Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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There will be time for the Senator to contribute again shortly. I return to a point Deputy O’Rourke made about the Punch and Judy approach taken to climate reporting in some of the most watched and listened to programmes. It is separate from the climate literacy discussion. I have no doubt the people involved are professional and understand the issues. It is not a climate literacy or disinformation issue, which are problems that may exist elsewhere in media. It is to do with the chase for ratings to get more people watching and listening. For example, two politicians may be set up against each other and the debate may be framed as important when actually, in the great scheme of things, it may not serve us in facing the great challenge we have. How would we address that tendency? I understand that broadcasters have a bottom line and operate in a very challenging revenue environment. They lean into their advertising but also their ratings and getting more people to listen. They often treat climate action in a very divisive way. What is the role of the BAI and others in developing guidelines such that we do not get this chase for ratings and this polarisation approach? The current approach is not one of asking whether climate change is real. It is a different kind of division but one which does stifle climate action at the local level. I ask the witnesses to respond on that.

We have touched on advertising. I refer to the placement of advertising. I think all members of this committee have been on radio and television shows and have been interrogated and dragged over hot coals – pardon the pun – on particular issues. We are told we are not doing enough. There will then be a cut to the break and we hear that the programme is sponsored by a company that is selling a product that we would not encourage from a point of view of climate action because it would not be positive in that regard. Alternatively, the advertising might completely jar with the segment that has just been on. For example, there might be a segment on water quality followed by advertisements for the National Dairy Council. There is a direct correlation between water quality and the impact of the intensification of the dairy industry in this country in the past ten years. There could be an advertisement for gas boilers after a segment on retrofitting. These are important issues on which we have to guide the sector and it must go as far as the placement of advertising because it is so powerful. There is a question about sponsorship of programming as well.

The debate around coverage if climate action and the amount of time given to the issue perhaps pulls away from the quality of reporting sometimes. Giving an issue time is not enough if it is not a proper interrogation of the issue. I wonder whether enough time is given to interrogating political parties and politicians. It is not just the Minister who has a role when it comes to climate action. Everybody in the Oireachtas, not just the Government, has a role. Is the role of everybody in the political space being treated correctly? Even outside the political space, there is the role of local authorities, not only on the elected side but also on the staff side. Will the BAI and others try to capture that challenge in the guidelines they will develop?

The BAI is doing very good work but I have to reiterate the urgency of this. There is this tension between the urgency and getting it right. That is not easily resolved. However, I can safely say at this point that there is a disconnect across society regarding the need for certain things in communities, whether it is development of a renewable energy project or an active travel scheme. I mentioned last week that I had read through hundreds of submissions on a particular active travel scheme in Limerick, not one of which referred to climate as the reason for doing it. There is huge disconnect there, so there is an important role for politicians, as professional communicators, but also for the media.