Results 6,201-6,220 of 7,975 for speaker:Joe Higgins

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (25 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: Perhaps I will be able to ask two questions in one as I will not be able to come back in. After the bubble burst, how did the mainstream media cover the aftermath and particularly the austerity programmes that were implemented as a result of the crisis? In his introduction, Dr. Mercille referred to vulture funds. He discussed the buying of tranches of residential developments and referred...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (25 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: One of the studies Dr. Mercille relies on, as well as his own study, was published in the Irish Communications Review, Vol. 12, 2010. It was conducted by three academics from Dublin City University and was entitled, "FROM BOOM TO BUST: A post-Celtic Tiger analysis of the norms, values and roles of Irish financial journalists". What was the importance of that study? What were the findings...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (25 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: It is stated on page 4 of Mr. Browne's opening statement in relation to the role of journalists during the bubble that a journalistic culture of increased workloads, casualisation, rapidly changing technological expectations and declining real rates of pay was in place throughout the industry even before the wider bust of 2007 and 2008. Features such as casualisation, declining rates of pay,...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (25 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: That is one aspect of it. The other aspect is the effect on journalists and what they produce.

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (25 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: Would they not be in a more vulnerable position as well?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (25 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: Does this not put those journalists in a position whereby they feel weaker in terms of standing up to an editor in relation to a particular story?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (25 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: Mr. Browne referred in his introduction to a development in the United States in the late 1990s which others have called total newspapering and described this as an effort to break down traditional barriers between editorial and commercial considerations, referring to an Underwood study and then to market-led journalism. What are the implications of this process for, for example, how the...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (25 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: The role of the banking inquiry is, among other things, to examine cultural and other factors and practices that were evident pre the crisis and that led to the crisis. In Mr. Browne's experience and based on his academic studies, does the media bear no responsibility or some level of responsibility for the development of the bubble and the subsequent damage done?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (25 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: I thank Mr. Browne.

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (25 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: Mr. Vaughan has discussed why his newspaper or maybe other newspapers were not more aware of the dangers in the blowing up of the bubble. He says on page 4, "Advertising in the property section was an important and valued source of revenue during the Celtic tiger years ... but it is important to stress that [it] did not seek to influence the editorial policy of the newspaper". That is Mr....

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (25 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: In one of the studies, which has been relied on for contributions here, entitled From boom to bust, which was produced by respected academics in Dublin City University, Fahy, O'Brien and Poti, the authors did quite a study with financial journalists and one financial journalist noted that:Much of the mainstream media seems to me to be very conflicted because of their reliance on real-estate...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (25 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: On page 2 of his presentation, Mr. Vaughan says, "We had little or no reason to believe that key figures in our financial regulatory infrastructure were not [doing the work they were required to do and not] functioning as they should" What was manifest during the inflation of the bubble was rampant speculation in building land and the fact that the price of an ordinary home increased every...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (25 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: Does Mr. Vaughan think it would have been useful to take the then average price of an average new home in Dublin of €375,000, which perhaps would have been a little bit cheaper in Cork and areas outside Dublin, and break it down to the component costs of bricks and mortar, labour and pure profit and speculation? Would that have been a good project for the media to undertake in respect...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (25 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: Does Mr. Murphy agree that there should have been that type of investigation? Perhaps, Mr. Murphy could not have known about the credit manoeuvring going on inside the banks, but the rampant level of speculation was known to all. Does he think it would have been appropriate for the media to go on a much more offensive investigation?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: Mr. O'Regan said "there was no conscious attempt on my part, or on the part of the newspaper, to fuel what has been described as the property boom". The Irish Independent, from 2003 to 2008, gave substantial coverage and sponsored and promoted the property awards. In 2004, for example, this is the type of coverage that was over many pages and it was described in 2004 as "A glittering...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: The commercial property expert said: "No deal is too big, no proposition too ambitious for today's property professionals. The world is their stage." Going forward to Mr. O'Regan's own period particularly, in 2007 we have further very substantial coverage and again the property editor wrote, "Tribute was paid to the risk takers who are flying the Irish property flag at home and abroad ......

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: Mr. O'Regan has explained that but the time is short. If he does not consider that it fuelled the property boom, did it glamorise the property boom?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: I am not asking Mr. O'Regan that. I am asking him if he considers that this type of extensive coverage fuelled the property boom, if it glamorised it, never mind what happened later.

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: I do not have time. I know there were what are called contrarian views.

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Higgins: What I am posing is the predominant editorial line. I have put the questions to Mr. O'Regan but I want to move forward quickly.