We may consider the caste system in India alien and marvel at the concepts in Huxley’s “Brave New World”; realities and fiction where each person has their predefined place in society. But this week, we discovered in Celtic Tiger Ireland that the same wishes lie purring in the souls of our esteemed reporters. If you’re a writer for one of the national papers, you may rant and offer your opinion on all around you. No matter how crazy, vitriolic or plain stupid, you are allowed a national voice and pay cheque to boot. However if you’re a mere blogger, apparently you should know your place and keep your ideas to yourself. Only those fortunate to be employed as writers, may express and share their thoughts with others. The rest of us should simply listen and learn. Us non-reporters should suck up the tripe, which is being sold to us as validated opinions under the banner of the “Irish Independent” or “Irish Times”. At least that seems to be the opinion of one of these writers.
However this “blog opinion vs reporter opinion” debate, which has raged over the airways and blogways of this country is actually missing the real question, which has been raised by the argument. How long more are we going to put up with the giant male egos on the national TV, papers and radio? When are RTE and the newspapers going to take the platform away from Kevin Myers and John Waters and give it to some new blood, unencumbered by their huge opinion of themselves? Maybe then we may have intelligent commentary on matters that interest the majority of the population. Now that would be a Brave New World indeed.
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