Covid coverage was 'Excellent Factual Information' - Minister

Complaints from RTE listeners rejected, denied & ignored

Communications Minister Catherine Martin today described RTE coverage during covid as ‘excellent factual information.’ Does the Minister’s use of the superlative convey something untoward?

Her demeanour, in response to a question from reporter Ben Scallan of Gript, suggests she is feeling a certain tension. The delivery of her response is curious too. She appears nervous and defensive. Body language experts generally agree on the causes of excessive blinking which include stress, anxiety and the communication of displeasure.

The Minister said having a state broadcaster like RTE ‘strengthens democracy,’ prompting Scallan to ask

“Can you explain how RTE strengthens democracy exactly?”

“Public service broadcasting and reliable information is what is needed and we saw an example of that all through covid, that they provided excellent factual information,” the Minister said.

“In these times, very uncertain times, we’ve never needed more so than today, reliable public service broadcasting and reporting,” she said.

The clip is worth examining because the Minister’s response revealed a second anomaly, that RTE’s ‘excellent factual information’ should not be questioned.

“Public service broadcasting does a good for democracy and for society and that should not be questioned in this debacle. We should never question how the staff… the role of the staff in providing good journalism, reliable factual information is needed now more than ever.”

If RTE’s covid reportage is factually excellent as the Minister says, it will stand firm in the face of any amount of questions and as such she has nothing to be nervous about. Instead, in the glare of cameras, she looked rattled.

Two weeks ago, as the demise of the state broadcaster got underway, I asked readers of this article to share with me, complaints they had made to RTE about it’s covid coverage.

Below are three examples of complaints made against RTE presenters Ryan Tubridy, Claire Byrne and Joe Duffy. One is an email complaint that received no reply and two are official complaints citing breaches of the Broadcasting Act 2009 with responses from RTE published in full.

Readers are free to share complaints they have made to <complaints@rte.ie> in the comments section.

View the clip of Ben Scallan’s question for the Minister here

Email complaint made to RTE Radio re Ryan Tubridy from listener Christine McCarthy on October 19 2021:

To whom it may concern, 

I write as a deeply concerned citizen and listener who has been left feeling upset, disappointed and angry after listening to Ryan Tubridy this morning, Tuesday 19th October 2021. 

After playing Ella Fitzgerald's Manhattan Mr. Tubridy made reference to getting back to traveling once more and enjoying life again. However, we made a distinction between people in society which incited hatred and societal segregation by differentiating those who chose to accept a Covid vaccine and those who did not, by inferring that those who choose not to accept OR CANNOT accept the vaccine as being less. 

Mr. Tubridy stated that "95% + of us can go on and enjoy all these things while the remainder can sit with their decision because we are doing the right thing". 

This type of opinion by a national broadcaster does nothing but incite hatred towards people who for a variety of reasons cannot or will not accept a Covid vaccine. This push of Mr. Tubridy's own opinions on such a subject is not becoming of any professional broadcaster. At a time when society needs to come together, this type of dialogue only creates a totally unnecessary divide. I would never expect Mr. Tubridy to have something injected into his body that he was not sure of and I certainly would never wish for anyone to judge him on his own personal medical choices for any reason. In the same way, how is it acceptable that Mr. Tubridy can cast such judgement on others and speak with a superior air as if by taking a Covid vaccine makes him a better citizen than his fellow man who cannot accept such medical interventions?

I trust that you will speak with your presenters who are not in any way qualified to push or promote any medical interventions on listeners and ask them to stick to what they are supposed to be good at. It is absolutely not good enough for anyone at any time to promote the segregation of Irish society because doing so diminishes society for future generations and only serves to promote one side of the agenda leading to unnecessary bias. 

Regards,

Christine McCarthy

Official complaint re Claire Byrne to RTE from Dr Billy Ralph on April 12 2021:

To: Complaints <complaints@rte.ie>

Subject: Breach of section 42(2)(b)

Today's Clare Byrne Show featured Tim Martin and Sam McConkey discussing

The opening up of society. Tom Martin quoted Prof. John Ioannidis,of Stanford

University. Clare Byrne in her ignorance stated that she did not know who this

man was and stated that she could not allow him to be quoted. Sam McConkey was also heard to answer 'no' when asked if he knew this man. It defies belief that the

foremost cited scientist in the world of epidemiology is not known to your

broadcaster who as been covering the pandemic for a year or Sam McConkey a

professor of infectious diseases.

This appears to breach Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) section

42(2)(b) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 . They are either both incredibly ignorant or they deliberately chose to ignore a statistic, published by Prof Ioannidis on the WHO website that doesn't fit with RTE's doom laden narrative.

https://www.who.int/bulletin/online_first/BLT.20.265892.pdf

This deliberate dismissal of such an eminent scientist is disgraceful. I await

your explanation.

Dr William Ralph, MICGP

Broadcaster’s Response

Dear Dr Ralph,

First of all many thanks for getting in touch, and for listening to the show. We're always happy to hear feedback.

I refer to your email below regarding Today with Claire Byrne broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 on April 12 last.

The item referenced was a debate between Tim Martin, the founder and chair of Wetherspoons, and Professor Sam McConkey - covering many aspects of reopening hospitality and society. Tim Martin referenced Professor John Ioannidis's suggestion that for under-70s, Covid is "half as dangerous as flu". Tim was allowed to finish his point, to describe Prof Ioannidis as a "foremost expert", to explain that Covid is still "more dangerous than flu overall", and to say "IF he is right" how we might adapt reopening policies, in his opinion.

Professor McConkey then responded to the substance of the point, i.e. the statistics quoted, so any reference to the individual was immaterial for the purposes of this particular exchange.

There is no requirement that presenters or guests must be familiar with particular experts and the lack of knowledge of a particular expert does not constitute a breach of the requirements of the Broadcasting Act 2009 or the Codes of the BAI.

If any member of the public is of the opinion that a programme or segment of a programme broadcast on RTÉ has breached a provision of Section 39(1)(a), (b), (d) or (e) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 or failed to comply with a provision of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland Codes and is not satisfied with RTÉ's response they are entitled to make a complaint to the BAI. Information on codes and on the complaints procedure can be found on the BAI website at http://www.bai.ie/en/viewers-listeners/complaints/

Yours Sincerely

Al McConnell,

Series Producer

Official complaint to Joe Duffy show broadcast August 18 2021:

As you are aware RTE Broadcasting is obliged under Section 39 (1) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 to ensure that:

(a) all news broadcast is reported and presented in an objective and impartial manner and without any expression of the broadcaster's own views.

(b) the broadcast treatment of current affairs, including matters which are either of public controversy or the subject of current

public debate, is fair to all interests concerned and that the broadcast matter is presented in an objective and impartial manner

and without any expression of his or her own views, except that should it prove impracticable in relation to a single broadcast may be considered as a whole, if the broadcasts are transmitted within a reasonable period of each other.

(d) anything which may reasonably be regarded as causing harm or offence, or as likely to promote, or incite to, crime or as tending to undermine the authority of the State, is not broadcast.

I write to make a serious complaint regarding a false statement broadcast by Joe Duffey on his RTE 1 radio show dated 18th August 2021 in breach of provision of sections 39 (1) (a), (b) and (d) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 as follows:

The show can be found at the following link: https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/21995040/

At 31:38 a person named John from Longford joined the discussion regarding Covid 19 vaccines. At 34:41 Joe Duffey stated that it is "not a fact" that the Covid 19 vaccines are experiential. Joe Duffey broadcaster repeated the words "not a fact" six

times in a misleading and unfactual statement to the listeners, clearly stating his own misleading and unfactual views in breach of (a) and (b) and causing harm and offence in breach of (d).

The factual position is that the European Commission has not approved any Covid 19 vaccine and has only granted a conditional marketing authorisation for Covid 19 vaccines which are in experimental phase III clinical trials which do not conclude until 2023. It can be seen on the HPRA website:

(http://www.hpra.ie/homepage/medicines/covid-19-updates/approval-of-covid-19-vaccines)

(*Note - This link provided by the complainant is no longer working - page removed)

that to gain approval (authorisation) for a vaccine, the vaccine developer must submit the results of all testing and trials to the relevant regulatory authority. Regulators carry out a scientific evaluation of the vaccine's safety, effectiveness and quality, before concluding whether there is sufficient evidence supporting approval. Ireland, through the HPRA, is an active participant in all European reviews.

All Covid 19 vaccines have been given emergency use authorisation only and are in experiential phase III clinical trials. Clinical efficacy and safety studies (phase III trials) include thousands of volunteers. This phase shows how efficacious the vaccine is at protecting against the infection compared with placebo (dummy) or alternative treatment and what are the less common side effects in those receiving the investigational vaccine.

(Link provided by complainant)

It is evident that Joe Duffey has misled listeners with his unfactual views, cutting across those speaking on the show and not allowing them to fully express their views, but rather wishing to impact his unfactual views on the listeners in breach of provision of sections 39 (1) (a), (b) and (d) of the Broadcasting Act 2009.

Please provide a timely response to my serious complaint.

Yours sincerely,

(Name with Editor)

Broadcaster’s response:

On Mon, 23 Aug 2021 <complaints@rte.ie> wrote:

Dear ____

I refer to your email below regarding Liveline on RTÉ Radio 1 on August 18th 2021.

For the purposes of accuracy, the presenter’s name is Joe Duffy, not Joe Duffey.

Your email cites a number of Sections of the Broadcasting Act 2009.

Section 39 (1) (a) is concerned with news. Liveline is caller driven, magazine programme that covers a wide range of topics and issues. It is not news. Section 39 (1) (a) is therefore not applicable to this broadcast.

RTÉ will respond to your complaint under Section 39 (1) (b) and (d).

The programme in question focussed on an organisation called the “House of Prayer”. Family members of “House of Prayer” followers had contacted Liveline expressing concern about their loved ones’ decision not to take the Covid-19 vaccine based on the organisation’s teachings. The programme prompted supporters of the "House of

Prayer" to contact the show to give their views on the organisation and, in turn, their views on the Covid-19 vaccine programme. RTÉ categorically rejects your assertion that the presenter made misleading statements or statements that were not factual.

In circumstances where some people seek to spread doubt or misinformation about the status and efficacy of vaccines there is an onus on broadcasters to set the record straight. RTÉ and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland follow a stated principle where we give due weight and due regard to the consensus of contemporary scientific knowledge where that is appropriate.

The word “experiential” in the context of the current vaccine campaign did not feature in the programme as you assert. The presenter did however respond to a caller who labelled the vaccine “experimental”.

There is an overwhelming scientific and medical consensus that vaccines have been properly and appropriately approved for use by international bodies and our own national public health authorities. That is a fact. The European Medicines Agency states:

“A conditional marketing authorisation is one of EU’s regulatory mechanisms for facilitating early access to medicines that fulfil an unmet medical need, including in emergency situations such as the current pandemic. A conditional marketing authorisation is a formal authorisation of the vaccine, covering all batches produced for the EU and providing a robust assessment to underpin vaccination campaigns.”

The presenter was entirely correct in his response. He challenged the callers robustly and fairly and acted appropriately at all times.

There was no breach of Section 39 (1) (b) or (d).

Your complaint is rejected.

If any member of the public is of the opinion that a programme or segment of a programme broadcast on RTÉ has breached a provision of Section 39(1)(a), (b), (d) or (e) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 or failed to comply with a provision of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland Codes and is not satisfied with RTÉ’s response they are entitled to make a complaint to the BAI. Information on codes and on the complaints procedure can be found on the BAI website at http://www.bai.ie/en/viewers-listeners/complaints/

Yours Sincerely

Rebecca Meehan

Series Producer

*Warm thanks to those that support of this work, it is much appreciated.

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Body Language - excessive blinking