Sinn Féin wants to interfere in RTÉ editorial process – Buttimer ...

Sinn Féin’s manifesto contains a commitment that amounts to political interfere in the independence and editorial process of our public service broadcaster, Senator Jerry Buttimer has said.

In an additional blow to the protection of the rights of journalists, Mary Lou McDonald’s manifesto fails to include a single mention of defamation – while Fine Gael has committed to enacting the Defamation Bill within the first 100 days of Government.

Senator Jerry Buttimer, General Election Candidate for Cork South-Central, said:

“Not content with only suing the media, Sinn Féin are now proposing to interfere in RTÉ’s editorial process. Sinn Féin’s latest attack on the media comes in the form of a review into ‘coverage by RTÉ’ – a clear breach of political independence from our national broadcaster.

“Tellingly, the Sinn Féin manifesto also fails to include a single mention of defamation; indicative of where the Party stands on the rights of journalists.

“Sinn Féin have repeatedly used SLAPP suits to gag the media, and their manifesto exposes their complete lack of interest in protecting free and open journalism. As their track record shows, they’re far more interested in bullying and intimidating members of our media.

“Now, when they’re not suing or threatening journalists, they want to go into RTÉ’s control booths and decide editorial content.

“A free and fair media environment, independent of political interference, is a cornerstone of our democracy. It allows public interest reporting and ensures those in positions of power are held to account.”