Public debate: NI- New Politics, New Media

Am speaking in Dublin tonight at a debate organised by the SDLP Group in the capital on “NI- New Politics, New Media”.

This will be an opportunity to look at the changing relationship between politics and the media, the experience of reporting on politics in the North and the challenges the SDLP faces in getting its message across.

Its taking place at European Union House 18 Dawson St, Dublin 2 tonight between 7pm and 8.30pm

Joining me on the panel are:
Tom Savage: Chairman of the RTE Authority, leading broadcaster, producer and communications and public relations expert.
Deaglán de Bréadún:  Political Correspondent and former Northern Ireland Editor, Irish Times.   Author of ‘The Far Side of Revenge’, a history of the Peace Process

So which is the real story?

Brian Cowen met Martin McGuinness yesterday. Afterwards as Eamonn Mallie reports on Slugger the North’s Deputy First Miniter said:

“The Taoiseach and I agreed that there can be no pre-conditions on the transfer of policing and justice powers. What is required is a date to be agreed prior to Christmas for the transfer to take place and to take effect early in the New Year.“

Interestingly no other outlet appears to have picked up on these remarks. The Irish Times website for example reports that after a special cabinet meeting Mr Cowen said it is up to religious organisations and their members to determine the “appropriateness” of individuals to hold ecclesiastical office.

Many will be bemused that Mr McGuinness is now speaking for the Taoiseach.

South of the border it is clear that there is little interest in the latest DUP - Sinn Fein spat. Child abuse and the recession are what most Irish people seem concerned about.

This is something SF should factor into their thinking as they load up for another round of russian roulette with the political process.  Part of the reason we are in this pickle is because they allowed the DUP to introduce new preconditions to the devolution of policing and justice last year.

Better to stop digging, take a rest and have a think, when the hole just keeps getting deeper.

Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil

The conspiracy of silence and inaction which took place in the Catholic Church disclosed on Thursday is best summed up in yesterday’s Irish Times cartoon. The three; the Garda, the bishop and the state playing the role of the famous monkeys of eastern legend.

Today our nation has been found wanting. As the bishop of Down and Connor put it on BBC last night it leaves us all feeling sick to the bottom of our stomachs. Fr Tim Bartletts claim that he would not have been able to hold himself back had one of those priests touched one of his nieces or nephews reminds us also that in today’s church their are good people who know the future must be a very different place.

Too late for many, but at least the spotlight of disclosure is now shining in some very dark corners of our island. Accountability must now follow.

Diarmuid Martin, the Archbishop of Dublin may well turn out to be the saviour of the Irish church. His unwillingness to continue the conspiracy of silence has brought about this watershed. Will his fellow bishops follow?

Justice has always been at the heart of Irish Catholicism.

Now is the time for the church and state to show that justice is the future.

33 & A Third RPM

Double gold for Weber Shandwick

Weber Shandwick won two golds last night at the Northern Ireland PRide Awards.

Our campaign to increase voter registration for the Electoral Commission won gold in media relations. Our Uganda Schools Project for Rushmere shopping Centre also took the top prize in CSR.

Border war

According to ‘Shane from Dublin’ who texted Today FM’s breakfast show this morning people should not be spending their money in a ‘foreign country’. I take it he means the North. Indeed another jurisdiction, but is it a foreign country?

Short answer to that is NO.

Hume used to say the border was in peoples minds. Its now clearly in their pockets. But lets get real. Its not unpatriotic to shop in another part of Ireland no more then its unpatriotic to cross a state line the United States.

Obama rating holds up

President Barack Ob, ama’s job performance rating is holding steady at 49% in the most recent Zogby Interactive survey, and nearly half of likely voters say recent US  election results shouldn’t be used to draw conclusions about the President’s popularity or what may happen in the 2010 election.  John Zogby will be in Belfast next month to deliver the DIVA lecture at the University of Ulster.

Forty-seven percent of likely voters say the Nov. 3 election is largely about local and statewide affairs, and people should not try to draw conclusions about the 2010 elections and President Obama’s popularity from the results. But nearly as many (41%) believe that if one party did particularly well, it will be an important indicator about how the 2010 elections will turn out and will serve as a guide to the voters’ perception of President Obama’s first year in office. The vast majority of Republicans (72%) believe last week’s election may foreshadow the results in 2010, while most Democrats (77%) don’t think conclusions can be drawn from the results. The Zogby Interactive survey of 2,293 likely voters nationwide found 49% approving of Obama’s job performance, 51% disapproving and <1% undecided.

The survey was conducted Nov. 4-6, 2009, and carries a margin of error of +/- 2.1 percentage points. Pollster John Zogby: “Inside this poll are warning signs for the President – especially that his numbers are not what they need to be among his base including First GlobalsTM, African Americans, and Democrats. Given his drop among independents, who our polling finds include many conservatives, the President has little slack to give from his base.” This interactive survey, conducted by Zogby International, has a sample size of 2,293 likely voters nationwide. A sampling of Zogby International’s online panel, which is representative of the adult population of the US, was invited to participate. Slight weights were added region, party, age, race, religion, gender, education to more accurately reflect the population. The margin of error is +/- 2.1 percentage points. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups.

Facebook closes down hate page

Facebook has shut down the hate group we highlighted this morning on O’Conall Street.

According to the BBC:

When contacted, Facebook said the page had been removed from their site.

A spokeswoman for the company said they had taken the incident “especially seriously because there was a direct call for violence”.

“We want Facebook to be a place where people can openly discuss issues and express their views, while respecting the rights and feelings of others.

“This group violates our terms and so it has been removed,” she said

Thanks to everyone who reported the site and hat tip to Facebook for the prompt action.

New NI online hate group emerges on Facebook

A new Northern Ireland hate group has emerged on Facebook. The work of what appears to be a sad group of students, it was created last week and targets young Romanian women who sell roses in Belfast city centre.

The racist group, entitled ‘abusing Belfast rose sellers’ has already attracted 343 members from both sides of the traditional divide in this region. Its comment zone is full of hateful comments.

An ‘Alistair Frew‘ wrote; 

“ Loving this i fuking hate the bastards im going to get a big bag of coppers and throw them at them someday…. Unfortunately im in london admo so ill have to make do with throwing them at asian rose sellers….. its just not the same…….”

Kyle Burnside contributes;

“ if you talk to them in a borat accent and pretend that they’re jews its quite effective.”

Then there is Jordan Patrick Ryles who says;

 “they always pester me outside of limelight. the best thing i seen though when they where there was a tramp who came over with a trolley full of random shit and a sign saying “fuck the rose sellers, buy random shit from me instead” hah! fucking hilarious”

Another comment came from Andy Stewart who wrote:

“my mate actually pissed on one while we distracted her..she wasnt a happy romanian..”

Time for the Assembly to look into online bulling and hate me thinks.

Palintology 2012 – The new President

The Saturday Night Live crew have been imagining a Sarah Palin Presidency. It’s well worth the watch.