Comments on: A Question Of Balance http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2009/0616/a-question-of-balance/ Irish Communications Consultant - Be Noticed Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:05:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Piaras http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2009/0616/a-question-of-balance/#comment-944534 Piaras Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:17:35 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/?p=1001#comment-944534 That's a really good example to show up the weaknesses in the 50:50 principle That’s a really good example to show up the weaknesses in the 50:50 principle

]]> By: PK http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2009/0616/a-question-of-balance/#comment-941012 PK Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:27:51 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/?p=1001#comment-941012 "...now claim to be the voice of the no vote." The 50:50 principle makes it unnecessary to have legitimacy in order to be the voice. How will the 50:50 principle be applied when there is finally a referendum on Children? Will RTE give 50 per cent of time to those that don't want children to be protected? (I won't descend into the bad examples this could lead to.) Saying no is like deciding what you don't want for dinner. There are infinite combinations of possible alternatives, but these discussion often don't mention what we have in the fridge. Not to mention, if your cooking for 500 million it can be difficult to agree. That said we need a reasoned debate on whether what's on offer is the best we can do. Much of the Lisbon 1 debate was about how undemocratic the EU system was and that a better solution was necessary. A No vote was actually for the status quo or at best a desire for less. Yet this is precisely the opposite of what many No campaigners said that they wanted. I'd prefer having the referendum commission supervise RTEs editorial. This would hopefully limit the number of political wanabes trying to make a name for themselves out of the 50:50 principle. The media should foster a debate on the issues. Not the personalities from either side. Wishful thinking I know, but the 50:50 principle is pathetic at best. I recognised some of the local election posters from the Yes campaign, they had removed the vote yes sticker and put a #1 instead. “…now claim to be the voice of the no vote.”

The 50:50 principle makes it unnecessary to have legitimacy in order to be the voice. How will the 50:50 principle be applied when there is finally a referendum on Children? Will RTE give 50 per cent of time to those that don’t want children to be protected? (I won’t descend into the bad examples this could lead to.)

Saying no is like deciding what you don’t want for dinner. There are infinite combinations of possible alternatives, but these discussion often don’t mention what we have in the fridge. Not to mention, if your cooking for 500 million it can be difficult to agree.

That said we need a reasoned debate on whether what’s on offer is the best we can do. Much of the Lisbon 1 debate was about how undemocratic the EU system was and that a better solution was necessary. A No vote was actually for the status quo or at best a desire for less. Yet this is precisely the opposite of what many No campaigners said that they wanted.

I’d prefer having the referendum commission supervise RTEs editorial. This would hopefully limit the number of political wanabes trying to make a name for themselves out of the 50:50 principle.

The media should foster a debate on the issues. Not the personalities from either side. Wishful thinking I know, but the 50:50 principle is pathetic at best. I recognised some of the local election posters from the Yes campaign, they had removed the vote yes sticker and put a #1 instead.

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