Check Against Delivery

 

22 May 2015

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

I was explaining to someone the other day how different the experience of media is for people from particular areas of Irish life. I was telling this friend that when I was an activist for women, chairing the National Women's Council, I experienced media one way, and then when I became a politician, I experienced media in a quite different way. Not necessarily a worse way. But a definitely different way!

 

The person I was talking to said media is like climate change. If you're in one of the drought-stricken areas of the United States or one of the flood-ravaged parts of Bangladesh, you experience climate change as a personal tragedy, whereas if you're a grape-grower in the south of England, it looks pretty good to you.

Then he added "And, like climate change, media gets more varied and unpredictable with every passing year...!"

 

That means the work of the Media Ombudsman is constantly evolving and changing. That's been true from the days when John Horgan shaped it right up to these days when Peter Feeney publishes his first report.

 

Today is a special day.

Every day that our nation goes to the polls is a special day.

And - since media plays an enormous part in how and why we vote on issues and candidates - it's appropriate to launch this annual report today, if only to recall and recognise the critical importance and of a free press to democracy.

 

Freedom of the press is a key pillar of a free democracy.

 

But the environment in which the traditional press operates in has changed.

 

Rapid developments in the realm of digital media and social media have profoundly altered how we see the world.

Clear lines have blurred.

We can all now post and tweet and publish online.

More and more of our lives are on display, because we put them on display.

 

Traditional understandings of privacy can become strained as over-sharing becomes a growing reality.

Traditional principles of balance and fairness can be hard to factor into 140 characters.

 

This is the backdrop within which traditional forms of print media now operate.

 

Many in the print media have embraced the internet and social media as an opportunity, albeit an opportunity that's painfully difficult to monetise.

 

Ease of access of all sorts of information is placing pressures on how the traditional press approaches questions of what it reports and how.

 

All of that means that mistakes get made. Even in the most prestigious newspapers, mistakes get made. The Washington Post surprised and entertained its readers this very week, when, in covering the royal visit, they announced that Prince Charles has always maintained that he was NOT a commander in the Provisional IRA....

 

Since none of us had thought for a moment that he WAS, that mistake did him no harm. But every day, every week, mistakes are made, or judgements drawn, that individuals perceive as damaging their reputation or as being made in a less than professional way.

 

In all such cases... for all such questions... I believe it is vitally important that we have mechanisms in place to promote best practice and deal with complaints.

 

In Ireland we have the Press Council and Office of the Press Ombudsman. We appreciate what you do. And you do a lot: 350 complaints received in 2014.

 

At least as important as complaint-management is your role in proactively providing guidance and generally promoting high standards.

 

As we are launching the 2014 Annual Report I wish to particularly reference and welcome one initiative from 2014, that is the publication of a Handbook for the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines. This is a practical and accessible resource for journalists and all in those working the press.

 

I opened the Annual Report at random and here's where I landed;

 

“2015 is going to be a challenging year for Irish journalism with growing attention being given to the campaigning of the political parties and independents in the lead in to the general election.”

 

I suppose the first thing I should say it that it’s not half as challenging as it is for us seeking election!!

 

Nonetheless, I welcome the identification of the challenges that the electoral cycle can pose for journalism.

 

We always need incisive political journalism which can cut through the noise and irrelevancies; and instead focus on and facilitate informed debate... on the facts. And the Ombudsman's contribution is to help incisive political and other journalism meet the highest standards.

 

It's a pleasure to be here today to launch the 2014 Annual Report.