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
Tag: free speech
Any Other Business
It’s going to be an interesting week in Dáil Éireann. Desperate not to cut back on their holiday time,the government has opted instead to cut debating time, and plans to guillotine several bills into law by Friday. Among the highlights: The blasphemy clause in the Defamation bill, making it illegal to say naughty things if… Continue reading Any Other Business
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
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
Taking At Face Value
I emailed Joe Duffy today. Well, I emailed the show. Joe is off sick, Damien Reilly has been keeping the seat warm. Mick Nugent was on, representing something called Atheists Ireland. (by the way, who elected Mick to speak on behalf of all the atheists in Ireland?) Anyway, Mick was speaking about blasphemous libel, so… Continue reading Taking At Face Value
In The Name Of The Father
Dermot Ahern is going to make cussing a crime. The minister proposes to insert a new section into the Defamation Bill, creating an criminal offence if anyone ‘publishes or utters blasphemous matter’, leading to a large fine. ‘Blasphemy is anything ‘grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing… Continue reading In The Name Of The Father
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