Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday's Cabinet decision to establish a commission on the future of the media in Ireland is to be welcomed. However, the absence of anyone from the National Union of Journalists, NUJ, on this commission is akin to printing a paper without a headline. We would not establish a commission on the future of agriculture, pack it full of stockbrokers and have no one from an agricultural background on it. The people in the NUJ, headed by Mr. Séamus Dooley, know at first hand the real problems and challenges facing the media sector, in particular in the past 15 years, as well as the broken funding model afflicting it. This time last year, the Leader and I met representatives of the regional newspapers to discuss that broken funding model. They included Mr. Gavan Becton, the editor of our local paper, the Meath Chronicle,and its owner, Mr. Frank Mulrennan of the Celtic Media Group. Indeed, it was Mr. Mulrennan who gave me my first job in local journalism some 20 years ago when he was chief executive of the Drogheda Independent. It had three titles at the time but those three newspapers are, in journalist staffing terms, a pale shadow of what they were 20 years ago.

In the last decade, we have seen sales of local papers across Ireland plummet, with advertising moving to social media and owners slashing and burning their newsrooms. The funding model is broken and regional and local newspapers are on their knees. Is it any wonder we see such an exodus from the Press Gallery as our fine journalistic minds leave to become Government special advisers? If I was to do it all again, I wish my career guidance teacher had told me 25 years ago to become a Government special adviser rather than a journalist.This commission is to be welcomed. I look forward to its work but I stress to the Leader that, first, we need to see the NUJ recognised on it. The NUJ represents the printing industry, which is the sector facing the most pressure within journalism. Second, we need an interim stimulus package in the budget this autumn for those particular titles. If such a package is not forthcoming, they will not be here in mine months' time when the commission reports.