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IRISH RADIO CONTINUES to be dominated by men, with female voices making up an average of only 28% of broadcasting time on current affairs shows, according to a new report.
The study found that Newstalk programmes are the least gender balanced, with 82% of the station’s airtime being taken up by men, compared to 18% for women.
Today FM fills 70% of interviews with male voices and 30% with female, while RTÉ Radio 1 broadcasting time breaks down 63% male and 37% female.
The study, by the National Women’s Council of Ireland and Dublin City University, monitored gender balances across news and current affairs programmes for three weeks.
Newstalk’s Talking Point with Sarah Carey had the highest proportion of female voices, at 55%.
The worst offender was RTÉ’s This Week, with 90.5% male voices, followed by Newstalk Breakfast, Down to Business, The Right Hook and The Pat Kenny Show.
Experts
The report also found that male experts fill up a disproportionate amount of broadcasting time across all three stations studied.
Between 78% and 85% of on-air experts are male, accounting for an average of 73% of political voices, 80% of economics experts and 85% of speakers on science or technology.
Women are also spoken about less frequently, making up an average of only 38% of news subjects on all shows – 33% on RTÉ Radio 1, 30% on Today FM and 27% on Newstalk.
The study recommends that programmes undertake gender reviews as part of their weekly and monthly reviews, and appoint individuals to monitor gender breakdown and ensure at least 30% of on-air voices are female.
It also calls on stations to add more female experts to contact databases and set minimum targets in relation to gender roles.
Read the full report here.
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open the comments. on maria cahill ffs
Why no comments allowed Journal ?
Controlled by the fg/labour clap trap sure
Presumably because none of the Journal’s readers have a vote in the by-election and she’s only talking to the people that matter… not the little people. No proles allowed to ask her why she was involved with an anti peace process group. Imagine Jerry Adams saying he was only in the ‘RA for a few hours and only attended a couple of meetings!
Also, what experience does she bring to the Seanad Industrial and Commercial Panel. Why not get John McNulty on that panel. At least he has experience running a business http://www.thejournal.ie/fine-gael-seanad-nominee-state-board-1685391-Sep2014/
At the risk of being accused of all sorts things but Mairia Cahill is a liar and has done a disservice to genuine victims of abuse.
Hugh has been ordered from fine gaels head office to censor and shut down all comments on maria Cahill!
Daisy she was only the Secretary of the RNU for a “few hours”, she was a member of the group for a lot longer than that. Some really interesting transcripts from the RNU meetings can be found on Twitter, Labour have really messed this one up.
Only no-one doubts she was abused Les, and that includes the SF leadership who have acknowledged that. She did a lot of damage to Adams and was directly responsible for his fall from grace as the most popular leader in the country to the least popular.
But yeh, she is self-serving, and hypocrite -she paints herself a victim, was a victim, yet had no problem aligning herself to a terrorist group that wanted others harmed in far worse ways than she was. So my sympathy doesn’t rest with her. And now she’s on the verge of becoming a Lab-rat.
Why are we not allowed comment on the Mairia Cahill story? The media refuse to talk about her past, she refuses to talk about her past and is on a media black out and now the Journal refuse to let us comment on this story. Democracy in Ireland 2015, what a countrv!
The story can’t be used to bash sinn féin that’s why.
Was going to ask that question myself.
It’s actually a blessing in disguise for SF, as FG and Labour have voted for an individual who was general secretary of the dissident anti GFA RNU only 5 years ago, into government. How can they criticize SF’s past without being showing up for complete hypocrites now?
Are there any actual journalists working in The Journal or are you all a shower of Government Puppets.. You are all a disgrace to your profession…
Ya got that right Cosmo!
Probally has a contract signed months ago, promising a seanad seat on the basis of slandering the opposition.plus legal protection to silence all enquires. Has any article on her been open to comment or has any conclusive evidence been presented to back her claims?
Delete the app if you’re unhappy with it. It’s not rocket science!
Bought and paid for!!!
Apart from Gemma o Doherty. There aren’t many professional trustworthy journalists left in Ireland! Most of them are connected to fianna fail or fine Gael in one way or the other.
Mikeconnor, Sam Smyth is a good honest journalist.
And sacked by denis o Brien, just like Gemma O Doherty!
Becoming annoying now this shite. Sorry but it is OTT.
Have a look at the graph. The most balanced is actually drivetime. The author chose the one with 55% female as ‘most balanced’. Oops
who knew that the Pat Kenny show was presented by a bloke?!
More equality day by day by day…
give us a break will ye.
More total BS. Why? because these figures don’t take audience reach into account. Mary Daly has the RTE news drivetime which has the highest listenership in the country at peak times.
Morning Ireland has gender balance and up to recently was primarily women.
Marian Finucane has the highest weekend listenership and is also the highest paid presenter in the country by a mile for hours worked.
Claire Byrne has the current affairs show on RTE and hot the job for no other reason than her gender.
Newstalk, when applying for its licence clearly stated it was a station targeted at men.
What needs to be monitored is gender balance in the CONTENT and OUTPUT of shows. The TOPICS should be gender balanced. I couldn’t care less if every single station had all female presenters as long as the TOPICS and social issues are representative of the male and female populations.
And have the NWCI looked at daytime TV? Nope. Why? Because it is dominated by womens shows, women presenters, and womens interest stories and has been for nearly 35 years.
Because far more women are at home during the day than men and at the end of the day it’s all about making money.
After collecting their dole in their pj’s
Very few women are at home during the day these days compared to years gone by. The employment rates for men are 76% and 55% for women so certainly more women are staying at home but it’s in no way comparable to thew 90′s and the decades before it.
Elderly people are staying at home, retired men and women and they continue to stay at home in dramatically increasing numbers as we are living way longer. If I was a retired man and was immobile and had to watch TV all day I’d have nothing bit womens shows to look at.
But surely the tv stations have their homework done and know their audience. Their only concern is making money and not equality and gender balance.
‘The study, by the National Women’s Council of Ireland and Dublin City University, monitored gender balances across news and current affairs programmes for three weeks.’
Welcome to the land where lobby groups such as the NWCI are allowed free reign to spout their latest theories. On radio this morning it was pathetic to hear some media type or other allow some feminist ideologue waffle on without any seriously challenging questions.
No comments allowed on LIEBOURS seanad candidate cahills terrorist connection, Robert mc cartney’sister was just on rte radio being very critical if her. Wheels coming off this pathetic wagon.
“As a candidate in the Seanad by-election, Máiría’s focus is on speaking directly to by-election voters, ie TDs and Senators, and that as a result, she’s not geared up to do media debates,” a Labour spokesperson said.
Unbelievable. So, she cant just go on a show and answer questions truthfully?
Maria Cahill.
She is a woman. Give her the Job. Past doesn’t matter. More women in Government is more important.
It is more than surprising the comments are nit open on that story.
Why Maria Cahill i want people who have an interest in our Country. Not some one some people feel sorry for.
Please take that into account Maria.
Yeah it’s ridiculous that the comments are closed on that article
“How do you solve a problem like Maria?” is my favourite song from the The Sound Of Music.
I prefer “Maria” by Blondie
Or I did Maria , or something like that
“I Did For Maria” maybe?
“I Did What I Did For Maria” by Tony Christie
@Brendan: For my sins I have been playing music to the masses for 30 years. Including radio Nova Herbert st. Only do charity gigs now.
I was waiting for you to take the bait!
Well done.
Women are spoken about less frequently, Whats that meant to mean!
Do a few bank jobs or something.
This counting game is becoming very tiresome.
If you listen to some of the clowns on spin south west you understand why
What’s new!
This is nonsense. The reality of life is that the likes of media and politics jobs involve long hours and extended time away from families and the practicalities of life makes this very tough for ladies. That ain’t sexist or chauvinistic, it’s simply the truth. Honestly think people have to calm down on this one!
To be honest, the standard of our radio is very, very good
It’s sad to say but I don’t think women have the interest in current affairs and politics that men have. Too many stupid soap operas taking up space in their brains. I’ve no doubt family commitments etc holds back some women but I think the majority are just not interested.
Can’t argue with numbers.
That’s just the point Larry. Lobbyists such as the NWCI never get asked seriously hard and probing questions. That’s what the media should be doing and it’s not what the Irish media are doing. long live groupthink….
Dont think Hook will be able to shut his mouth, anyway I’m in his constituency and i will NOT vote for him.
Ingrid if you have any influence on that husband of yours tell him not to go there.
Hook is great , he calls a spade a spade , RTE could do with someone like him
Who cares
I suppose the money is good. Who could resist
This gender balance thing if you excuse my French is becoming a right pain in the tits. Might I ask the cowards at the NWCI wtf they are doing about the Human, Civil & Social rights for Muslim women in Ireland? Oh I just remembered the answer…SFA. Get a life and do something that really matters and that will really improve the lives of these women.
……………
Those that deny Freedom to others Do Not deserve it for themselves.
Couldn’t agree
Couldn’t agree more*
All I know is they are ALL overpaid male and female whatever s*ite they say.
Looking at that chart fig.3. Is Marian Finucane more male than female? Disturbing stuff!
Who cares?
I think Sarah McInerney would be good on Newstalk , just saying
have your say