Minister for Media Patrick O’Donovan is not seeking a review of media coverage of the fuel protests despite his previous suggestion that he would.
O’Donovan came in for criticism after he told a number of regional radio stations on Monday that he planned to raise his concerns about the fairness and balance of some media coverage with regulator Coimisiún na Meán, the Media Commission.
O’Donovan’s comments were described as “sinister and deeply disturbing” by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ).
On Tuesday, O’Donovan met the media regulator but the meeting did not result in a formal review of media coverage being ordered.
A spokeswoman for O’Donovan later said: “The Minister isn’t seeking a review of media coverage, following his constructive engagement with Coimisiún na Meán today.”
The media regulator said it had, to date, “received a number of contacts from members of the public relating to broadcast coverage of recent fuel protests. In the first instance, we advise members of the public who wish to complain about broadcast content to complain to the broadcaster concerned.”
The regulator confirmed to O’Donovan in the meeting that it “would follow up on statutory complaints regarding coverage of the fuel protests, as set out in legislation.”
O’Donovan said on Monday he was concerned about “balance” in some of the coverage, including some of the content posted online.
“Ironically, it was being reported on RTÉ News on one particular evening that there was nobody at Whitegate, and it was almost like a flare went up – you know: ‘There’s nobody here at Whitegate at the moment, come on down.’ Of course, they started gathering and the rest is history,” O’Donovan told the Tipp Today programme on Tipp FM.
“One of the things that I will be doing is examining it as well from a media and coverage point of view. Particularly social media, and particularly from a balance point of view.”
He added he didn’t see “too much” coverage of people who agreed with the protest but didn’t agree with the methods that it was using.
The meeting between O’Donovan and the media regulator on Tuesday came afterTanáiste Simon Harris said there was no need for “any sort of formal review” into RTÉ’s coverage of fuel protests.
Asked about the NUJ’s criticism of O’Donovan’s remarks, Harris said he was supportive of freedom of the media and added: “Of course, at the end of any difficult period, you can look back and say at a moment a national crisis ‘how do we get information out there, are there learnings?’ But I certainly don’t think there’s any need for any sort of formal review.”
“We have, in this country, a free media, we have a robust media, and I think we have a fair media.”
Pressed on whether he agreed with his Fine Gael colleague’s suggestion that coverage had been skewed in favour of protesters, Harris said: “I think the media, like everybody in this country, were doing their best to deal with a fast-evolving and very difficult situation.”
The NUJ this afternoon said it “welcomed the acceptance by Simon Harris, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, that a review of media coverage of oil price protests across Ireland last week would not be appropriate”.
During a press conference at Leinster House Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín claimed O’Donovan’s comments were “an abuse of his position”.
He said: “I believe that Patrick O’Donovan has way overstepped the mark in an authoritarian fashion with regard to the comments that he has made.”
Tóibín said Aontú has written to the chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Media asking that O’Donovan and the commission be brought before the committee to be asked questions on the matter.
Committee chair Labour TD Alan Kelly has not immediately responded to a query from The Irish Times on whether he would invite the Minister and watchdog to a future meeting.