Media reporting of Iraqi war is unbalanced
The garda estimate of the crowd at the Dublin anti-war protest on March 29 was 8,000 but RTÉ reported it as 20,000 which exactly matches the estimate that the organisers said would turn up. TV3 reported the Garda estimate. Perhaps RTÉ has now allocated staff to counting crowd numbers.
RTÉ has carried on their bias even since the Coalition forces have been victorious.
On the Questions and Answers programme on last Monday, the panel was going to consist of all anti-war participants.
The Iraq Human Rights group had complained that the panel was biased as it did not contain anyone who was in favour of the war in Iraq. Faiah Hassam, the group’s spokesman, said he had earlier sought a place on the panel but was refused it.
The group had to stage a demonstration outside RTÉ on Monday night before they were offered representation on the panel of Questions and Answers.
Shortly before the programme got underway, it was agreed that Mr Hassam could be a panellist on the show.
A Questions and Answers spokeswoman said the programme tried to provide a balance of opinions and as broad a range of views as possible. They go a funny way about it if you ask me.
Loretta O’Connor,
54, Halldene Grove,
Bishopstown,
Cork.
