Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 16 June 2021

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht

Future of Media in Ireland: Discussion

Ms Sinéad Burke:

I am looking forward to learning how that dialogue evolves. The necessity for greater representation of an intersectional society - "intersectional" meaning thinking about diversity and inclusion through a broad remit of gender, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, political belief and class - has never been more important. The greater cacophony of voices that we can have shaping our content and our media, both in terms of visual representation and craft behind the scenes, has been integral to the issues that we have discussed today. It has been central to our discussions both in terms of our thematic dialogue and the recommendations we will make going forward. We wish to have a media landscape that is meaningfully reflective of the diversity that exists in Ireland and that any person who wishes to participate in the media sees it as a viable, accessible and equitable opportunity for them.