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RTÉ EXPECTS TO have an internal review completed within weeks following yesterday’s apology to a Catholic priest in the High Court over untrue allegations broadcast last May.
The High Court ordered the national broadcaster to apologise yesterday for false accusations made against Fr Kevin Reynolds in a Prime Time Investigates programme earlier this year.
The Prime Time programme alleged that Fr Reynolds was the father of a child conceived with a teenage girl when he worked as a missionary in Africa. RTÉ had already issued an apology for the programme last month, acknowledging that the claims were “baseless”.
TheJournal.ie understands that an internal review is now underway at RTÉ and is expected to be completed in weeks.
It is understood the the chain of command went from the reporter who had the story, Aoife Kavanagh, to producer Mark Lappin, to executive producer Brian Pairceir to current affairs editor Ken O’Shea and up to managing director of news Ed Mulhall.
But who gave the final decision to broadcast and whether the story made it all the way up that chain of command is unclear. Producer Mark Lappin has since left RTÉ and now works as a senior producer of CNN’s ‘Connect the World’. The other four all remain at RTÉ.
The Irish Independent carries comments from RTÉ spokesman who says that possible sackings is not “the best way” for the broadcaster to learn lessons from the issue.
In an apology broadcast on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, which covered the story the day after it was broadcast, the programme acknowledged that its accusations were “wholly untrue” as well as “serious” and “damaging” to Fr Reynolds.
It also accepted that the accusations were broadcast despite a denial by Fr Reynolds to Kavanagh on-camera, correspondence between the former Bishop in Kenya which said the story was false, solicitors letters from Fr Reynolds to the same effect, and an offer from Fr Reynolds to undergo a paternity test.
The apology acknowledged that the allegations “ought never to have been broadcast”.
Yesterday the Head of the Association of Catholic Priests said the fact RTÉ had to apologise should be “a wake-up call” to journalists in this country and how the Catholic Church is covered in light of the various abuse scandals that have emerged in recent years.
Not only is my TV license paying for the awarded damages I’ve now got to pay for the internal review.
Director General to resign? Prime Time to be scrapped ? The costs of the litigation not to be paid from Licence Fee’s / Government subsidies ! Wreck less Journalists to be fired ! That’s what one would expect !
Time for the Licence Payer to have a bit of a review too. Easy to knock a few bob off the judgement against Beverly Cooper Flynn and be reckless with the truth when the threat of prosecution and jail keeps their grubby mitts in the public’s pockets. The only half decent broadcast material comes from independent production companies the rest is just nauseating.
Breaking news – “internal review find no one responsible. Instead it was a systems failure”. I can read the future. So glad I refuse to pay the tv license.
Is very wrong Aoife Kavanagh is taking most of the blame on this because she is the public face of Prime Time Investigates (PTI), she had every right to put allegations made to Fr Reynolds after the alleged victim relayed a story and was prepared to go on camera with these allegations, but the PTI producer, the editor and rte legal dept are the ones responsible for the huge mess and damage to Fr Reynolds good name.There is no doubt they should have waited for the paternity test results and had plenty of warning, and not waiting is unforgivable. I think Aoife Kavanagh is one of the best reporters in this country and in Sean O Rourkes league. Is sorry mess and no one would be surprised if this was Sunday World or TV3 but i think we all shocked Rte PTI would make such an error.
The way RTE conducted itself during the presidential campaign in its treatment of 6 of the 7 candidates is a prime time example how it misuses its powers to influence its audience. Terrible to say this but because the guilty party here is a member of the catholic clergy, not many will believe that our broadcaster behaved with malice, intent nor competence, and this apology is therefore meaningless (and the church must bear some of the blame here).
That is the most ridiculous comment I have ever heard. The church seems to be the cause of every I’ll in society. The clergy is responsible for 3-4percent of child abuse; that makes parents, siblings and extended family, neighbours and friends responsible for the other 96-97percent but why are none of the anti-catholic church brigade who are so indignant about children being abused not looking for an account from this group of paedophiles and child molesters? It is so easy to point the finger. When is RTE going to follow these people and doorstep them and make them accountable or perhaps they don’t know who they are and maybe thats because some people are……NEVER…. RTE or families, doctors or social workers would never be covering up for these paedophiles – only the church does that – the unfortunate children in this category of abuse are not as important and don’t need a voice like those abused by clergy. What a load of hypocrisy.
….. After such a debacle, nothing less than a high level resignation from RTE is necessary. Regardless of your opinion of the Catholic Church, the blatant disregard for any sort of professional Journalism, ethical reporting and responsibility is utterly unacceptable. We the Irish tax payers are footing the bill for such incompetence and heads should roll. RTE should not be allowed to avoid the consequences of it’s action while riding on the coattails of current anti church sentiments.
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