Irish Examiner view: Journalism matters now more than ever

Marian Finucane remembered, one year on

The first anniversary of broadcaster Marian Finucane’s death on January 2 will be followed two days later by a documentary on RTÉ remembering the journalist’s life and work.

It is an ideal time to recall one of Ireland’s most gifted broadcasters, not least because her empathy, professionalism, and first-rate journalism are missed by so many, though Brendan O’Connor is proving a worthy successor on her weekend radio show. 

She is rightly remembered as a trailblazer who charted social change in Irish life with integrity, skill, doggedness, and, above all, fairness. 

The importance of those attributes and the need for good journalism have never been more important at a time when fake news and groundless clickbait continue to flood our social media channels.

It has been an exceptionally difficult year for media outlets, many of which — including this newspaper — continue to bring news to their readers, viewers, and listeners from make-shift home offices. 

In the year ahead, accurate news from trusted sources will continue to play a vital role in dispelling the corrosive force of misinformation.

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