Political Communication in Ireland

The Taoiseach has launched a new book on political communication in Ireland. Published by Liverpool University Press and edited by DCU academics Mark O’Brien and Donnacha Ó Beacháin, the book, Political Communication in the Republic of Ireland, is the first to trace the relationship between politics and media in Ireland over the last century.

Among the topics examined are how the media report politics, how politicians use the media during elections, the role and experiences of government press secretaries, the development of political journalism and the role of party political broadcasts. It also examines the regulation of media in terms of election and referenda coverage and how social media has altered the dynamics of political communication.

Speaking at the launch, the Taoiseach said, “This excellent book has been meticulously edited by Donnacha Ó Beacháin and Mark O’Brien. The practice of political communications can sometimes be characterised by reaction over reflection. The contributors to this book display the kind of thoughtfulness and insight that can be lacking in a world where perhaps there has been too much 'us and them' - politicians on one hand, media on the other. I have no doubt it will be a fascinating and invaluable work for students of the subject.”

Explaining the book’s rationale, Mark O’Brien explained, “This publication was prompted in large part by the dependence of Irish students on books that analysed political communication from a solely British or American perspective. While there are similarities with these jurisdictions, there are also characteristics of political communication that are unique to Ireland and these deserve analysis in their own right.”

“One of the strengths of the book”, according to Donnacha Ó Beacháin, “is how it presents an overview of political communication in Ireland from a multiplicity of perspectives. By bringing academics and practitioners together, the book examines issues such as the packaging of politics in the era of the instant news cycle and the impact of social media on political communication in a more comprehensive way.”