TAOISEACH ENDA KENNY has called for greater coverage of Brussels in the media, saying the public isn’t engaged with events in Europe.
He also said there should be more “feel good news” on the airwaves.
Speaking today at the Radiodays Conference held at the National Convention Centre in Dublin, Kenny said that Irish public is more aware of European affairs than other Member States due to the number of past referendums that “fundamentally transformed” the county.
Kenny noted that in other countries without this process, the general public might not be as educated on the internal workings of the Union.
“For too many people, their engagement with our European Union lasts as long as the flash photography at a Brussels summit”, he said.
Therefore we need more coverage of the engaging news of Europe
“Good and engaging news of our countries and our communities doing business together. Of reading each other’s literature. Of watching each other’s plays. Of playing and listening to each other’s music. On the airways the strange, magnificence of The Gloaming scouring the great European cities.”
Good news
The Taoiseach also said that although “bad news sells”, there should be more good news in the media.
He said that people were overwhelmed by “bad news about banks and bailouts”.
“Feel-good news is very much serious news”, the Taoiseach noted, “if lifts and sustains us”, and can be achieved without being “ludicrously sweet”.
Arriving at the conference, Kenny declined to answer questions from the media on the controversy surrounding the Garda Commissioner.
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