When is a complaint not a complaint? When RTÉ broadcast a lighthearted complaint in March about a portrait of Brian Cowen hung in that national gallery, they received nine calls complaining the item was in poor taste. It’s not clear if the nine includes a call from Eoghan Ó Neachtain, who rang RTÉ director general… Continue reading Making the Cut
Tag: picturegate
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
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
The Emperor’s New Clothes
FG Justice Spokesperson Charlie Flanagan criticised the decision by Gardaí to demand emails relating to the artist who painted nude portraits of Brian Cowen hung in two Dublin galleries. ‘At a time when the majority of gangland murders remain unsolved, to have Gardaí spending their time investigating what amounted to a practical joke that offended… Continue reading The Emperor’s New Clothes
The Naked Taoiseach
Yesterday, I wrote about RTÉ removing a film report on caricatures of Brian Cowen smuggled into two Dublin galleries. [Kudos at this point to Maman Poulet, who’s blog tipped me off to the story.] Since them, things have grown more serious. The images on the RTÉ website were removed, copy has been edited, and the… Continue reading The Naked Taoiseach