eprintid: 284
rev_number: 11
eprint_status: archive
userid: 30
dir: disk0/00/00/02/84
datestamp: 2020-01-16 10:29:39
lastmod: 2020-01-16 11:06:21
status_changed: 2020-01-16 10:29:39
type: thesis
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Malone, Abigail
corp_creators: Supervisor: Brian Maye
title: The role of the Irish Times opinion pages in the formulation of public opinion and shaping the political agenda in Ireland: A case study of the 2018 8th Amendment Referendum in Ireland.
ispublished: submitted
subjects: HM
divisions: MAJ_PR
full_text_status: public
keywords: Fake news, 8th Amendment Referendum, Media bias
abstract: The research question proposed is an analysis on ‘The role of the Irish Times opinion pages in the formulation of public opinion and shaping the political agenda in Ireland: A case study of the 2018 8th Amendment Referendum in Ireland.’ The opinion pages of print media have the ability to change minds and influence the political agenda. In an era where fake news and biased reporting is prevalent, the need for diverse viewpoints to be represented in a balanced manner in the opinion columns of national newspapers across the world is more 
urgent than ever. Representation within the powerful opinion columns is needed to encourage healthy discourse and democratic conversations and prevent individuals and 
politicians from being immersed in an echo chamber of their own opinion. It is widely recognised that newspapers, editors and journalists have a professional obligation to maintain a balance and impartiality in their publication.  


This thesis demonstrates the ability that the opinion pages have to change the mind of the reader and be a powerful actor in setting the political agenda by influencing the elite members in society. The nature of opinion pages in the Irish Times, in relation to the 2018 8th Amendment referendum in Ireland, is analysed. The 8th Amendment recognised the equal right to life of the unborn child and mother and, with exception to limited 
circumstances, prevented abortion services being available in Ireland. The referendum in May 2018 sought to remove this amendment and legislate for abortion in Ireland. 

A mixed method research approach was utilised in this study which included qualitative and quantitative analyses on the persuasion of the selected opinion pages. The findings showed that the Irish Times opinion pages published in relation to abortion and the 8th Amendment 
in Ireland during the month of May 2018, before the referendum took place, were dominated by the pro-repeal, ‘Yes’, side of the abortion debate.  

Out of the forty-nine Irish Times opinion pages studied, twenty-eight of the opinion pages proposed a repeal of the 8th Amendment in Ireland while twelve opinion pages argued in favour of keeping the 8th Amendment. In addition to this, six opinion pieces were neutral on 
the topic while three opinion pieces were excluded from the content analysis data set as they were irrelevant to the debate.

This research illustrates the need for a more varied discourse within national media outlets in Ireland regarding topical social and political issues. The research exemplified the need to challenge the biases prevalent in the opinion pages of national and widely read newspapers in Ireland and demand more representation of differing viewpoints within the national media.
date: 2019
date_type: completed
institution: Griffith College
department: Faculty of Journalism and Media Communications
thesis_type: masters
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Link to Opinion Pages Date Author https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/the-moment-a24/05/2018 Tomas Ryan baby-s-brain-starts-to-function-and-other-scientificanswers-on-abortion-1.3506968 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/we-can-and24/05/2018 David Farrell should-trust-our-oireachtas-on-abortion-1.3505859 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/breda-o-brien-if24/05/2018 Breda O'Brien you-vote-for-choice-you-are-facilitating-abortions 1.3505850 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/what-can-ireland23/05/2018 Patricia Lohr learn-from-the-uk-on-abortion-1.3504229 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/kathy-sheridan23/05/2018 Kathy Sheridan friday-is-about-so-much-more-than-abortion 1.3504515 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/oliver-callan-to23/05/2018 Oliver Callan vote-no-is-a-special-kind-of-unfairness-1.3504484 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/regina-doherty23/05/2018 Regina ireland-will-not-be-introducing-uk-style-abortion-lawsDoherty 1.3504500 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/legislating-for23/05/2018 Dr Maeve abortion-on-grounds-of-rape-alone-is-impossibleEogan 1.3504219 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/this-referendum23/05/2018 Trevor is-about-life-and-that-is-why-for-most-of-us-it-createsMorrow a-dilemma-1.3504474 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/repeal-s23/05/2018 Ben O'Floinn constitutional-change-would-carry-deep-legalimplications-1.3504345 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/several-factors22/05/2018 Dr. David complicate-passing-legislation-in-event-of-repealKenny 1.3504177 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/human-beings22/05/2018 Dr. Helen Watt are-equal-in-their-basic-interests-and-their-basichuman-rights-1.3504163 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/whatever-this22/05/2018 Dr Vittorio referendum-is-about-it-is-not-about-human-rightsBufacchi 1.3503253 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/fintan-o-toole22/05/2018 Fintan O'Toole real-choice-is-not-yes-or-no-it-is-what-if-or-as-if 1.3503001 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/you-don-t-have22/05/2018 Nick Breen to-agree-with-abortion-to-vote-yes-to-repeal-the-8th 1.3503219 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/eighth22/05/2018 Archibishop amendment-is-a-declaration-of-tenderness-at-heart-ofEamon Martin the-constitution-1.3503105 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/josepha-madigan22/05/2018 Josepha the-case-for-yes-to-repealing-eighth-1.3503156 Madigan https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/claire-malone21/05/2018 Claire Malone now-the-no-campaign-is-using-my-coping-against-me 1.3503100 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/the-eighth21/05/2018 Dr. Joan amendment-puts-the-health-of-pregnant-women-inMcCarthy jeopardy-1.3502936 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/society-has-a21/05/2018 Dr. Dónal duty-to-protect-the-most-vulnerable-among-usO'Mathúna 1.3502919 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/i-have-been-a21/05/2018 Mary Brosnan midwife-for-30-years-and-am-voting-yes-1.3502002 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/fintan-o-toole19/05/2018 Fintan O'Toole abortion-issue-creates-and-sustains-tribal-politics 1.3498898 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/reasons-to-vote19/05/2018 Breda O'Brien no-in-the-abortion-referendum-1.3500375 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/pat-leahy-one19/05/2018 Pat Leahy way-or-the-other-the-referendum-will-change-irishpolitics-1.3500411 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/anne-harris-pro19/05/2018 Anne Harris choice-activists-are-on-a-35-year-march-of-attrition 1.3500512 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/noel-whelan18/05/2018 Noel Whelan why-i-am-voting-yes-in-the-referendum-1.3499186 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/it-will-not-take18/05/2018 Bénédicte long-before-the-sad-french-reality-of-abortion-comesSage-Fuller to-these-shores-1.3499179 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/brianna-parkins17/05/2018 Brianna yes-roses-have-abortions-too-1.3497801 Parkins https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/kathy-sheridan16/05/2018 Kathy Sheridan tone-of-no-side-no-more-humble-than-in-1983 1.3496344 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/ronan-keane16/05/2018 Ronan Keane repeal-of-eighth-does-not-mean-unborn-have-no-rightto-life-1.3496422 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/abortion-debate15/05/2018 Patsy McGarry when-does-the-human-person-come-into-being 1.3495998 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/fintan-o-toole15/05/2018 Fintan O'Toole why-are-the-state-s-great-secrets-often-about-womens-bodies-1.3494918 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/muslim-view15/05/2018 Shayk Dr Umar repeal-eighth-amendment-to-relieve-burden-onAl-Qadri women-1.3494798 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/fintan-o-toole12/05/2018 Fintan O'Toole on-abortion-we-are-subjects-of-brexit-britain 1.3490655 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/diarmaid-ferriter12/05/2018 Diarmaid life-goes-on-in-the-valley-of-the-squinting-windowsFerriter 1.3492097 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/world-view12/05/2018 Paul Gillespie debate-on-future-of-europe-is-only-beginning 1.3491929 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/breda-o-brien12/05/2018 Breda O'Brien abortion-for-down-syndrome-looms-as-real-threat 1.3491954 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/una-mullally11/05/2018 Una Mullaly what-was-no-side-up-to-online-that-was-so-crucial 1.3491739 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/who-made11/05/2018 Colum Kenny facebook-and-google-referendum-debate-gatekeepers 1.3490925 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/washington09/05/2018 Eleanor press-corps-afraid-to-look-in-the-mirror-over-trumpTiernan 1.3488033 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/churches-stance08/05/2018 Fergas against-abortion-is-virtue-signalling-1.3486855 O'Ferrall https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/the-poisonous07/05/2018 Una Mullaly online-campaign-to-defeat-the-abortion-referendum 1.3486236 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/compassion-s05/05/2018 Breda O'Brien role-in-voting-on-eighth-amendment-1.3484429 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/ireland-s-cervical04/05/2018 Una Mullaly cancer-shame-shows-women-are-still-second-classcitizens-1.3484162 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/noel-whelan-bid04/05/2018 Noel Whelan to-fix-abortion-law-in-constitution-did-not-work 1.3482939 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/graham-linehan03/05/2018 Graham men-must-play-their-part-in-repealing-the-eighthLinehan 1.3481645 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/removal-of02/05/2018 David Alton eighth-would-create-law-more-inhumane-than-britains-1.3480588 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/fintan-o-toole01/05/2018 Fintan O'Toole 8th-amendment-demands-punishment-for-women1.3479390 https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/referendum-on01/05/2018 Nick Park eighth-about-trusting-politicians-not-women-ordoctors-1.3479421
citation:   Malone, Abigail  (2019) The role of the Irish Times opinion pages in the formulation of public opinion and shaping the political agenda in Ireland: A case study of the 2018 8th Amendment Referendum in Ireland.  Masters thesis, Griffith College.   
document_url: http://go.griffith.ie/284/1/MAJPR%20-%20Abigail%20Malone%20-%20Dissertation.pdf
document_url: http://go.griffith.ie/284/2/bibliography.txt