Sir, - The stories we tell about ourselves do matter. They are a huge part of our culture and they help us to shape our vision of the world around us, our sense of ourselves, and our ability to grow as individuals and as a society. Today media makers are important storytellers and public service broadcasters hold special responsibilities in society. In the digital age the potential for enriching these stories is enormous. We need to focus on and celebrate what is unique about being Irish, and to inform ourselves about what is happening in the wider world in ways that touch us and empower us to cope and do better. Television, particularly digital television, combined with interactive media have the power to do this.
Riverdance, in its time, was not just a magnificent piece of television, it was a vibrant symbol of a people coming of age in confidence and beauty. The old oppressed withdrawn image of Irish dancing was gone, replaced by men and women proudly dancing with fire and joy in their souls, smiling the smile of dancers in touch with the dance. The treatment and camera work was daring, deft and decided, mirroring the rhythm and spirit of the dance. The pride of the dancers, the television crew and audience was gigantic and it created a huge wave of national pride. Television has the power to do that.
Today we have a vibrant economy, work is pervasive and lifestyles within our society are changing rapidly. More than ever, we need to be telling and to be hearing stories which bring us joy, fun, enlightenment, compassion, and the skills to cope within this new society. I believe many people, particularly young people, are searching for a medium to bring these values and skills to them.
I believe there is a hunger in our society for media which can enlighten us and empower us. As a mother of two children, and as a broadcasting professional with a special interest in the area of children's and educational programming, I know that some of the strongest criticisms the public can level at programmes for young people are the dangers of its passivity and its lack of Irish identity.
I know also that the appropriate development of digital TV combined with other interactive media have the potential to turn this perception on its head and provide a medium which is truly interactive, educational, exciting, and truly Irish - it will be anything but passive. By focusing on content which empowers us and helps us to grow in skills and in compassion public service broadcasting can truly serve future generations of Irish people.
The Treaty of Amsterdam, designed to unite Europe, recognises that each country has a responsibility to protect and enhance its own cultural identity. If our Irish culture is not to be dispossessed, and if it is to embrace knowledge from the wider world in a way that nourishes us, we need to focus on our true best interests as a society.
If it is now time for the maturation of the Irish spirit to be fully expressed, we need now to focus on what gives us joy, enlightenment and empowerment to grow as a society. If we dance only through our economy, we will not smile the smile of those in touch with the dance, and once again we will see the oppressed taut faces and the expressionless spiritless bodies. It is in this deep sense that the stories we tell, and how we tell them, do really matter in our society. Charlie Bird has asked for a proper debate. I ask simply that we start at the beginning and define what it is we want public service broadcasting to do. - Yours, etc.,
Anne Marie Kerney, Stillorgan, Co Dublin.