RTE can’t escape scandal. The controversies of the last six months have demonstrated how the organisation operated in the dark.

But there is a bigger story.

On Free State, Joe and Dion look at how RTE was captured. How free and fearless journalism has been replaced by cronyism.

They trace the story of decline back to the 1970s to see how journalism and journalists in RTE were censored during the Troubles. Dion and Joe disagree about Section 31 which banned Sinn Fein from television and radio. 

They look too at how self-censorship took over before it increasingly resembles the political establishment, with challenging voices -and northern nationalists - not welcome. While it rightly mobilised to support the people of Ukraine, Gaza has been a different story with even the smallest show of support forbidden. 

Instead of being the crusading station it once was, RTE comforted the comfortable and left the afflicted to fend for themselves.

For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/

To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]

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