Ireland’s political campaigns are stuck in the Dark Ages

Politicians in the United States and UK are reshaping how they interact with the public through social media. Their Irish counterparts however, are deeply rooted in the traditions of the past.

Hilary Clinton launched her campaign this week with a minimum of fuss, no media circus nor circling of PR heavyweights. It boiled down to a tweet and a YouTube clip.

On the surface the campaign appeared to be missing the usual political fan fare, but behind the scenes a social media blitz went into overdrive.

Is Ireland’s Traditional Media Doomed to Fail?

Is Ireland’s Traditional Media Destined for Failure?

2015 is shaping up as a landmark year for Ireland’s media. But have the aging contenders fallen too far behind the play to keep up?

RTE’s Brian Dobson stated that it was a potent mix of “risk and ratings” that saw our national broadcaster “devour good editorial practice.” This ‘slip’ ended in the Fr Reynolds’ libel case while also igniting the largest crisis of conscience that RTE has ever witnessed.

Dobson cites the broadcaster’s appetite for “edgy” journalism as the problem, and they’re not alone in this boat. All traditional media are competing to win the consumer amid the boom in digital media. And, just like fathers trying to act hip at their teenager’s party, it can be awkward to watch.

If it’s tough to survive as a broadcaster right now, it’s much worse off in print media land. Ireland’s major newspapers are adopting an ‘evolve or die’ approach to avoid losing it all.

A Seismic Shift in Irish Politics

Big changes are happening in Irish politics and new party leader Lucinda Creighton is feeling the effects.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been the two leading parties in the Irish political arena since the very formation of the State, but that is about to change. Sinn Fein is raring to disrupt the duopoly and bring genuine change and choice to Ireland. The party is intent on bringing in a new era, an era in which a real choice between the left and the middle right exists. Naturally this is not going to be a smooth transition, and the elections due next year are bound to be interesting. The top dogs will fight tooth and nail to ward off Sinn Fein’s unwelcome advance and there may be substantial collateral damage involved.

Time for Ireland to Thrive, Without Multinational Imperialism

Ireland finally has an opportunity to take an independent stand in the global business sector.

For hundreds of years the Irish have been bowing at the feet of others, more specifically the English and the Church. Even the Celtic Tiger can be partly ascribed to foreign nationals boosting economic development. Ireland struggled economically for so many decades after the formation of the State, a mentality of defeatism and resentment of the success of others took root. While our fortunes were transformed during the economic boom, the recession saw a return to this old mentality. And even now with the economy blossoming strongly after the recession, the mentality of many Irish people is often stuck way in the past.

An Undesirable Environment for Irish Entrepreneurs

According to U2 frontman Bono, if you compare the reactions of fans in the US and in Ireland the difference is staggering. Americans would look at a person’s success and strive to emulate it, whereas the Irish would react with derision and resentment towards such success. The Irish culture has a strange tendency to treat accomplishment with suspicion and failure with scorn; no wonder for years we failed to develop a nurturing environment for entrepreneurs.

 

Suarez Brand to Take Greater Bite of the Market

Having his reputation torn to shreds by the media is not expected to hurt Luis Suarez’s popularity among publishers, still hoping to associate themselves with one of the most infamous figures in sport, writes Paul Allen.

His reputation off the football field might be in tatters, but Luis Suarez is still in high demand among companies clamoring to be associated with one of the hottest, if not controversial, sporting figures in the world.

If you gave Alf-Inge Håland the choice of tangling with Suarez or Roy Keane on the field, you wouldn’t have to wait long for an answer.