Media regulator gives official seal of approval to yet another biased programme
It will likely come as little surprise to readers of Vital Signs that Ireland’s media regulator Coimisiún na Meán has just dismissed the Pro Life Campaign’s complaint regarding the recent crass and deeply offensive segment on abortion that Virgin Media’s Ireland AM programme ran with.
The offending broadcast featured Ireland AM presenters Muireann O’Connell and Tommy Bowe joking and laughing about the abortion issue with studio guest, comedian Katie Boyle, who talked about her abortion experience in the US and how she’s using comedy to “break the stigma” surrounding the issue.
The programme also aired historical inaccuracies that the presenters never bothered to challenge, including falsehoods about Saint Brigid and abortion.
Coimisiún na Meán receives millions of euro of taxpayers’ money every year to serve as a protector of balance and fairness in the media - but instead of doing its job - it’s effectively acting as a gatekeeper for biased one-sided current affairs coverage in Ireland.
In a separate decision earlier this year, Coimisiún na Meán gave the thumbs-up to an RTÉ Investigates programme on abortion which aired for an hour and five minutes in a prime-time slot, where viewers were subjected to a parade of abortion advocates, with not a single pro-life representative interviewed.
Because Coimisiún na Meán operates within the same ideological bubble as much of the mainstream media, the result is always the same: RTÉ or say Newstalk produces biased content - Coimisiún na Meán protects it - and the public is left powerless in securing accountability.
With the public’s money, Coimisiún na Meán acts both as the country’s media regulator and as the body responsible for allocating millions of euro to news organisations across the country for designated projects. How can the organisation tasked with upholding trust, accountability and independence in the media also serve as a partial source of funding for those same outlets? This isn’t merely problematic - it’s a glaring conflict of interest. Indeed, it should terrify anyone who values a free and open society.
If there is to be even the slightest rebuilding of trust in the mainstream media, the Oireachtas must take an in-depth look at Coimisiún na Meán’s remit and how it is operating. As concerned citizens, we must generate an unrelenting push until it happens. | 
Date: Saturday, 20th September 2025
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Venue: Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin 4
