RTÉ broadcaster Joe Duffy has received a further reprimand by the
broadcasting watchdog over his handling of an interview with the editor
of a Catholic newspaper earlier this year.It is the third complaint upheld by the BAI against the Mar 5 show.
The BAI’s compliance committee ruled the programme had lacked fairness, objectivity, and impartiality in contravention of the Broadcasting Act.
Fr McKevitt was interviewed by Duffy after he had penned an article in Alive which claimed the decision of the Taoiseach to introduce legislation to give effect to a ruling on abortion in Ireland by the European Court of Human Rights evoked comparisons with King Herod.
The BAI acknowledged that the article merited a serious, challenging, and robust discussion and represented an appropriate topic for the programme.
However, it stated that Duffy interrupted Fr McKevitt on a regular basis in comparison to a number of other callers. It said listeners would have benefited from such contributions also being challenged.
It also noted a difference in the treatment between callers who supported Fr McKevitt’s views who were also interrupted and challenged, unlike those who took a contrary view.
A listener, Paul Casey, had complained that Duffy had repeatedly interrupted his guest, misquoted Fr McKevitt, and changed topic when it suited him.
RTÉ maintained Duffy had put challenging questions to the priest and had given him every opportunity to respond and rebut. It also stressed that the questions posed to Fr McKevitt were an appropriate line of inquiry given his article in Alive.
RTÉ said the Liveline host was attempting to establish for the benefit of his listeners what exactly Fr McKevitt was stating when linking the Taoiseach to a notorious historical figure.
In another ruling, the BAI rejected a complaint by Finglas-based Catholic priest, Fr Raymond Hannon against the New Year’s Eve Countdown Concert on RTÉ Radio 1.
Fr Hannon objected to the reference by impressionist, Oliver Callan, to the blood of Jesus being found in the urine of Olympic boxer Katie Taylor.
The BAI ruled the material was used in a comedy section of the programme where the target was Ms Taylor rather than the religious symbols of Christianity.