BABBLING RTÉ MISSES VISUAL POPE-POURRI

‘What we needed was a sports commentator’

THE world’s media always takes a keen interest in an Irish Catholicrelated story, pointing and staring and speculating about the Church’s loosening ‘stranglehold’. So when the Pope arrives on an official visit, naturally the world’s media descend again, as if half-expecting us to drop to our knees and make an act of contrition about same-sex marriage.

Some 70 international journalists boarded the Papal flight from Rome soon after 8am. Newstalk’s website then announced excitedly that ‘Sheppard’ One had taken off. The mercy is Newstalk is a radio station and justice is served when bad spellers take jobs in radio. EITHNE TYNAN VIEW FROM THE COUCH

In contrast, RTÉ had its entire team positioned around Dublin for interviews and analysis.

Viewers were left wanting for nothing by way of RTÉ-style gravitas but a bit more honest-togoodness reporting wouldn’t have gone astray.

Before the morning was half over everyone was already fed up with people repeating themselves about how much Ireland has changed since 1979. Meanwhile, unfolding behind the monotonous commentary was a visual spectacle crying out to be described: aerial footage of the capital at a standstill; the Pope’s elbow popping out of his little Skoda; Sabina Higgins in tears; the great and the good and the downright mediocre assembled at Dublin Castle; the Popemobile beetling through the flag-waving crowds; the faces of the homeless and of the grey-haired monks who look out for them…

At times like this what you really need is a sports commentator – someone who considers it a good day’s work simply to name the participants and describe the action, and who knows when to shut up.