Regulating the Airwaves: How Political Balance is Achieved in Practice in Election News Coverage

Abstract

Discussion of balance in media coverage of politics is contentious, in part, because balance is notoriously difficult to define to the satisfaction of all those involved. Research in this area is generally focused on election news coverage to determine balance versus bias in visibility, favourability and success at securing attention for issues promoted. In this article, the analysis is directed at an earlier stage in the media coverage process. More particularly, the study draws on unique access to documentation to examine how balance obligations are interpreted and implemented in practice. The study raises important issues about campaign communication rules, the regulation of broadcast election coverage and the most appropriate administrative structures to oversee areas where the media interacts with the political system at election times, specifically news coverage, political advertising and leader debates.

Keywords:

• political balance
• bias
• election coverage
• broadcasting

Notes

1. The article specifically draws on the minutes of RTÉ’s Election Steering Committee which are in the possession of the author. They are referenced as (SC, date of meeting) when cited in the text.

2. ‘Memo to Broadcasters 20th January 2011. Election Coverage – 2011 General Election’, BAI.

3. The continuation of the moratorium was criticised by TV3 once more prior to two referenda in 2015 (McRedmond, 2015).

4. Planning had actually commenced in early November 2010 under the remit of the Steering Group for the Donegal South West bye-election. In his opening remarks, the then RTE DG Cathal Goan noted that preparations needed to ‘get underway for a possible general election in the New Year’.

5. During the election, RTÉ used an online audience reaction panel to monitor public sentiment about not only its own coverage, but also that of its competitors.

6. There were complaints from Fianna Fáil and Labour about a radio programme featuring ‘two Northern Ireland Sinn Féin former hunger strikers’. The SC approved the broadcast of this radio programme so long as the interview focused on the hunger strikes (9 February 2011). Also an Ear to the Ground television programme featured three outgoing TDs from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour without pre-clearance although the content was deemed to be balanced (SC, 16 February 2011).

7. RTÉ, ‘Communication Update – 2011 General Election’, 2 November 2010.

8. RTÉ, ‘Communication Update – Preliminary Notice, 2011 General Election’, 25 November 2010.

9. RTÉ, Memo on Management of Election Debates, dated 31 March 2011.

10. PPBs were broadcast by RTÉ, TG4 and RnG in 2011.

11. The allocation of PPBs during the 1995 divorce referendum was the subject of a Supreme Court judgement (Coughlan v Broadcasting Commission of Ireland). As a result, where such broadcasts are offered, an equal number must be allocated to the different sides in a referendum campaign. See Reidy and Suiter (2015) for a discussion of campaign communication regulations in referendum campaigns.