The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has expressed its concern to the broadcasting regulator about Communicorp’s ban on certain journalists appearing on its radio stations as well as the regulator’s lack of intervention in the matter. That move came on top of a longer-standing ban on Irish Times journalists appearing on Communicorp-owned stations including the national stations Newstalk and Today FM. “The current ban on editorial contributors to The Currency is, like the Irish Times ban, based on commercial not editorial considerations and is therefore a matter for the BAI,” Mr Dooley has written. The union believes the position of the regulator in the wake of The Currency ban is not consistent with the BAI’s move in October, 2017 to seek clarification from Communicorp on the ban imposed on Irish Times journalists after Irish Times columnist Fintan O’Toole was critical of Newstalk. “The NUJ is requesting that the BAI carry out a full investigation into the ban, with particular emphasis on the policy of imposing editorial directives across all stations,” Mr Dooley’s letter concludes.

Source: The Irish Times October 15, 2019 15:33 UTC