Family and Media Association 34 Maretimo Gardens East, Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Phone: 086 859 3676 Website: www.fma.ie M E D I A Email: [email protected] Twitter: @familyandmedia Where are you? Report Spring 2011 Protecting the interests of Families with respect to the Media Family and Media Association Media Report ‘Where are you?’ Membership Drive—Call to Action! Is there anybody there? Ivo O’Sullivan, associations to represent The first casualty of Chairman (Light of the World) their interests in relation war is the truth and this And...ACTION! If you to the media”, needs you is particularly the case Genesis 3:9b have read the covering to continue its vital work when the war that is letter which went out being waged (sometimes 2 very Peter Seewald’s latest with this, the Spring Different unwittingly) is against interview with Pope Edition of Media ‘calls to The Truth Himself. action’... Benedict XVI was Report, you will, by So, this is a very published at the end of now, be aware that as different ‘call to action’ last year under the title, our country approaches than those associated Light of the World. two Eucharistic with the stereotypical But, in the confusion Congresses, the Family But your recruitment posters of Country surrounding the Pope’s and Media Association really does old (see inset). comments about is itself facing a ‘Kairos’ need you And, as Pop e condoms, many of the time of its own—action Benedict pointed out in Pontiff’s other ideas— is required now! into the years ahead. his World Day of Peace some of them very The Organization, To put it bluntly, FMA address for 2008, every important—failed to which was founded in needs new members. attack on the family receive the media response to Pope John Would you be willing based on the marriage attention they deserve. Paul II’s call to recruit for us? Do you between a man and a One of these ideas is, to parents to know others who might woman “constitutes an implicitly, a question, a “join with be ready to support our objective obstacle on question which the others in work? the road to peace”. Pope, today, directs at To Back Page >> the some 1.2 billion individual Catholics LAUNCH of SPIRIT RADIO—answer to Prayer living in the world. The long overdue arrival generally greeted with Commission, IRTC, “Where are you?...”. of Christian radio to enthusiasm and the hope later renamed the Where are you? The Ireland’s national that Spirit Radio would, Broadcasting ‘original question’ was airways finally became a as David Quinn put it, Commission of Ireland, posed by God to Adam reality on Thursday 25th “find its market.” BCI—following the following the original January, 2011. The quest for Christian enactment of the sin and our parents’ Undoubtedly, one of radio has had to contend Broadcasting Act, subsequent attempt to the most significant with many obstacles 2009, the BCI’s hide from God. media events for over the years, not least functions, along with The present context Christians in this among them, the those of the BCC, have for this question comes country, the launch of sometimes paranoid been subsumed by the close to the beginning Spirit Radio from the hostility of Michael D Broadcasting Authority of the Light of the old FM104 studios in Higgins’ Independent of Ireland, BAI. World To Back Page >> Ballsbridge was Radio and Television To Page 7 >> 2 Spring 2011 Protecting the interests of Families with respect to the Media Family and Media Association Media Report Contents The last acceptable prejudice—Ray D’Arcy, David McSavage, Today FM Cover Membership Drive and the BAI Call to Action! “In the treatment of current affairs, including matters which are either of public ‘Where are you?’ controversy, or the subject of current public debate, broadcasters must ensure that (Light of the World) they are fair to all interests concerned and that the broadcast material is presented Launch of Spirit in an objective and impartial manner and without any expression of the broad- Radio—answer to caster’s own views.” – Source: BAI website – cf Section 48 (1) (a) and Section 39 Prayer The following is the text of a complaint mad by the Family and Media Association about a broadcast of the Ray Page 2 D’Arcy Show, on Today FM 2 Feb 2011 The last acceptable In the broadcast in question, which “great thing” to try to “smash” the “old prejudice involved an interview by Today FM’s fashioned values” of “the people”, Ray (anti-Catholicism) Ray D’Arcy of David McSavage, Mr D’Arcy not only offended “a lot of Page 3 D’Arcy clearly expressed his own view people” who hold these values but about a “public controversy”. David showed complete contempt for the David McSavage McSavage had said in response to a most basic notion of impartiality. question about his attitude to the The broadcaster should also have Page 4 Angelus (which had become a matter challenged Mr McSavage’s original The signs of of public controversy following a comment, which was, “it is surprising the Times Sunday Times article in which Mr these institutions are still around”, on (Partial birth McSavage had been quoted), “When the grounds that it was offensive to all abortion) you hear about all the disgusting things Catholic people in general. Instead Mr Page 5 that happened within these institutions D’Arcy confirmed it. (i.e. those of the Catholic Church), it is The Code of Programme Standards RTÉ—growing the surprising that they're still around and says in its introduction, “The avoidance trust of the people? that the Angelus is still rung out.” Ray of offence and harm is central to a code (Euthanasia) D’Arcy responded to this by saying, that addresses issues of taste and An email to Today “Well it shouldn't surprise you at all decency in programme material and, (Euthanasia) because when you hear, then, the therefore, is a key objective of this people who ring in to Liveline. You Code.” In its Content Principles Page 6 see, I think we think that we're a sort of (Section 2.2), it says, “A broadcaster modern European nation that we've shall exercise due care by taking all 'Get Real!'—Pope tells Christian come out of the dark ages of the 20th reasonable measures to ensure that ‘Facebookers’— century and now we're a sort of a viewers and listeners of programme World forward thinking modern state. No material on its channel/service are Communications we're not. You know A lot of us aren't. protected from undue offence and from Day Message 2011 A lot of people aren't. A lot of people harm.” In this case, no measures were are holding on to the, you know, old taken to ensure that viewers and Page 7 fashioned values and ideas and the listeners were protected from undue Spirit Radio—’Duc great thing about what you're doing is offence. Section 3.4.5 states that in Altum’ you are trying to smash those”. Had the “Broadcasters shall take measures to broadcaster said nothing about David prevent undue offence in the treatment Back Page McSavage’s comments, the broadcast of religious views, beliefs or images What you can do to would already have lacked impartiality. during programme material. This is not help FMA By saying he believed that it was a intended to prevent the critical scrutiny Spring 2011 3 Family and Media Association Media Report Protecting the interests of Families with respect to the Media lot of people are holding on to the, you know, old fashioned values and ideas and the “A great thing about what you're doing is you are trying to smash those!” - Ray D’Arcy The following are extracts from a Press Release issued by the Family and Media Association and about another problem broadcast involving David McSavage. Both The Metro and Newstalk Radio covered FMA’s response at the time and, when it was independently posted on the Politics.ie website, it attracted some 15 pages of replies (over 200 comments). The Irish Times, however, declined to publish a letter which was sent to them on the subject... In an interview during yesterday's The serious problem for our young people, FMA Saturday Night Show broadcast on RTÉ One is also concerned about the apparently television, David McSavage, brother of the ambivalent attitude to his own alcohol Minister for Children, Barry Andrews made problem which Mr McSavage displayed on light of the issue of child abuse and was the same broadcast. highly offensive to the vast majority of ...While we are concerned for the welfare of Catholics who abhor abuse. Mr McSavage, we are also concerned about In response to the following question/ the irresponsibility of RTÉ in allowing him statement by the Show's Presenter, Brendan (and others) to be seen as a role model. O'Connor, "Your brother is Barry Andrews, ...RTÉ does this when it uses public money to the Minister for Children?", Mr McSavage fund programmes like The Savage Eye and replied, "Yes he is and I used to kick the sh** give Mr McSavage and others a platform. out of him when he was a child!" ... FMA believes that the 60 million euro of Later on, after bringing up the topic of the public money that the Government gives Catholic Church, Mr McSavage said, "I annually to RTÉ could be better spent! mean, but if it was a choice between a heroine ...On the plus side for RTÉ, Mr O'Connor is addict and a priest to baby sit my child...", at to be congratulated for his decisive which point Mr O'Connor intervened to cut intervention after Mr McSavage's heroine short the topic.