The media campaign against Sinn Fein

Posted by Jim on February 27, 2016

By Oliver Callan (for the Irish Sun)

The TV and radio blackout on election coverage began with the start of
the loftily-worded “moratorium” period. It sounds like a room where the
news goes to die.

It’s a fitting image of an election where sheep-minded media put
fairness and objectivity through a meat grinder.

Coverage has whinged about how ‘boring’ the election has been, as if it
isn’t the media’s job to make it interesting.

Despite a dull campaign, the results promise to be the most dramatic for
decades. A hung Dail beckons, star names will fall and previously
peripheral entities like Sinn Fein and Independents will win big.

While everyone in the media failed to predict the FG-FF alliance now
expected, it has been a dreadful election for journalism in worse ways.

The most alarming feature has been the ferocious campaign against Sinn
Fein. The State has never witnessed such a biased agenda across all
media organisations against a political party.

Broadsheet newspapers were the worst offenders, with constant attacks on
Adams, Mary Lou McDonald and the party’s policy on crime and the Special
Criminal Court. Editorialising adjectives including “embarrassing”,
“under pressure” and “biggest loser” were used in headlines.

In one article, a headline suggested Sinn Fein was in trouble in its
stronghold of Donegal, with Fianna Fail set to beat them. When you got
into the piece, it turned out both parties were on identical poll
figures. Similarly, a newspaper reported Leo Varadkar was on course to
top the poll in Dublin West, ignoring that Sinn Fein candidate Paul
Donnelly had the same opinion poll rating.

At best, subjective opinions on Adams’ performance in debates and
interviews were passed off as hard news.

At worst, the outburst of gangland crime in Dublin was directly linked
to the party. Some commentary suggested a vote for Sinn Fein was a vote
for drug dealers. Another Sunday newspaper report on Mary Lou was filled
with such scathing anti-Sinn Fein sentiment, it bordered on sexism.

Reports on the final leaders’ debate on Tuesday night focussed again on
Adams having an “uncomfortable night”. Enda Kenny’s bombshell that he
made the Minister for Arts appoint the man at the centre of a cronyism
row two years ago wasn’t highlighted comparatively.

Gerry’s poor grasp of economic policies was again underlined by
journalists who appear to consider the Taoiseach’s shaky knowledge of
economics less important.

A detailed analysis of the anti-Sinn Fein editorialising over the past
three weeks would make a very interesting thesis for any media students.
It had a significant negative effect on opinion polls.

The party was slow to take issue with bias until its poll numbers were
hit. Even then it only focussed its ire on RTE.

Claims that the Taoiseach got softer treatment are untrue. That Enda
looked unruffled by interrogations gave the appearance of an easy ride.

It’s just impossible to grill someone who prepares for interviews like
it’s a Junior Cert Irish Oral. No matter what Dobbo or Sean O’Rourke or
Miriam asked him, Enda had his “bhi me ar mo laethanta saoire” stock
answer ready. There is no doubt anyone who even suggests Sinn Fein have
been badly treated leaves themselves open to accusations of being a
closet Shinner.

Let me be clear, there is no whiff of diesel from my clothes and I have
no agenda for or against any political party. As a former student of
journalism and its ethics, I have merely watched this campaign with
dismay.

In Northern Ireland, the most conservative unionists with deep personal
reasons to loathe Sinn Fein have shared power with ex-Provos. Do we so
revere the offices in the Republic held by flawed men such as Haughey
that a Shinner is not worthy?

The media class has a sneering attitude that those who vote for Adams’
party are more ill-informed than the average centre-right FF/FG voter.
There is also a seldom-challenged view that Adams is a liability for the
party on the canvass, which has zero basis in fact.

Despite these sheep-like views, support for Sinn Fein has grown in every
election since the 1990s. Electoral success came even though there is no
other party leader subjected so intensely to the same repeated
questioning quite like Adams.

If most believe that Sinn Fein and the IRA were one and the same, then
why obsess over which organisation Gerry says he was a member of?
Everyone knows he cannot say he was an IRA commander as it would leave
him open to prosecution.

There is an argument that Sinn Fein might do better if Adams retired but
it is doubtful Pearse Doherty or Mary Lou would get better treatment.

Adams’ major achievement in bringing radical elements of Republicanism
into the peace process will never be acknowledged by the present media,
even in death. However, history will remember him long after the scant
achievements of Enda, Joan or Micheal are long gone.

For now, one of the big stories from Election 2016 will be the
incredible rise of Adams’ party from one TD in 1997 to more than 20
after tomorrow.

The future of the print journalism that so despises the party is in
serious peril, but Sinn Fein isn’t going away you know.