Are you interested in one week's work placement in The Irish Times? Transition Year students can learn first-hand about the workings of this newspaper if their submission is published in Media Scope's weekly Over to You column. Just send us a 200-word piece on a media-related topic.
Aine Humphreys, Loreto Secondary School, Foxrock, Dublin
As the new millennium dawns, I am shocked and appalled at what little advances have been made in certain areas of Irish society. We have fought a famine and created a roaring Celtic tiger, but in one particular area we are seriously lacking.
Recently, my physically challenged sister and I took a trip into Dublin city. We were not able to avail of the bus service, as the steps on the bus were too high and I could not alone lift her wheelchair aboard. We were forced to rely on a lift - often the only option open for physically disabled people. This then encourages dependence.
We decided to shop on Grafton Street. We became increasingly disillusioned as we travelled down the street at the lack of "disabled friendly" shops - due to steps and inadequate walkways between clothes racks. Not only did these poor facilities anger us, but also people's neolithic attitudes of staring, pointing and pitying the disabled enraged us. Disabled people are made to feel inferior by people's ignorance. The Irish are described as a warm people, but when it comes to the disabled there is a certain chill.
Aodhan O'Donnell, Cross and Passion College, Kilcullen, Co Kildare
Not only do tabloid newspapers lack quantity of material and facts, but they also lack a thing called quality. Somehow, tabloids manage to turn a molehill into a mountain and vice versa in a single paragraph.
Tabloids seem to bank on one strategy: print a huge headline and about three sentences of "true" scandals. If you're a regular reader of The Irish Times you're probably asking yourself why tabloids sell; so in the classic style of tabloids I'll answer the question with two words: It Works.
Why does it work? Because tabloid newspapers give people exactly what they want to read. Giving people exactly what they want to read while keeping your facts straight is practically impossible. So the newspaper becomes none other than "gutter press".
What amazes me most about tabloids is their ability to label somebody in fewer than 50 words - no, sorry, that's a slight overstatement. Make that "their ability to label somebody in two words", i.e. Stephen Gately - "I'm Gay". The effect of that was for Stephen Gately to be judged by everyone who even saw the headline.
Write to media scope by posting your comments to Newspaper in the Classroom, The Irish Times, 11-16 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2, or faxing them to (01) 679 2789. Be sure to include your name, address and school, plus phone numbers for home and school. Or you can use the Internet and e-mail us at mediapage@irishtimes.ie
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media scope is a weekly media studies page for use in schools. Group rates and a special worksheet service (see `faxback', right) are available: FREEPHONE 1800-798884.
media scope is edited by Harry Browne.
