Is wealth alone enough to make the news?

SOMETIMES while watching the RTÉ news I find myself asking “why was that worthy of my attention?” The latest example was on last Sunday night when Declan Ganley of Libertas hosted a press event for Ulick McEvaddy. Surely, I thought, these gentlemen represent a body of opinion such as a trade union, chamber of commerce or political party, but apparently not.

It seemed to me that because of their wealth they were somehow entitled to air their individual views on the Lisbon treaty and that our national broadcaster saw fit to agree their opinion was important enough for me to know about it.

It was a poor choice for a ‘news story’ on a day when the Pope, visiting America, spoke of power being held by too few. The day when wealth and privilege determine the importance of one view over another will be a sad one indeed. Who is Ulick McEvaddy and why does RTÉ deem it important for me to know what he thinks?