“The ideological compass in Northern Ireland is pointing towards Narnia and the media are writing the script”

A highly insightful piece reported by Alan in Belfast over on Slugger O'Toole about Northern Ireland's media (a subject which has been touched on here many times over the years). Click here. It summarises a speech by Brian McDermott at the Workers Party conference in Belfast yesterday. An audio recording of the speech is on that same page.

'...and “audience figures” are what obsesses “media people” here in Northern Ireland, not “informing people, developing arguments or analysing the society we live in...'

A few weeks ago a friend who works in the NI media summarised that, regrettably, most people in that sector have 'a kind of well-heeled disdain' for tradition and ordinary things.

Brian McDermott's speech focuses on radio, and so would be interesting for him to expand the theme onto tv, print and online. And full credit to Alan for his work in regularly reporting events which are seldom, if ever, covered in the mainstream media.

(thanks to Michael for tipping me off about this)