Let’s reverse the news agenda

THANK God for Pádraig Harrington. Just when we seemed destined to drown in a tsunami of miserable news about recession, shootings in Dublin and the Lisbon Treaty, it’s good to see the Irish media finally realising that good news — especially sports news — is indeed newsworthy.

Speaking on radio recently, the editor of a Sunday paper defended the media’s over-reliance on bad news to sell papers by declaring that “unusual” events are those most in demand from readers.

But what is unusual about a shooting in our capital’s inner city or a fatal accident overnight? Unfortunately, such news is no longer unusual and, frankly, it is becoming as dull to many of us as reports from courts and tribunals — the other staples of our typical news diet.

Harrington’s win last Sunday was both unusual and unprecedented and a moment to savour for a nation short of good news.

But so too was Paul Hession’s recent 100-metre run, which was the fastest time ever recorded on Irish soil. Hession’s achievement went virtually unnoticed, as did Usain Bolt’s 100m world record a week earlier. That’s right, a man ran faster than any human being ever recorded before and it was deemed worthy of less than a few lines or seconds of airtime. When we lament the stabbings, shootings and other despicable crimes carried out by young people in this country, we ought to reflect on the conclusions they have drawn from Irish news content. There was a time when the best way to make a mark in this country was to achieve excellence in a given field. In that case, our Paul Hessions, Joe Cannings, Pádraig Harringtons and their international peers would see their genius and the fruits of their endeavours celebrated on front pages far more regularly.

Sadly, breaking the law — especially in a tragic way — appears the best option for young people to make their mark today. That is a pity. We should consider the joyous response to our sporting triumphs and their impact, and seriously rethink our bad news/good news ratio.

Next month’s Olympics, when Michael Phelps is aiming for an incredible eight swimming gold medals and many outstanding Irish competitors are set to make their mark, would be an ideal place to proclaim more of the good (and genuinely unusual) news. Who knows, you might even sell more newspapers.

Seamus Lynch

Poulnabanny

Athenry

Co Galway