The term “silly season” was coined by journalists for summertime, when for an extended period of time Leinster House was not in session. Silly seasons don’t get any sillier in the Irish media than the permanent soft pedalling by journalists with the government, politicians and political parties for some years now. The highlight of this was the one sided reporting of all things to do with the Covid pandemic, the lockdowns, mandatory mask wearing and mandatory vaccination with an untested and untried experimental vaccine. Silly season was originally coined in the 19th century to describe the time journalist’s faced the absence of stories when governments are on vacation, but the columns newspapers typically devote to politics still had to be filled—hence, stories about beating the heat and how celebrities are managing to do so.
Uno Duce, Una Voce
The entire establishment media in Ireland was of one voice on Covid despite contrary views to the government’s approach by eminent world renowned scientists. P J Maras famous statement in relation to Charles Haughey “Uno duce, una voce” or ‘one leader one voice’ – a quote infamously linked to the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, resonates today as an apt description of the entire establishment Irish media. They, the media completely ignored any voices contrary to the agreed consensus in what can only be described as censorship.
The Noise of an Empty Bucket
In the absence of Covid there was literally almost nothing of consequences to report, and it seems like our media have got sillier than ever in disguising their lack of readymade Covid quotes. Their screaming headlines empty of substantial or relevant content have the hollow echo of an empty bucket. Is this their panicked reaction to their plummeting readership figures as previously loyal readers and listeners turn away in disgust?
Consensus Silence Syndrome
Of course they could report on the sudden upsurge in fatalities in the aftermath of the mass vaccination of the majority of the population in what is euphemistically called ‘Sudden Adult Death Syndrome’ and the rise of ailments of a nature never seen before. That would require inquiry and open minded research which seems to be way beyond the capacity of today’s desk bound and muted journalists who suffer from ‘consensus silence syndrome’. The editorial guardians of the consensus narrative couldn’t have that of course. But then it is after all the extended silly season in journalism.
Saccharine Celebrity Mush
Reports on sexual molestation, rapes and criminality from the sudden swelling of the population with un-vetted migrants is also a taboo subject lest they leave themselves open to the accusation of racism. We are left with sensational nonsense full of saccharine celebrity mush. The closest we get to real news in the Irish media comes from Reuters and the Press Association consisting of stories from far away countries and thank goodness for Ukraine. We are presented with stories that might barely merit a mention at other times before the arrival of, or was it the imposition of the media’s permanent silly season.
Even Handed and Balanced
Imagine the uproar that scantily clad giant plastic penis bearing cross dressers parading through an Irish town and giving out penis shaped ice pops to children would have caused in the media just a few short years ago. Maybe all the journalists were on parade and were too busy to report on it or maybe they think such behaviour is normal and therefore does not merit their attention to report on. To quote P J Mara again “RTÉ would be as usual, even handed and balanced in its presentation”.
The Last Word in Silliness
In the silly seasons flagship the Irish Independent of Sunday August 21st 2022 Willie O’Dea said “August is so regarded as a slow news month that folks call it the “silly season”. It’s the time of year when idiotic political statements get a prominence they wouldn’t otherwise attract. But even this basic fact of political life cannot explain last week’s grotesque series of political pronouncements from Fine Gael claiming there is no street crime or anti-social behaviour problem and that the creation of a dedicated transport police was a matter for someone other than the Government.”Well if it works for Joe Biden, why not for Fine Gael, Fianna Fail Sinn Fein and the rest of Irelands ‘woke’ Joe Biden fans. Are you asleep Willie to the fact that this is now a permanent ‘Silly Season’ feature of Irish Politics and Irish Journalism? It’s all a load of monkey pox.