DIT's Harry Browne on the Great Election Debate

Irish Independent Tabloid – Review* Circulation: 117361 Saturday, 13 February 2016 Area of Clip: 82800mm² Page: 4,5 Page 1 of 3 Great debate: why a nervous RTE is determined to play itThe nationalsafe station thiswill do everything time to avoid a repeat of the 2011 presidential campaign controversy. But it is the hope of sparks flying that will keep us all watching, writes JOHN MEAGHER were scenes Joan Burton and Sinn Fein’s press officer and worked as an more akin to a Gerry Adams gathered at TV3’s adviser to Sean Gallagher during boxing bout than Ballymount, Dublin, studio for his bid for the Presidency in a debate between the first leaders’ debate of the 2011. He says all of the parties two high-profile campaign — hosted by Pat Kenny will have devoted hundreds politicians. In and Colette Fitzpatrick. of man-hours in their bid to February 1982, Taoiseach Garret The commercial station —and prepare their leaders as well as FitzGerald and Fianna Fail Newstalk, whom it partnered possible. “The bigger parties Theyleader Charles Haughey arrived with for the simulcast —had will have focused-grouped at RTE’sTV Centre for the firstever pulled off something of a coup everything,” he says. “They will televised pre-election debate by trumping RTE, who would have done dummy debates and between leaders of the two have expected to be first out of will have come up with attack main parties, and the pair faced the blocks with Monday’s lines and defence strategies. a battery of photographers and seven-way debate at the University “With a two-person debate, fervent party supporters. of Limerick. there’s a lot of opportunity Nine months later, after the Hosted by Claire Byrne, and to get your points across, hut fall of the short-lived Fianna in front of a carefully selected also considerable potential for Fail-led coalition government, audience of350 people, it will things to go wrong. That won’t the two were back at Montrose also feature Renua’s Lucinda be quite the case with the fourway for another debate, to he chaired Creighton, People Before Profit’s debates, and certainly not by Brian Farrell, and there was Richard Boyd Barrett and Social with the seven-way one where much talk over the fact that Democrats’ Stephen Donnelly. It each leader will have less opportunity FitzGerald refused to pose for will be the first leaders’ debate to make the impact that photos with Haughey. in Irish political history to he they would like.” In the 34 years since, televised held outside Dublin. And that impact is not just debates between party leaders A second RTE debate —featuring confined to the duration of the in the run up to general elections the leaders of the four broadcast or the post-mortem in have been part and parcel main parties —will take place the following day’s newspapers: of Irish public life, although on Tuesday week. Presented by TV3 had an analysis programme Haughey refused to debate Miriam O’Callaghan as part of after Thursday’s debate, while Fine Gael’s Alan Dukes in 1989, Prime Time’s coverage, it will be politicos and journalists will branding the exercise “a hit of filmed at RTE and there will be parse Monday’s debate in a special theatre, a bit of circus and a no studio audience. programme, The Spin Room. great media hype”. TG4 is also expected to host a Furthermore, social media commentary There has been no such abstentionsdebate as Gaeilge —as it did in and minute-by-minute in the weeks leading the run up to the general election online journalism will pick apart up to Election 2016. In fact, of 2011. everything that’s said —and not Green Party leader Eamon Ryan Media expert Jack Murray said. was so incensed at being omitted believes this year’s leaders could A former political strategist from RTE’s planned leaders’ debatehave a significant part to play in who has been involved in a number —on the grounds the party the make-up of the 31st Dail. of leaders’ debates believes has no sitting TDs —that he took “They’re massively important “strong, clear communication” is a case to the High Court. this time,” he says, “because key and reckons the forum is not there’s a high proportion of Like all party leaders, he one where awkward questions recognises that not taking part undecided voters and these can be shirked. debates matter when you’re in is simply not an option. “The last thing you want your On Thursday evening, swing territory.” person to be is uncomfortable,” Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Fianna Murray, MD of Media HQ, is a Fail’s Micheal Martin, Labour’s former Progressive Democrats Irish Independent Tabloid – Review* Circulation: 117361 Saturday, 13 February 2016 Area of Clip: 82800mm² Page: 4,5 Page 2 of 3 that very easily. The body language British Liberal Democrat Nick has to be right. It’s got to Clegg was widely seen as the “[Monday night’s debate] will say ‘I’m in control, you can trust outstanding performer during be the first that RTE have hosted me’. Anybody who hesitates over the three televised debates in the since the presidential one five an answer will be eaten up by the run up to the UK general election years ago,” says the strategist, others. of 2010, and yet his party won “and they will be acutely aware “Just look at what happened fewer seats than they had in the of the need for balance. From a to Sean Gallagher in the presidential previous election (although they viewer’s point of view, the end debate. He came across would go on to form a coalition result of that could well make as nervous and he will have been with the Conservatives). for dull TV —and people who are very disappointed by his performance But a strong performance only moderately engaged may that night. There’s no was crucial in perhaps the most switch off.” question about it, but it cost him famous TV debate of them all But, for Browne, the beauty the Aras job. t he first of four televised bouts of these debates is the fact “And,”he adds, “if you go back between Democratic candidate they’re live. “There’s always a to 2007, to the debate among the John F Kennedy and Republican sense with live TV that anything leaders of the smaller parties, Richard Nixon in 1960. could happen — such as that Gerry Adams found himself “People listening to [the first time in the last presidential exposed about his knowledge debate] on radio thought Nixon debate when Vincent Browne [on of southern politics. I think he had won,” says Murray, “but for TV3] produced book after book learned an important lesson that TV viewers, it was Kennedy...” [accusing Martin McGuinness of night.” Some 66 million were watching having strong IRA connections] The strategist believes Kenny, on TV — still one of the and piled them up on the desk Martin and Burton are too biggest audiences for a television in front of them. It was powerful comfortable in live TV debates broadcast there — and it was the television and took McGuinness at this stage of their careers to young Irish-American challenger by surprise.” slip up badly, but believes that in who made the greatest impression. Quite what’s in store for the their efforts to stay on-message, Kennedy looked handsome seven leaders on Monday —and they might struggle to appeal to and sure of himself, while Nixon those of the four main parties undecided voters was under the weather and next week —remains to be seen. “And they’re the very people sweated throughout. they will want to reach, especially Shortly after he was elected younger voters,” he adds. President, Kennedy cited the Dublin Institute of Technology debate as a major reason for his 66 School of Media lecturer success in reaching the White Harry Browne believes there is House. They were the first televised ‘The body language widespread apathy among young pre-election debates in the has to be right. It’s got people during this campaign and West and they would highlight says the TV debates maybe one the importance of appearance, to say “I’m in control, of the few ways party leaders can body language and an ability to reach out to them. appear comfortable on a most you can trust me’” “The debates may not be great unforgiving of media. for illumination [of policies and While party leaders will be so on], but could be entertaining feeling the pressure in the run up [for the viewers],” he says. to Friday’s encounter in Limerick, “That may be especially the case the spotlight will also shine for the seven-way one in UL, brightly on host Claire Byrne especially because there will be — and on Miriam O’Callaghan a studio audience present and on Tuesday week —according to their reaction can play its part Browne. in shaping how viewers feel back “They have to be seen to be home. And there’s no doubt that fair, to devote the same amount audience participation enlivens of time to each leader and to the experience.” adjudicate the debate as well as While the disastrous appearance possible,” he says, “but there will of Gallagher in 2011’s debate also be an expectation that they surely played its part in his will land a really tough, horrible failure to be elected President, it question on each one, too. That’s appears more difficult to gauge if no easy task.” really good performances have a With the stakes ever higher, significant impact at the polling the host can come in for their booths.

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