Publication

International News Supply in Ireland, c.1899-1949

O'Donnell, James T.
Citation
Abstract
During the first half of the twentieth century the Irish media were primarily reliant on news agencies for their coverage of international events. The Press Association was their dominant and often favoured supplier among these largely London-based and British organisations. The mainstream Irish newspapers engaged enthusiastically with this agency at a corporate and commercial level. This was particularly demonstrated through attendance at general meetings and service on boards by senior management and proprietors, and a series of investments. Their behaviour in this business environment rarely, if ever, displayed any signs of the political divisions normally so central to the consideration of the Irish newspapers at this time. The following chapters cover events in Ireland from the turn of the twentieth century to the outbreak of World War I, World War I to the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the creation of the independent Irish state to the outbreak of World War II, World War II, and finally the end of the war in Europe to the inauguration of the Republic of Ireland in 1949. Each considers the corporate and commercial behaviour of the mainstream Irish newspapers within the systems and structures of international news supply against the background of domestic political and constitutional developments. Each chapter also contains a case study which examines the coverage of a major international news event. Despite relying on largely common syndicated sources the Irish media could, and often did, shape their coverage to reflect a range of editorial and political positions. This study examines how far the experience of the Irish media reflected the significant constitutional and other changes in the first half of the twentieth century, which also saw notable developments in the international news industry. To what extent should these international influences be considered alongside domestic factors when considering the Irish media during this period?
Publisher
Publisher DOI
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Ireland