Blurred Keys

The murder rate has declined. Not only is this ignored, but if you were to go by the media coverage, gangland crime is apparently getting worse.

Last weekend John Burke, public affairs correspondent of the Sunday Business Post, wrote: "[the murder of rugby player Shane Geoghegan] led to widespread calls for stronger government action against organised gangs involved with violent and drug-related crime. However, figurers produced by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that, despite the public and political outcry over the murder, the incidence of murder had, in fact, declined sharply.”

The homicide rate – unlike many crime rates – is largely close to actual number. Detection of murders and manslaughters may not be 100 percent, but it’s close.

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In a line of media job cuts recently, the Irish Times said this week it is to cut 50 to 60 jobs to lower costs as ad revenue has fallen, while the newsrooms of Today FM and Newstalk are to have a "pooling of reporters".

A merger of newsrooms at the two radio stations — which the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland is against — is denied by bosses at stations. The developments with Newstalk and Today FM were expected since the two stations move into the same building recently (Adam Maguire has comment on this).

Two freelancers at Newstalk have already been dropped. The station are to "reduce dependence on freelance services," and the Irish Times are expected to do the same.

Elsewhere, among regional newspapers, the Western People in Mayo are looking for ten voluntary redundancies.

Last week, Associated Newspapers Ireland which publishes the Irish Daily Mail and the Irish Mail on Sunday said 15 people will lose their jobs. It was reported these are mainly in production which will be moved to Associated's London offices.

On Thursday the Irish Independent quoted Irish Times managing editor, Maeve Donovan, defending the investments in loss making companies, such as MyHome.ie and the Metro freesheet newspaper.

"Questions have been raised about our investments in relation to MyHome, Metro and ireland.com… These
investments are also affected by the global financial crisis, but we
believe that the long term rationale for diversification is essential
and a key requirement for the long term future of the Irish Times." The Times reported on the story also.

The announcements follows from TV3 saying last month it will cut staff and news coverage, and, at the start of November, RTE said it will make cutbacks of around €50m off its budget for next year. Independent News & Media are also to cut positions at its London-based newspapers.

Maman Poulet (vie Expad.ie) points to RTE blogs by
Charlie Bird and others, and notes readers can't leave comments. But why? If the Irish Times and the Irish Independent can handle comment (some with  comments pre-moderated and some not), why can't RTE?

Many Irish journalists and political commentates are to continuing to say Ireland will be “left behind” if there is not a second referendum on Lisbon Treaty, but this seams to have little standing.

The Government don’t appear to be helping the confusion. One second Ireland can’t be left behind. There’s no question of it. The next second, one Minister or another will blurt out the same “left behind” line in a heated radio interview.

All eyes are on Ireland. But why are they? As we keep being told, Lisbon isn’t an issue that only effects this country.

The “left behind” argument seams only able to live in a bubble. There’s no inclusion of analyses of what affect leaving Ireland behind would have on the EU as a whole. Irish journalism’s super localism could be in part to blame.

As it stands, the EU has a disconnected population. It also has what appears to be a growing movement against a European project that is being pushed by politicians but isn’t being clearly defined to its member states’ populations.

If the EU is not highly aware isolating Ireland could do immense harm to the image of Europe in member states and beyond, they are more out of touch or bullish than their most strident opponents claim.

The journalists who continue non-stop with the “left behind” line also ignore — or are unable to see — this possibility need to start asking questions about their role as journalists. Or at least the ones with the least bit of ethics do.