I was rather upset for having overlooked the RTÉ One O’Clock News last Thursday, primarily due to my inability to catch Eileen Whelan, who serves, in my routine, as a beacon for internal harmony and productivity. This lapse meant I was deprived of watching a humour-streaked live bullet while it was happening over linear television, and I was obliged to watch a condensed version of it later, like the rest of the greater digital crowd.
Paschal Sheehy, the southern editor of RTÉ News, graciously added vibrance on the fifth day of the European Parliament tallying held at the Nemo Rangers GAA club in Cork. With the next count outcome predicted to be announced in a while, he amusingly remarked that the sandwiches, brought by “[Fianna Fáil candidate] Billy Kelleher’s team”, were gaining more curiosity at the moment than voting distribution regarding a dropped candidate.
Sheehy, who was amusingly distanced from the sandwiches, astutely demonstrated the challenges of live broadcasting, with a spontaneous smirk on his face. Despite Eileen’s wishful thinking that a sandwich would be reserved for him, he wasn’t particularly convinced. But on returning from an update session, the western correspondent Pat McGrath, whose hunger was piqued, bid a prompt farewell, and Sheehy appeared chuffed with his sandwich.
And in triumph, he articulated to Eileen, “I have scored,” expressing a joy that only food can inspire. Meanwhile, the very professional Whelan managed to shift from congratulating her recently fed counterpart to a stern demeanor as she moved on to the succeeding news clip about Enoch Burke losing his lawsuit against the Sunday Independent’s publisher.
Sheehy’s feat of the interchangeable sandwich and its online propagation by RTÉ sparked my recollection when I received an advance version of the globally focussed digital news report by Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. In Ireland, one central finding is an increase in trust for RTÉ News. Derived from a poll of over 2,000 participants conducted this year, it was found that RTÉ accredits trust from 72.4% of news consumers, a slight increase of 1 per cent from last year’s results.
The well-regarded DCU’s Institute of Future Media, Democracy and Society (FuJo) commented on the remarkable performance by RTÉ, particularly given the year-long corporate management scandal the broadcaster has faced. Hence, it seems the company’s reputation remains untarnished – RTÉ stands as the most credible news establishment in Ireland. This is a vital point to bear in mind amidst the ever-increasing digital chatter. Established news entities enjoy respect in communities across Ireland where a premium is placed on stringent editorial standards.
A noteworthy finding was that the internet superseded the television for the primary news source, albeit by a negligible 2% margin. However, the sampling method for the survey being digital can skew data by underrepresenting traditional mediums. Nevertheless, the potential for digital content circulation amplifies RTÉ’s visibility.
Survey respondents’ were also probed on the role of news in their lives, 43% responded that news being amusing was “essential” or “somewhat significant” marking a lower figure compared to 75% who felt the primary role of news was to keep them informed on current affairs or even the 52% who felt it crucial for the news to connect them with societal trends.
The global report from the Reuters Institute further addresses the subject, studying ‘consumer requirements’ in correlation to news. My sentiment coincides with this precisely. I don’t think news necessarily has to be entertaining. Yet, when it somehow miraculously succeeds in doing so, it’s laudable. The surprising bursts of human touch in the historically rigid genre of television news and the respite of brief levity amidst a world full of suffering and despair are indeed what make such moments memorable.
In the Reuters Institute’s global study, when looking at ‘user needs’, the top call is ‘update me’, significant for 72% of users, and ‘divert me’ ranks the lowest with a 47% rating. The authors warn that the diversions might be far more impactful for people’s lives in general but are just not necessarily anticipated from news media.
These arguments are reasonable. However, ‘news’ as we know cannot be viewed in isolation. It encompasses a broader range of the attention market where lack of engagement is penalised. It would be strange indeed if a news ‘package’, like a TV bulletin or a newspaper, was inflexibly monotonous and machine-like, especially with AI-generated content on the horizon, it could prove counterintuitive.
Certainly the casual bantering seen on some US news networks may be too much. Constant, forced humour would seem out of place and bizarre. However, a dash of personality can do wonders – rather like the spice in a sandwich.