 

[Deleted member 17573]

So, you decided that a figure meant something, and that's the fault of the journal?

If they had any interest in accurate reporting 70,000 would have been describes as tens of thousands. Thousands is normally used to refer to a number of thousands under 10,000.

 

[Surkov]

Name just a single prominent RTE Employee who is pro life.

 

[users]

Name just a single prominent RTE Employee who is pro life.

Ray D'arcy?

 

[ger12]

Name just a single prominent RTE Employee who is pro life.

I don't know what views Claire Byrne or Miriam O'Callaghan hold. It doesn't come across to be fair to them.

 

[talkingshop]

So, you decided that a figure meant something, and that's the fault of the journal?

70,000 (a huge number) v. a couple of hundred, the Journal's heading is "Pro-life and pro-choice demonstrations held in Dublin", and you claim that's not biased reporting?

 

[ShoutingIsLeadership]

If they had any interest in accurate reporting 70,000 would have been describes as tens of thousands. Thousands is normally used to refer to a number of thousands under 10,000.

Maybe they don't know the figure, it being the usual set of wide ranging claims

 

[Deleted member 17573]

Maybe they don't know the figure, it being the usual set of wide ranging claims

In reporting "thousands" as the turnout, they are indicating that they have a good handle on the number.

 

[ShoutingIsLeadership]

70,000 (a huge number) v. a couple of hundred, the Journal's heading is "Pro-life and pro-choice demonstrations held in Dublin", and you claim that's not biased reporting?

The journal v Our national broadcaster



National broadcaster leads with story about 70,000 strong march, and the usual paranoid suspects are complaining

 

[Roisin3]

70,000 (a huge number) v. a couple of hundred, the Journal's heading is "Pro-life and pro-choice demonstrations held in Dublin", and you claim that's not biased reporting?

Large pro-life rally opposed by small pro-choice demonstration?

 

[ShoutingIsLeadership]

In reporting "thousands" as the turnout, they are indicating that they have a good handle on the number.

No, that's you