Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 25 January 2023
Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media
Future of Print Media and Journalism: Free Media Ireland
Mr. Jarlath Feeney:
I thank Deputy Munster for the question. With regard to the engagement, we have just been informed that the commission is completing its initial report under Professor MacCraith. We have just engaged with the Department in the meantime to be at the table in relation to the implementation phase. We have engaged with the Department to present on behalf of Free Media Ireland. We have their agreement at the moment at this stage to be involved as a stakeholder. It is the same point being made really. We are still focused on the same point, which is that the kernel of support must be around journalism and protecting that. As Mr. Ryan said earlier, we are responsible for running our businesses outside of that, but if we wish the journalism element to have that value for our society and for democracy, this is what we ask the commission to focus on. We would be supportive of whatever way they devise to do that.
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