We must be prepared to fund a free, fair press
A day-long symposium organised by the Institute for Future Journalism and Media (FuJo) at Dublin City University last week made the case that it is time for Ireland to consider significantly enhanced levels of public funding for all Irish media — public, private and community — if they are to perform their basic functions in underpinning democracy in Ireland.
The event, Public Funding of Private Media, heard Prof Steven Barnett of the University of Westminster remind the audience of media practitioners, regulators, and academics of the four key functions performed by journalism:
