Vote attracts hundreds of international reporters

MEDIA: THE LISBON Treaty referendum will draw more than 500 TV, radio and print journalists from across the world to Dublin …

MEDIA:THE LISBON Treaty referendum will draw more than 500 TV, radio and print journalists from across the world to Dublin this week.

A spokesman for the Department of the Environment, which is handling media accreditation for the count at Dublin Castle on Saturday, said 560 journalists had registered for accreditation. Of those, less than 170 are Irish. The bulk of the remainder will travel from the EU’s 26 other member states. The German media will constitute one of the biggest national contingents, with the ZDF station sending 15 journalists and ARD sending 18. The BBC will be represented by 31 journalists.

Several Japanese newspapers and broadcast media will cover the referendum, while Chinese state new agency Xinhua and China Radio International will relay news to Beijing. Al-Jazeera and Russian state TV are among the other international media outlets that have sent crews.

Last year, some 350 journalists applied for accreditation.