In his 15 months as Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan has demonstrated a consistent preference for speaking first and thinking later. The Minister appears to believe himself to be a straight talker and teller of hard truths. In fact, his repeated interventions reveal a man too often poorly briefed on the limits of his own powers.
Those shortcomings have been glaringly apparent in the most sensitive area of O’Donovan’s brief, the Government’s relationship with the media. His department has oversight of public service broadcasting as well as responsibility for Coimisiún na Meán, the independent regulatory body for broadcasting and online media.
In interviews on Monday, O’Donovan described RTÉ’s coverage of the fuel protests as “lopsided” and suggested that a news report from the Whitegate oil refinery had functioned as a rallying call for protesters. He then went further, announcing that he would ask Coimisiún na Meán to review the coverage of RTÉ and other news organisations.
It is bad enough that the Minister appears to believe it appropriate for someone in his position to pass public judgment on the editorial decisions of independent media. Far worse was his stated intention to direct Coimisiún na Meán to scrutinise coverage he has deemed unsatisfactory. There is no statutory basis for such an instruction.
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Bizarrely, O’Donovan drew a parallel between the relationships of the Ministers for Justice and Defence with the Garda and the Defence Forces and his own department’s relationship with the media regulator.
Either O’Donovan intends to misuse the power of his office to interfere in the regulation of the media or his fondness for glib reactions got the better of his understanding of the independent status of Coimisiún na Meán. Neither option is acceptable.
The Minister has now withdrawn his demand for a review. But he should acknowledge his original comments were wrong. If he does not, it will be clear he has neither the temperament nor the competence his office demands.
