Media coverage of campaign criticised

DEBATE:THE MEDIA'S coverage of the presidential election campaign was criticised during a radio debate involving the seven candidates at the weekend.

Independent candidate Seán Gallagher said he was “disappointed” at times with the tone of the media coverage of the campaign.

At times the media had sought to sensationalise issues rather than deal with what the candidates' messages were and the role of the president, he said during the debate broadcast on the Saturday with Charlie Birdprogramme.

“In the coming days I would ask the media to focus more on the future and less on the past.”

Sinn Féin candidate Martin McGuinness said he did not feel he had been treated fairly by media in the campaign and there was a lot of anger on the streets at how he had been dealt with.

“The line of approach and questioning from the media in the North and what has happened in the course of the election here is like night and day,” he said, noting that he felt the media in the North would have been fairer.

The debate took place at The Helix in Dublin City University. Candidates were questioned by audience members on topics including jobs, emigration, gay rights, Irish neutrality, the Angelus and ageism.

The candidates were all keen to stress how they would deliver value for money if elected. Michael D Higgins said he would not be drawing an Oireachtas pension while in office and he would accept a pay cut.

Mary Davis said she would extend the Freedom of Information Act to provide full transparency concerning the activities of Áras an Uachtaráin and would publish monthly accounts.

There were some moments of tension between the candidates.

Gay Mitchell clashed with Senator David Norris when candidates were asked if they would be happy to take the role of grand marshal in Dublin’s gay pride parade if elected president. Mr Norris took issue with a joke made by Mr Mitchell about being “the only Gay who’s going for president”.

“I don’t think this is at all entertaining. We’re engaged in a situation where we still have homophobic bullying in schools,” Mr Norris said. “A candidate makes a joke about being gay, it’s not what I would expect.”

Mr Mitchell responded by defending his record on the issue and accusing Mr Norris of showing “intolerance” towards him.

The seriousness of the debate was also called into question. Mr Norris asked for the removal of pumpkins, carved with the faces of the candidates, that were placed on the stage for the debate.

“I don’t think we should permit this trivialisation. I’m sorry, I think it’s wrong, but I think it’s an insult to the audience.”

At the end of the debate, it emerged that the artist who had created the pumpkin carvings had been recommended by a member of Mr Norris’s own campaign team, a fact the senator had been unaware of.

Mr Gallagher defended his past involvement with Fianna Fáil, saying he had been asked to let local business people know of a fundraising event for the party in Dundalk in 2008.

He had made no donation himself and had not collected any money, he said.

He also insisted he was an Independent candidate, noting that Fianna Fáil had chosen not to put a candidate forward.

Mr Norris said “true independence” was not “a flag of convenience that you pick and wave when it suits you”.

The final debates in the campaign are to be held today. A debate at Google headquarters in Dublin will be broadcast live on Newstalk and YouTube from noon, while the final televised debate takes place tonight on the RTÉ Frontlineprogramme.