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Irish Times
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Cormac Ó hEadhra is a smart guy but he asks some pretty dumb questions
For someone who seems like a smart guy, Cormac Ó hEadhra can ask some pretty dumb questions. At the very least, the cohost of Drivetime ( RTÉ Radio 1, weekdays) betrays a certain failure of imagination when covering a survey on news consumption in Ireland. As he considers the annual Digital News Report Ireland, Ó hEadhra sounds incredulous at the answers given by respondents. 'Forty per cent say they actively avoid the news,' he says, 'Isn't that startling?' To which one might reply: is it, though? Given that Tuesday's edition of the show also contains items on the spiralling conflict between Israel and Iran, and the intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine, the real wonder is that a majority of Irish people remain interested in the news. Dr Eileen Culloty of Dublin City University, one of the report's authors, doesn't seem to find the proportion of news dodgers surprising. 'It probably is to you, because you're a journalist,' she archly remarks to Ó hEadhra. (The implication that journalists are drawn to stories about the news seems borne out by coverage of the report on Radio 1's flagship, Morning Ireland .) READ MORE On the positive side, the survey also finds that more people in Ireland – 56 per cent – trust traditional news sources than in countries such as the United States, where partisan podcasts are increasingly the norm. 'If you're polarising and passionate, it's much easier to draw attention and listeners,' says Ó hEadhra, not above being provocative himself. 'But the truth is in the nuance.' His guest agrees: 'Any of us can have opinions and offer them to others.' (Cue columnist shuffling feet and staring nervously at floor.) The real challenge, says Culloty, is investigative reporting, which can take time and money to produce. There's the rub, particularly in the cash-starved, morale-sapping environment of RTÉ. So while Drivetime regularly carries well-researched reporting – John Cooke's valuable dispatches on refugees nationwide spring to mind – the show's menu skews towards interviews and analysis, albeit with the aim of informing rather than inflaming. Hence Wednesday's edition has Ó hEadhra talking to a Georgetown University academic, Tara Kangarlou, on whether Donald Trump will join Israel in attacking Iran , to largely speculative effect. 'Could there be a toppling of the Iranian regime?' the host asks. 'That could be a possibility,' his guest replies, not so much hedging her bets as highlighting the limits of snap analysis of such a fluid, unpredictable situation. On the other hand, Monday's conversation with Kira Rudik, a Ukrainian parliamentarian, on the latest wave of Russian destruction in Kyiv has the urgency of lived experience. Rudik describes spending the night in a bomb shelter as Putin's forces deliberately targeted apartment blocks with drones and missiles; all this 'when America is walking away from supporting us'. When Ó hEadhra suggests that the Trump administration may eventually impose more sanctions on Russia, Rudik lays out the stakes in stark terms. 'We hope that,' she says, 'But let me ask, do I know if my family and I will survive to this point?' Not that stories from home are much better, as when the reporter Barry Lenihan hears of a mother's anger at the 'unduly lenient' prison sentence for an uninsured driver who killed her son in a hit and run. Ó hEadhra and Lenihan warn listeners of the graphic details in the case of Dylan Killalee Maher , a young Dubliner killed in 2021 by a speeding car driven by Cameron Cooper, whose eventual sentence of just over four years Maher's mother calls a disgrace. 'He deserved better than that,' says Catherine, who learned the full extent of her son's catastrophic injuries only in court: 'I just crumbled.' She is seeking longer prison terms for drivers who cause fatal accidents, but rather than any legal argument it's her raw recollection of seeing her son's body in a forensic tent that gives her story such force. Some stories are impossible to ignore. A current ad for Radio 1's other weekday current-affairs magazine, Today with Claire Byrne , promises 'advice on the issues that matter to you'. By way of emphasis, the lead item on Wednesday's show has Byrne discussing how the Irish winner of the previous evening's EuroMillions draw should claim the jackpot of €250 million: handy counsel if you're the lucky soul whose numbers came up but rather less useful to the rest of us. Despite the various tips being in the realm of fantasy for the vast majority of listeners, Byrne sounds more exercised than usual, as when a financial adviser, Eoin McGee, suggests storing the winning ticket in the coin pocket of a pair of jeans. 'Then somebody washes your jeans,' the host frets. 'It's stressful.' Again, one asks, is it, though? It is a welcome bit of hypothetical fun, though, even if it scarcely qualifies as news. Rest assured, however, the real world comes crashing in on the show, with the housing crisis featuring prominently, as it so often does. With the Government considering the construction of smaller apartments to boost the stalling supply of new accommodation, Byrne speaks to Fianna Fáil's housing spokesman, Seamus McGrath TD, and the journalist Frank McDonald . The latter guest, a former environment editor of The Irish Times, says that the move adopts 'the property industry's dystopian playbook' by allowing cheaper build-to-rent apartment blocks, which will do nothing to make accommodation more affordable. [ 'Burn them all out': The prejudice bubbling under Ireland's thin veneer of normality Opens in new window ] McGrath disagrees, saying the measure will help overcome what he repeatedly calls a 'viability gap' that discourages developers from building new apartment blocks. Byrne doesn't sound convinced. 'What you're describing there is what developers want,' she suggests to McGrath. The politician doesn't present the measure as a panacea, nor suggest it will bring down accommodation costs, but his rote performance, and Byrne's sceptical stance, only add to the impression of a Government desperately scrabbling for any ideas to alleviate the housing emergency (see also: rent pressure zones), in a situation so direly intractable it makes the Gordian knot look like a toddler's puzzle. Of course, none of this is news, but it's still hard to hear. Moment of the week On Monday, Oliver Callan (RTÉ Radio 1, weekdays) interviews Garry Hynes, artistic director of Druid theatre company. Hynes recalls her stage triumphs as director, bemoans Ireland's lack of arts funding and candidly reflects on the recent death of her wife, Martha O'Neill: 'It's unbearable, unbelievable.' She also reveals how her fabled Galway drama company, which celebrates its 50th birthday this month, was so named. 'I was reading the Asterix comic strip, and [there was] the character in it called the Druid,' she says, 'And I thought, That'll do for the moment, and we'll get a better name later.' Not a bad choice in the end, and it could have been worse. The cartoon character's actual name is Getafix. Now that doesn't have the same ring as Druid.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Malaysian media faces challenges securing public trust, AI
The increasing demand for unfiltered information and the rapid pace of technological development have created new challenges for Malaysian media, particularly in earning public trust and adapting to the rise of artificial intelligence. Fathi Aris Omar, editor-in-chief of Media Selangor, said these issues have become more pressing due to the variety of platforms available for disseminating content. 'We (the press) are not only facing pressure from the authorities but are also struggling to capture public attention, especially on social media,' he said. 'It's no longer about the credibility or ownership of a news organisation – it's about algorithms and intense competition from other sources.' Fathi observed that the public now tends to trust influencers more than journalists. 'Raw, unverified news is gaining popularity and is often perceived as more 'credible' than professionally produced reports,' he said, citing the recent gas explosion in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, as an example. According to the ICT Use and Access by Individuals and Households Survey Report 2024 by the Department of Statistics Malaysia, 98 per cent of households have internet access, and 99 per cent of users spend time on social media via mobile phones. Fathi was speaking at a recent forum organised by Geramm, a media advocacy group promoting press freedom, in conjunction with World Press Freedom Day. On April 1, a gas pipeline leak in the Putra Heights housing estate triggered a massive explosion that destroyed homes, damaged property, and left more than 1,000 people homeless. News of the incident spread quickly, fuelled by speculation and unverified claims. Initial reports suggested fatalities, but when police issued a statement saying there were none, many in the public were sceptical, with some accusing the authorities of a cover-up. Confederation of Asean Journalists vice-president Norila Daud called on the public to be more discerning when consuming and sharing information. 'People are overwhelmed by an overflow of information, and this raises the question of what sources to trust,' she said. 'That is why the public must be wise. If you are unsure of the facts, don't spread them.' She was joined on the panel by Fathi and Laban Abraham Laisila, head of the newsroom at Narasi, a prominent non-mainstream media outlet in Indonesia. Laban highlighted the financial and political pressures faced by media critical of the government, including harassment and the loss of funding. 'These challenges are real. Media cannot operate without money. We face cyberattacks, and our funders are intimidated for supporting us,' he said. The session was moderated by Haslina AR Kamaludin, a senior journalist with Malaysian Gazette. It was one of two key discussions at the event, which also featured a presentation by the Centre for Independent Journalism. Financial constraints continue to plague the media industry. In Malaysia, Free Malaysia Today laid off over 10 journalists last year as part of a restructuring exercise. Malaysiakini also reorganised its newsroom in a bid to remain sustainable. Malaysian Chinese International Limited – publisher of China Press, Sin Chew Daily, and Nanyang Siang Pau – announced plans last year to lay off 800 staff over five years as it integrates AI across all operational levels, including in its newsrooms, to cut costs. Earlier in the day, another panel featured Indonesian podcaster and journalist Hussein Abri Dongoran (Bocor Alus Politik), writer and media producer Liyana Marzuki, and seasoned journalist and digital content creator Syahril A. Kadir. They discussed content creation, the risks of covering sensitive topics, and the importance of mental health support for media practitioners dealing with trauma. Hussein and Liyana agreed that such risks come with the job and often serve as motivation. 'The risk is greater when you're in front of the camera,' said Hussein during the session, which was moderated by Twentytwo13's journalist Muzliza Mustafa. Syahril added that while physical threats are manageable, online harassment can have lasting psychological effects. 'Perhaps it's time we introduce a policy to provide mental health support for journalists and podcasters,' he said. Main image: Sairien Nafis, Geramm
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republicans trust the news more since Donald Trump won back the White House. What's changed?
About 53% of Republicans now say they have at least some trust in the information they get from national news organizations, according to The Pew Research Center. In September, only 40% of Republicans said the same. Republican trust has also risen in local news outlets (75% from 66%) and in social media (45% from 37%). Republicans are still less likely to trust the media than Democrats. Among Democrats surveyed, 81% say they have at least some trust in national outlets — a number that has remained relatively consistent over the last decade. Trust in local news is even higher among Democrats, at 87%, while trust in social media is lower, at 38%. A study by the Pew Knight Initiative found that news influencers on social media are more likely to identify with right-leaning political views, and these influencers have become significant news sources, particularly among younger demographics. Unlike traditional media, influencers frequently present content with a clear political perspective. And as a recent study finds, exposure to partisan media — whether liberal or conservative — correlates with reduced trust in the mainstream press, regardless of which party a person identifies with. In a YouGov/American Enterprise Institute poll among people who said they voted for Trump in the 2020 presidential election, shows 92% agreed that 'the mainstream media today is just a part of the Democratic Party.' Pew Research found that Republican trust in national media didn't increase in 2016, when Donald Trump became president for the first time. Trump and his allies have said they are striving to hold news organizations 'accountable' through investigations and legal channels. Trump has filed lawsuits with CBS News and the Des Moines Register for deceptive advertising and accused outlets like The New York Times of acting on behalf of the Democratic Party. The FCC has also launched investigations into outlets perceived as unfair, including NBC, ABC and CBS. Critics of the Trump administration take issue with the investigations and the accompanying threats to withdraw access and funding. 'Your right to say something depends on what the administration thinks of it, which is no free speech at all,' said Will Creeley, legal director of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.
