Madam, – Orna Mulcahy’s article (Opinion, February 26th), which she rounds off with “teach our teenagers some respect and manners”, slots neatly into a long tradition of sensationalist journalism which deplores the young. It is, however, sweeping, using only one specific instance to substantiate its supposed argument and not accurate.
Irish post-primary teachers are, on average, those who spend the most time with Irish teenagers outside of the home and the immediate peer group. They will testify that most teenagers are doing their best. Little is done in Ireland to properly facilitate the young, including providing accurate journalism which moves beyond mentioning only those teenagers who either excel at exams and sport, or who get criminal convictions.
Sensational journalism has a responsibility for feeding negative and wrong stereotypes which, in turn, suit those who like to target easy groups – like the young – rather than deal with the real delinquents in Ireland today. In reply to the article itself, it is not only teenagers who need to learn some respect and manners. – Yours, etc,