Trying to ring-fence Sinn Fein

Date: 13th May '02

Name: article from RM Irish news round up

Feature: Trying to ring-fence Sinn Fein

BY JIM GIBNEY

Did you ever feel someone doesn't want you or that somone is
trying to reject you? Did you ever feel someone is trying to make
you feel you don't quite fit in? Did you ever feel disconnected
to what is going on around you? These are the feelings I had as
we entered week two of the election campaign.

This sense of alienation from the election here was brought on by
the near absence of Sinn Fein, especially Gerry Adams, from the
media, in particular RTE television and radio, the Irish Times,
Independent and Examiner.

Despite the fact that Sinn Fein in the South has one TD, 57
councillors and in the North four Westminster MPs, over one
hundred councillors and 18 Assembly members and has led the peace
process and helped change the face of Irish politics over the
last few years, party press conferences and daily statements are
practically being ignored by some very important secions of the
media.

Sinn Fein has more votes nationwide than the PDs, the Greens and
the Labour Party, yet apart from the extensive coverage of our
manifesto launch, these other parties have featured more in the
media.

I've been involved in many elections in the Six Counties. I've
fought the bias against Sinn Fein with a fair few editors in my
time, but I detect here a higher level of bias and hostility
against Sinn Fein.

We have justifiably received a high level of coverage from the
media and the political establishment here for our role in the
peace process, so I have no complaint on that front, but Gerry
Adams is running second only to Bertie Ahern as the most popular
politican yet he is not receiving one tenth of the coverage
Bertie is getting.

It is too easy to dismiss this criticism as media bashing. It
isn't. There is a high degree of media management going on. Since
the election started I have listened to and seen Gerry Adams,
Martin McGuinness and Bairbre de Brun in the Dublin-based media
talking about fairly routine matters arising from the peace
process. Why can't we hear them with the same frequency speaking
about election related issues?

I saw a welcome and sizeable photograph of Martin McGuinness in
Tuesday's Irish Times. He was on a walkabout in Dublin's Temple
Bar, where thousands of young people were at a festival. It was
an ideal opportunity to show Martin talking to young people. The
photograph showed him standing alone. That is not the
photographer's fault. That is news management.

Why for example did the media, outside of North Kerry, ignore an
opinion poll that put Martin Ferris as leading the poll there?
Had the poll been telling a different story I suspect it would
have been the lead item.

Is it the case that a section of the media has decided to ring
fence Sinn Fein to commenting on 'northern' events only? Are
sections of the media here trying to play a role similar to that
played by the Belfast-based media during the conflict when they
thought the way to limit Sinn Fein's growth was to hold them
publicly accountable for the IRA's activities?

What also brought on this sense of detachment was the constant
use by politicans and media of the word 'national'. Whatever
else, this part of my country is, it is not 'national'. I live in
Belfast, so how does the last government's 'National Development
Plan' affect me or its 'National Health Strategy' improve my
lifestyle? At a push, I'm prepared to accept a national stadium
because all the people of this island can benefit from it.

There are 32 counties in this nation, not 26. And more
importantly, there are one and a half million people living in
the other six. The wrong use of the word makes them feel
'outsiders'.

Developing this theme, it is easy to understand why partition
works in various ways. The media plays a big part in shaping our
views. And preoccupied as I am with listening to the TV and radio
in the course of this election, I have occupational choices to
make. So it's RTE, INN, The Irish Times, Independent and Examiner
and the tabloids. I couldn't believe it but days passed before I
realised I hadn't read an Irish News or listened to the BBC and
UTV.

Corruption and sleaze flickered briefly to life when Bertie
brazenly and warmly embraced the disgraced O'Flynns, father and
daughter, in Castlebar and when he was ever so eloquently mauled
by Vincent Browne on his late night radio chat show. Browne
slowly roasted him for half an hour over a spit of facts and
figures indicting several TDs and others for corruption. I was
suitably impressed. But not so my private taximan. He heard what
I heard and amazingly concluded: politicans are all 'lining their
pockets' but 'Bertie's not like that. He's a local man'. The
'teflon' Taoiseach escapes again.

This week took me to two other constituencies, Joe Reilly in
Meath and Mary Lou McDonald in Dublin West. Joe's constituency is
worth watching closely. It's a five-seater and he is a very
popular councillor. He could upset everyone's plans but Sinn
Fein's. In Dublin West I was in the company of a dynamic duo,
candidate Mary Lou Mc Donald and Maria Doherty. Watching them
operate their key election workers was impressive. Confidence,
competency and a commanding presence is how I would describe this
formidable pair.

Suddenly atop my double decker bus I was thrown back in time when
I was confronted by the face of a youthful Dick Spring up a lamp
post. This isn't North Kerry, I thought. It's Dublin Central. Did
I miss a coup in the Labour Party? Has Dick replaced Ruairi? No
there's a simpler explanation. A strapped Joe Costello, Labour
candidate has his photograph on one side of posters from the 1997
election, when Dick was leader of the Labour Party.

The indefatigible press officer, Dawn Doyle, can breate a sigh of
relief this weekend following the launch of Sinn Fein's manifesto
on Tuesday. Only she knows the blood, sweat and tears involved in
that production.

I'm ending this article on a similar upbeat note to last week's.
An opinion poll in Louth has Arthur Morgan taking the second seat
there. Welcome news this is. What's the betting it won't see the
light of day outside the Louth press, just as Martin Ferris' poll
didn't see the light of day outside North Kerry.


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