Irish Media's "Back to the Future" moment

Yesterday’s initiation of a Government-supported commission on the future of Irish media is to be welcomed. In the words of the Taoiseach at its launch, its core brief is to “chart a pathway for public service broadcasting and independent media into the future” and “to examine how public service objectives can be funded in a way that is sustainable, ensures independent editorial oversight and delivers value for money to the public." 

"We now have a media funding model that is broken"

Over the last twenty years there have been numerous State-sponsored reports on broadcasting and media which have been largely aspirational in their recommendations and invariably ‘kicked to touch’ by successive Communications Ministers for political expediency. (Remember “the Household Media Charge” anyone?).

We now have a media funding model that is broken. Licence fee evasion is amongst the highest in the EU, less people are buying newspapers and digital subs are not compensating for the fall-off. Meanwhile large swathes of ad revenue have migrated to the global tech platforms.

"The diversity of new, indigenous media that have emerged over the last 25 years have primarily been made possible by advertisers."

This is unlikely to change anytime soon. Whether people or politicians like it or not, public service journalism, regardless of whether it comes from State- or privately-owned channels, is dependent on advertising for at least half of its funding. In fact, the diversity of new, indigenous media that have emerged over the last 25 years, from Virgin TV to The Journal and from Newstalk to podcasts, have primarily been made possible by advertisers.

We are a small market and a blended funding model remains the only way to support a varied Irish media ecosystem. Advertising will continue to be a vital source of funding for RTE and every other commercial public service media provider for some time to come. 

If as a country, we truly want to protect and sustain our own news and cultural channels, then this new commission needs to produce a clear set of recommendations that are grounded in the realities of how media is now funded, i.e., licence fee, subscriptions, micro-payments and advertising.

"The absence from the commission of hands-on knowledge of how the Irish advertising market works and how it can be encouraged to sustain a healthy indigenous media sector, is conspicuous." 

The commission is composed of distinguished representatives from journalism, broadcasting, creative arts and academia but the absence of expertise with an understanding of the dynamics of how advertising money is now planned and spent, is conspicuous. There is a strong case to allocate at least one of the two remaining positions to an expert from IAPI or the AAI who has first-hand knowledge on how the Irish advertising market works and how it can be encouraged to sustain a healthy indigenous media sector. 

Without this rounded perspective, there is every chance that we will end up with another report composed of wishful thinking and pious expectations and a media market that is damaged beyond repair.