New research from the Dublin City University Institute for Future Media, Democracy and Society (FuJo) has been cited in a recent SIPTU discussion paper examining the future of RTÉ.
Dr Eileen Culloty and Dr Mark Shiel participated in a SIPTU-hosted event on Wednesday, 29 April, where they reviewed the union’s proposals for public service media reform. Their academic work was referenced in the paper, highlighting their contribution to ongoing debates about the role and sustainability of public media in Ireland.
The event, introduced by Adrian Kane, focused on safeguarding public service media as a public good rather than allowing it to become driven primarily by commercial interests.
During a panel discussion, Dr Culloty and Dr Shiel outlined several key challenges facing RTÉ:
- Public service media as critical infrastructure: They emphasised the importance of RTÉ in Ireland’s media landscape, arguing that it requires consistent political and public support.
- Funding and governance issues: Ongoing concerns remain about RTÉ’s funding model, with calls to examine alternative approaches used across EU countries.
- Use of the Donnybrook campus: The RTÉ campus was highlighted as a valuable public asset with potential to better support Ireland’s media and creative sectors, while also preserving its cultural heritage.
- Decline in arts and cultural output: The researchers pointed to a gap between RTÉ’s past and current provision in areas such as the arts, identifying this as a priority for future research.
The event also featured contributions from RTÉ staff, who raised concerns about the erosion of technical expertise and its impact on production standards. They also discussed opportunities for greater collaboration with the independent sector, the potential to open RTÉ’s facilities to students, and the importance of maintaining a strong public service ethos.
