Theme: Society & Culture | Content Type: Journal article

BBC Northern Ireland and the Public Service Challenge: Some Reflections

Bob Collins

14 Collins BBC Northern Ireland k-mitch-hodge-psIGDb9vxhA-unsplash

K Mitch Hodge

| 1 min read

Broadcasting in Northern Ireland reflects the abiding influence of conflict between the nationalist and unionist communities and the perception of Northern Ireland as a place somewhat apart. Decisions about broadcast content are made in an environment where each community expects to see itself and can be disturbed to find the other. But there are other communities, as well as many people, who do not think in binary terms. Broadcasting needs to respond to that and to the changing demography, with its more varied and nuanced views. BBCNI lacks both the governance and the resources to respond to this challenge. Key decisions are made in London, where the task ahead is not well understood and priorities can appear oriented towards a different audience.

Read the full article on Wiley

Need help using Wiley? Click here for help using Wiley

  • Bob_Collins_05_03_24.JPG

    Bob Collins

    Bob Collins is a former Director-General of RTÉ and a former Chief Commissioner of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

    Articles by Bob Collins
Volume 96, Issue 2

Latest Journal Issue

Volume 96, Issue 2

This issue features a collection titled 'Governing from the Centre Left' edited by Deborah Mabbett and Peter Sloman. In this collection, authors including Claire Ainsley, Jörg Michael Dostal and Eunice Goes examine how centre-left governments in North America, Australasia, and Western Europe have dealt with recent global pressures, and consider what lessons the UK Labour government should learn from its overseas counterparts. Other articles include a commentary by Ben Jackson titled 'Poverty and the Labour Party'; John Connolly, Matthew Flinders and David Judge on 'How Not to Deliver Policies: Lessons in Undeliverability from the Conservative Governments of 2019–2024'; Stewart Lansley on 'Wealth Accumulation: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'; and Coree Brown Swan, Paul Anderson, and Judith Sijstermans on 'Politics and the Pandemic: The UK Covid-19 Inquiry and Devolution'. A selection of book reviews feature Victoria Brittain's review of 'Palestinian Refugee Women from Syria to Jordan, Decolonizing the Geopolitics of Displacement' by Afaf Jabiri, and Anna Coote's review of 'The Care Dilemma: Caring Enough in the Age of Sex Equality', by David Goodhart.

Find out more about the latest issue of the journal