Tag: censorship

The Final Word

Remember #picturegate? As described in a complaint to the broadcasting complaints commission, RTÉ showed two portraits of the taoiseach, one ‘in a pregnant situation’. RTÉ News later apologised ‘for any personal offence caused to Mr Cowen or his family or for any disrespect shown to the office of taoiseach.’ But in response to a complaint… Continue reading The Final Word

Fixing the Bunreacht

There’s a constitutional amendment scheduled for October, to change our minds about the Lisbon treaty. This is an ideal opportunity for Dermot Ahern. He feels he must make blasphemy a crime, otherwise the people will go through the ‘costly and unwarranted diversion‘ of a referendum. But now he has an ideal chance to tack on… Continue reading Fixing the Bunreacht

In Tehran, The Revolution Is Being Tweeted

For the record, some of the messages from one twitterer in Tehran, identified as persiankiwi. we do not know if foreign press are covering this. we cannot access satellites tehran is at standstill. all major routes jammed with people. unconfirmed as yet – mousavi newspaper offices raided. unconfirmed – Mashad is violent. have spoken with… Continue reading In Tehran, The Revolution Is Being Tweeted

Does Dermot Ahern Read Blogs?

Does Dermot Ahern read this blog? On May Day, I wrote here that the justice minister’s proposal to create a criminal offence of blasphemous libel with a fine of up to €100000 was ‘a return to the brilliance that gave us revenue generating innovations like duty free shopping, DIRT tax, the airport departure tax.’ ‘We… Continue reading Does Dermot Ahern Read Blogs?

Blessed Be Mammon

Two weeks from now, Thursday 14 May, has been pencilled in as National Blasphemy Day. The idea is simple. To protest the proposal to make blasphemy a criminal offence, bloggers will ‘deliberately set out to grossly offend the religious sensitivities of as many religious believers as possible, with the clear intention of causing outrage’. The… Continue reading Blessed Be Mammon

Careful Now!

New Media doesn’t get Old Media. Bloggers don’t get why Old Media is wary of two way communication, and become irked when they can’t respond with their opinions on news websites. After all, information wants to be free. Information may be free, but libel is expensive, Old Media replies. New Media knows this in its… Continue reading Careful Now!

Generation Gap

Old Media doesn’t get New Media. Old Media thinks New Media is a bunch of grungy geeks with nothing to say. In short, Old Media thinks new media should get a haircut and a job. Journalists and bloggers come from different worlds. Journalists are deadline orientated. Bloggers are instant. Their focus isn’t on getting the… Continue reading Generation Gap

Eyes Only

Gardai question artist under caution: The Irish Times. Police quiz man over naked images of Irish PM in national gallery: The Belfast Telegraph. Cowen artist ‘could be charged’: BBC News. Artist Conor Casby faces jail after Brian Cowen made unwitting model for toilet humour: Times Online (Entertainment section). Irish PM bogged down by nude painting… Continue reading Eyes Only

Bare Faced Cheek

‘The visit by a Garda detective today to the offices of Today FM radio station, demanding that staff from the Ray Darcy Show hand over information they might have had about the artist of these pieces was astounding,’ Labour party Senator Alan Kelly said. ‘Does this investigation really represent the best use of scarce Garda… Continue reading Bare Faced Cheek