The independence and impartiality of Ireland’s national public service broadcaster, RTÉ, is being compromised by its participation in a government strategy that involves the roll-out of gender identity theory through all sectors of Irish society.
The current Irish Government’s Programme for Government outlines plans to implement strategies that uncritically adopt gender identity theory, and to amend Irish equality legislation to include gender identity as a protected characteristic. These plans have implications for all sectors of Irish society.
The power of broadcasting to influence public opinion has been recognised since the early years of radio. Media centres are often the first targets during military coups or in wars. Control of communication systems is linked to control of the people. Broadcasting is a potentially powerful tool of propaganda.
Edward Bernays, the ‘father of public relations’, published his work Propaganda in 1928 in which he argued that whoever can manipulate the habits and opinions of the masses is the invisible government ‘who pulls the wires that control the public mind’. He referred to this manipulation of public opinion as the ‘engineering of consent’.
The funding model of public service broadcasters can mean that their investigative teams and reporters are uniquely placed to explore controversial topics. This potential is illustrated by the Swedish public service broadcaster, SVT, whose four-part investigative series Transbarnen (Trans Kids) was awarded the highest journalist recognition in Sweden, and was influential in changing how the Swedish parliament dealt with healthcare for trans-identified youth.
The BBC meanwhile, became the subject of one of its own investigative programmes last year when the Stephen Nolan podcast, Nolan Investigates Stonewall, examined the influence of a gender identity lobby group, Stonewall, on public institutions in the UK. The BBC pulled out of the Stonewall Diversity Champions scheme one month after the podcast was aired, after concerns were raised about the impact of the scheme on BBC impartiality.
Gender identity lobby groups actively work to minimise press coverage of gender identity issues. Dentons, the largest legal firm in the world, produced a document designed as a toolkit for gender activists in which it is recommended to ‘avoid excessive press coverage and exposure’. Ireland is mentioned as an example where this practice has been used.
In a world dominated by multinational tech corporations, public service broadcasting is more important than ever before. Public funding is essential and needs to be secured. For PSB to continue to be relevant, it must engage impartially with issues of public concern and must remain independent of the government, of the market, of pressure groups and of big tech who operate as the new information gatekeepers. In Ireland, as long as RTÉ is involved in a national strategy that pushes gender identity theory, its public service mission is failing.
[Ed: same problem here in Australia]
Source: Propagender – Genspect
Flashback to History of Propaganda & Persuasion 101 at PR school. ♀️
Edward Bernays, the ‘father of public relations’, published his work Propaganda in 1928 in which he argued that whoever can manipulate the habits and opinions of the masses is the invisible government ‘