Media and Politics in Ireland

 

    Ireland has a very interesting dynamic when it comes to mass media and politics. Due to their smaller stature and population, the scale of news channels is limited' however, they provide proper information to the public in order for the citizens to stay up to date on important events and news taking place, as well as free and easy social media platforms for citizens, politicians, and the mass media to interact. Studies have shown that UK based print and media outlets are heavily viewed throughout Ireland and provide the public with the vast majority of information. In television alone throughout Ireland, Irish-based television stations, the public and private stations all combined only account to, "47.5%" of what the viewers are watching (Flynn). That being said, studies have shown that the radio stations remain predominantly Irish when it comes to the ownership as well as the content.

  

    One factor that Ireland has repeatedly faced is the challenges revolved media pluralism, which describes when there is a vast range and diversity throughout the media outlets, as well as the perspectives of the public. While a certain degree of media pluralism is good in order to create different outlets that provide different perspectives or keep one another in line in order to allow the public with different outlets, there is a fine line when it could possibly become too much. Ireland, as well as the European Union as a whole, has employed a research tool known as the Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM), in order to monitor, better understand, and possibly mitigate the patterns and impacts that media pluralism has on a state in relation to the interconnectedness of mass media and politics.

    

    The ability for the Media Pluralism Monitor to detect possible risks surrounding media pluralism is extremely important. It monitors four main areas that represent, "the main areas of risk for media pluralism and media freedom: Basic Protection, Market Plurality, Political Independence and Social Inclusiveness," (Flynn). These are extremely important factors that have the power to dictate several different areas of concern. It will be interesting to see how this research tool will be used and how much it will assist Ireland in order to provide the more informed, nonbiased news to the public.

Flynn, R. (2017, July 12). Ireland. Centre for Media Pluralism and Freedom. https://cmpf.eui.eu/media-pluralism-monitor/mpm-2016-results/ireland/