Irish News Critised for Coverage of NI Soccer

[phpearse]

Good article in todays IN from Paddy Heaney. Apparently the IN received a bit of guff from the listeners of the Steven Nolan show about failing to dedicate front and back covers of the newspaper the day after the north beat Sweden in the soccer. The editor of the IN Noel Doran was asked to come on the radio to explain the papers scant coverage of the event, despite the papaer giving a full match report and mentioning the result on both front and back covers, the unionist powers at the BBC deemed the coverage unsatisfactory. The BBC then sent TV cameras around to the IN offices to get Noel Doran to explain his papers position.

I didn't know this had happened but again gives further proof to the attitudes at the BBC for the largest spectator sport in the island. Paddy Heaney makes a very valid point that why doesn't the BBC make representations to the New Letter who refuse to carry any Gaelic Games coverage and to the Telegraph who give scant regard to GAA. The IN does a very good job in covering a large spectrum of sports, but it's sports coverage is unasshamedly focused on GAA. It's a pity that the other papers, and in particular the News Letter, wouldn't at least attempt to acknowledge Gaelic Sports.

[never kickt a ball]

Can anyone post this article?

[aontroim]

Clearly not radio GAA GAA

THERE was shock, anger, bewilderment and revulsion on The Stephen Nolan Radio Show last Thursday – and that was just the people who make the programme. Having watched David (okay, one more time) HEEEEEEAAAAALLLLLY beat Sweden the previous night, Nolan and his team must have went to bed dreaming of the next day's headlines. It was going to be a day of wall-to-wall Norn Iron coverage. Bliss. And, by and large, it was. Most of the newspapers went large on the Windsor Park victory. In contrast, The Irish News didn't reflect the
giddy joy of its rival titles.
A front page blurb soberly informed readers that there was a 'Double success for Irish sides'. The main story was devoted to the bidding war for a house in north Belfast. The back page provided reaction to the Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland games, leading with the latter, and there was further coverage of both matches on the inside pages. In other words, an entire back page of soccer from a paper whose readers are far more interested in the GAA.
By and large, the paper provided a balanced package of the events in Dublin and Belfast. The sports desk certainly didn't receive any complaints. However, while The Irish News readership may have been satisfied with our coverage, the good folk at  The Stephen Nolan Show didn't share your contentment. Miffed at the paper's failure to clear the decks and worship King David and Lord Lawrie, they hauled editor Noel Doran onto the show and asked him to defend the paper's scandalous coverage. Mr Doran (as we call him) duly obliged. But the BBC still weren't happy. Later that day, Newsline sent a television crew to Donegall Street to question the editor on the same topic.
The disbelief in the BBC at this newspaper's treatment of the Northern Ireland game says more about the prevailing attitudes in Ormeau Avenue than it does about The Irish News. While quick to cast judgment on this paper's coverage of Northern Ireland, the BBC seems to have no problem with the News Letter's policy of providing no coverage of Gaelic Games whatsoever. As a point of information to Stevie Nolan and his team, Gaelic football
is the most popular spectator sport in the north by a country mile. Of course, you wouldn't detect this by reading The Belfast Telegraph, which normally keeps Gaelic Games confined to the inside pages. The powers-that-be at the
Telegraph have decided their market audience want to read about the Irish League (with many games struggling to attract 300 spectators) and therefore local soccer tends to take pride of place on the back page.
At this juncture, it should be stressed that the News Letter and Belfast Telegraph are entitled to dictate their editorial content as they see fit. Both newspapers have an audience and it's their prerogative to provide the coverage they feel meets their demands. The point being made is that by questioning the Irish News's coverage of the Northern Ireland game, The Stephen Nolan Show revealed a disparity of judgement. The message they sent out was that while The Irish News has a duty to report and celebrate the exploits of the Northern Ireland soccer
team, there is no equivalent onus on rival newspapers to cover Gaelic Games, despite its massive popularity.
Here's one small example which reveals the depth of interest in Gaelic Games. While approximately 13,000 fans attended last year's cup final between Linfield and Glentoran, almost double that figure were in Croke Park for the

LADIES' All-Ireland football final – and this was considered a poor turn-out. Over the years, when The Irish News marketing department has conducted readership surveys, the response has varied very little. With regard to sport, our readers want Gaelic football, Gaelic football and more Gaelic football. A few of them also like hurling, while Premiership soccer, Celtic, and boxing are also high on the list. Irish League soccer and the exploits of the Northern
Ireland team barely register on the scale. And yet, The Irish News continues to make a concerted effort to provide a comprehensive and broad-based coverage of all local sports. A reporter is sent to every meaningful Northern Ireland game and there are previews, reports and round-ups of the Irish League. The money and column inches
devoted to local soccer probably surpasses our readers' interest in it, but there is a belief that the paper has a wider responsibility, and part of this remit means all sports should be represented. Again, it must be stressed there is no obligation on any newspaper to provide cross-community sports coverage. If the News Letter wants to ignore Gaelic Games – fair enough.  And if the Belfast Telegraph want to keep the GAA largely confined to the inside pages – so be it. However, the BBC has a responsibility to provide balanced sports coverage which reflects the public interest – and this is a further reason why Noel Doran's appearance on The Stephen Nolan Show was so questionable.
Let's not forget. The Irish News had a reporter in Liechtenstein and carried reaction and reports from Windsor Park. But turn on your television and try and find the league tables for the National Football and Hurling Leagues on Ceefax. You'll find tables for the Irish League soccer and rugby's All-Ireland League, even soccer's Setanta Cup group
tables – but none for the competition which attracts much bigger crowds than either of the aforementioned competitions. BBC teletext also provides rapid score updates from ALL Irish League soccer games – but could not provide the same service for the Sigerson Cup final, which was held in Belfast and attracted an attendance of several thousand.
The Stephen Nolan Show might also consider comparing the radio and television coverage given by the BBC to Irish League soccer and that which it affords GAA matches at club, college and county level. And maybe if Stephen (a man who knows how to attract an audience) brings the subject of Gaelic Games onto his radio show, the volume of callers might make him understand where The Irish News is coming from.

Photo captions

■ KING DAVID: Northern Ireland's David Healy has been unstoppable for Lawrie Sanchez's men in their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, scoring hat-tricks against Spain and Liechtenstein and hitting crucial goals against England and, most recently, Sweden

■ SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: Standing room only at a Fermanagh v Armagh game (right) – the same can't be said for this Linfield v Cliftonville clash (above)

[illdecide]

That article was well wrote and very true, the people buy the Irish News for their GAA coverage (mostly). That Steven Nolan is a fat fruit cake, somebody should question him about the time he bought a guy vodka and red bull all night in the M-Club in Belfast and then tried to take him home in a taxi. He then goes onto his show next morning like a saint. (fat we ****) and before yous ask it wasn't me but the guy he tried on with i worked with him, he reported it to one of the newspapers who have it on file if anyone else comes forward.

[SlimShady]

So illdecide, Stephen Nolan tried to slip you a length? you should have knocked his pan in.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

BBCNI = moronic cretins. No newspaper has anyone to answer to but its readers, i.e., as with every commercial enterprise it will live or die by its popularity, not by what some shower of self-appointed regulators determine it should print, just to suit their own narrow agenda.

[Six Inch Nail]

I just read the article.  Wouldn't pay any attention to Stephen Nolan, I didn't hear the program and therefore can't claim to know what Nolan's opinion was.  However I do know that he is a gobshite of the highest order.  Besides, only Paddy Heaney made us all aware of the issue today, all that would know about it would be Nolans 6 listeners (as far as I know 5 of these are family and 1 is in an asylum - for wanting to listen to his program).

[dubnut]

Why would they have an argument for the front page to be dedicated to the win?
Front page = news
back page = sport
Well for decent papers anyway

[full back]

As we all know the BBC are a shower of bigotted cnuts.
As for fat boy Nolan-fcuk off & stop sticking your nose where it isnt wanted (not the first time by all accounts)

illdecide-good on you for knocking back Nolan (if only he had bought you buckfast all night he would have had a chance-eh )

[Deal_Me_In]

Is the Nolan Show available anywhere online? Its typical of the attitude toward the GAA Community

[behind the wire]

dont think thats fair at all, IN will only report on things that are going to keep people reading their paper. i think the IN is one of the best all round sports papers, it carrys first class gaa reporting as well as decent rugby coverage, good boxing coverage as well as a very good section on junior soccer ie dunmurry league etc. just shows the bbc for what they are.

[illdecide]

So illdecide, Stephen Nolan tried to slip you a length? you should have knocked his pan in.

Well lads at least i had a laugh there but i was never in the M-Club so that rules me out (to old for that shit). Guinness is my drink full back that Bucky is brutal, dunno how anyone can drink that shit.

[Estimator]

Done some research, slow day at the office 

You can download daily podcasts from this address

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/radioulster/stephen_nolan/

[full back]

Sorry illdecide, was taking you as a stereotypical Lurganite
But, what you are saying is IF you ran into fat boy Nolan & he bought you Guinness all night he would have a chance

Wonder can we crash the pr1cks site?

[illdecide]

Sorry illdecide, was taking you as a stereotypical Lurganite
But, what you are saying is IF you ran into fat boy Nolan & he bought you Guinness all night he would have a chance

Wonder can we crash the pr1cks site?

Don't knock it to you try it. . As for the Lurganite (buckfast brigade) don't tar everyone with the same brush although i know where your coming from.

Thats actually a good idea, we should get onto his site and take the middle him. if everyone on the board posted on the BBC site for nolan that would keep them busy for a while