MA in TV and Radio Journalism

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A Study of National Identity in the Irish Men’s Football & Rugby Teams.
(Griffith, 2019) Bradshaw, Emmet
This paper is a study of national identity in the Irish men’s football & rugby teams, as perceived by the media and the public. Among many Irish sports fans, there are different attitudes towards the Irish national rugby and football teams respectively. Many of these opinions are influenced by factors other than results on the pitch. This research study aims to address the idea of Irish national identity as embodied by Ireland’s two most popular national sports teams, and to understand how these perceived collective identities are (a) projected onto these teams by the media and (b) shaping public opinion towards both teams. I conducted a mixed methods research study that involved a content analysis of 757 articles produced by the Irish Times and the Irish Daily Star in relation to both teams on selected dates during the calendar year 2017. I also conducted an online multiple-choice survey whereby 229 respondents from the Irish public shared their perspectives on the Irish rugby and football teams, Irish national identity and their level of sports media consumption. This study sought to address six research questions as listed below, alongside some of the key findings. 1. What percentage of recent media coverage related to the Ireland rugby team and the Republic of Ireland football team features the theme of Irish national identity? 37% of the selected media coverage related to the Ireland rugby team and the Republic of Ireland football team features the theme of Irish national identity. However, there are some limitations in scope of certain elements of this study, so further extensive research would be welcomed in this regard. 2. Does that percentage of media coverage showcase each team in a negative or positive light? The study found that 93% of the coverage was positive and 7% was negative. 3. According to the Irish sports media, what are the main differences between how the Irish rugby and football teams respectively embody national identity? This research suggests both teams have similar work-ethics and embody similar levels of humility, but the main difference between both teams according to the Irish sports media with regard to national identity is that the Irish football team embody passion to a larger extent. 4. How does negative media coverage of each team impact public interest in Irish international rugby and football matches? Due to the limited scope of this research study, the findings do not offer a conclusive insight in relation to this research question. Further, more in-depth research in this regard would be welcomed. 5. According to Irish rugby and football supporters, what are the main differences between how the Irish rugby and football teams respectively embody national identity? These findings could be seen as an indication that in relation to national identity, with a majority sample of male Leinster-based supporters, rugby fans have a lower opinion of the Irish football team than that of the football fans towards the rugby team. However, further research would be required to accurately explore this in more detail involving a more diverse demographic of Irish supporters. 6. Do Irish rugby and soccer supporters factor their own perceptions of national identity into their opinions towards the national teams? The scope of this research study cannot sufficiently address this final research question and further investigation would be needed in order to posit an accurate response.
A Tale as Old as Time: a radio documentary on how Millennials understand romantic love
(Griffith College, 2019) Sperger, Lena
This radio documentary focuses on Generation Y’s (people born from 1980-2000, also called the Millennials) understanding of romantic love and how this shapes their adulthood. The documentary features different people from this age group, both male and female. Through their stories, the documentary outlines their hopes and fears regarding romantic love as well as the social pressure they find themselves under. Today’s society has various definitions of romantic love relationships and we can see that these characterisations of love change among cultures but also generations. One that distinguishes itself significantly from others in its view on love and relationship is the Millennials. Therefore, this thesis will examine how Millennials understand romantic love relationships and how they influence them in their adulthood. The main thrust of this thesis is the definition of love as well as its origins. Furthermore, this thesis presents the creative decision which have been made in order to produce the radio documentary A Tale as Old as Time. Findings from this thesis suggest that Millennials are choosing a different perspective on love compared to older generations. This is influenced not only by social media but also on their perception on marriage, social norms, commitment and religious fidelity. Contributors in the documentary all related to their upbringing, social and cultural influences, how they define romantic love relationships and how they learned to love.
A visual and linguistic approach to the representation of celebrity news on Instagram as observed on the accounts of E!News, Entertainment Tonight, and Page Six
(Griffith College, 2023) Bonori, Alessia
This study investigates the visual and linguistic portrayal of celebrity cheating scandals on Instagram, exploring the interplay between news circulation on social media and the reporting techniques of entertainment journalism. As a result of the digitalisation of news production and circulation, celebrity journalism has adapted its business strategies and reporting techniques to the new platforms emerging in the media landscape. By conducting a mixed quantitative and qualitative content analysis of 23 celebrity news posts, the present paper determines the means through which cheating scandals are visually and linguistically depicted on the Instagram accounts of three entertainment news platforms: E!News, Entertainment Tonight, and Page Six. Employing academic research on images’ role in the news and on journalistic reporting styles as a springboard, this study identifies a range of visual and linguistic tools employed in the cheating scandal posts. Taking into account the sensational nature of celebrity journalism, as well as the business strategies and application-specific features of Instagram, this paper determines that the use of visual and linguistic tools in the posts contributes to the creation of sensationalism by functioning as attention-grabbing devices. This dissertation delves into a variety of interrelated aspects concerning the digitalisation of news circulation, the ad revenue system of social media platforms, and the sensational reporting style of entertainment journalism. The content analysis of celebrity cheating scandal posts on Instagram, has served as an important method to foreground some of the issues and lacunae in the contemporary news media, such as the lack of transparency and the unfair advertising revenue systems on social media. This dissertation highlights the importance of spreading more awareness among consumers with regard to news production and dissemination across the ever-expanding media landscape.
Caution: Children at Play. A radio documentary on the decline of children’s free play opportunities in Dublin, Ireland
(Griffith College, 2017) Cooke, Caoimhe
Research in human development indicates that play encompasses an important role in the development and learning of children. It is through play that children discover the world around them and begin to internalise their experiences. In this increasingly fast-paced world, children are busier than ever before. They are faultlessly caught up in a results-based society, that is more competitive and demanding of them than any generation that went before them. Parents, too, are struggling to strike a balance between keeping up with this frenzy and nurturing the growth of their precious children. The document lays out the research path of the radio documentary: ‘Caution: Children at Play.’ It refers to relevant literature and investigates how children play in our modern, increasingly digitised world. The dissertation also outlines the creative and technical process involved in the production of ‘Caution: Children at Play’. It presents the researcher’s findings that a lack of unstructured play opportunities in childhood has led to a generation of children who have less of a relationship with nature, and are less inclined to be creative. The documentary and supporting document seek to prove that over-supervisation and over protection is taking away child’s free choice and the very thing that makes their behaviour play. The fear exists that this will lead to a lack of essential coping skills when these children reach adulthood.
Divorce Uncovered A radio documentary on how the emotional trauma after divorce affects future relationships
(Griffith College, 2023) Bischoff, Annalena
Divorce is a personal experience which people hesitate to speak about in public. According to experts, it is one of the toughest phases in people’s lives because divorcees experience changes within all life circumstances. The decision to end one’s marriage does not happen overnight, it is a process which takes years and affects the social environment including family members, in-laws and friends. This study aims to discover the emotional consequences of a divorce on affected people. It covers the themes of loss, grief, healing and transformation before being able to commit to a new partner. Light is cast on the walls built after a divorce which can be a barrier to healthy relationships. A documentary was designed through the use of interviews, instrumental sounds and narrative elements. This documentation demonstrates the research process before the construction of the audio elements including sample literature as well as media artifacts dealing with vulnerable topics. The radio documentary Divorce Uncovered contains a personal divorce story with explanatory elements. It features the voices of women who experienced divorce in different ways and give deep insights into the emotional impact it had on their life as well as their future relationships.
Do health-and-fitness magazines influence males’ and females’ perceptions of health and fitness differently?
(Griffith College, 2017) Nolan, Emma
The present research had to two goals: (1) to discover how healthy health-and-fitness magazines actually are, and (2) to discover if health-and-fitness is portrayed differently by health-and-fitness magazines based on gender. The study involved two separate elements: a content analysis and a survey. Study 1 involved a content analysis of four magazines over a three-month period from June 2017 to August 2017. Two male-audience targeted magazines and two female-audience targeted magazines were analysed. The magazines involved in this study were Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Women’s Health and Women’s Fitness. The content analysis revealed that both men’s and women’s health-and-fitness magazines exhibit appearance-related content more so than health-related content. However, it was discovered that they promote different types of appearance-based messages. Men’s health-and-fitness magazines are more focused on muscle gain and bulking, i.e., getting bigger, whereas women’s health-and-fitness magazines are more focused on slimming down and improving one’s glutes. It appears that male-focused magazines are encouraging their readers to gain muscle in every area of their body and make it bigger and stronger, whereas female-focused magazines are encouraging their readers to slim down every part of their bodies but their glutes. The content analysis also determined that both men’s and women’s health-and-fitness magazines largely fail to promote better health. The majority of the so-called health articles present in the magazines are mostly unproven ‘health myths’ with little or no research backing the claims. Similarly, only one health advertisement was present in the magazines analysed: P20 sunscreen. Study 2 involved a survey of 120 participants from an array of nine countries. The survey titled ‘Perceptions on Health and Fitness Survey’ proved that the majority of people are of the opinion that health-and-fitness magazines promote unnatural and unattainable physiques and contain airbrushed images. The results also indicated the majority of people who engage in physical activity do so for their health, wellbeing and enjoyment, not for appearance-related reasons, which contradicts the messages being put forward by both men’s and women’s health-and-fitness magazines.
Gaeilge ar Líne: A TV Documentary about the benefits of social media for the promotion and revival of the Irish language
(Griffith College, 2017) Fitzmaurice, Éadaoin
I intend to test the perception that social media is a valuable means through which the Irish language can be re-invigorated and made relevant to the 21st century. Through the examination of various social media platforms, I intend to examine how individuals use such technological tools to revive the language and to assess the benefits of social media for promoting the more widespread use of Irish in daily life. By making the accompanying documentary bilingual, I can access a much wider audience through the use of sub-titles during the in-depth interviews of Irish speakers who use social media platforms daily with the intention of promoting the language. To date, there has been no in-depth analysis of the impact of social media on the development of the Irish language which prompted my personal interest in this project and encouraged me to examine if social media is being successful in making Irish “cool “ and trendy. This Dissertation by practice is a filmed, participatory documentary called “Gaeilge ar Líne”. It tells the story of a journey around the country to meet ambassadors of the Irish language online, who use social media to promote the language. They speak about how they have made the language accessible to a wider audience using these platforms.
Game Changer A TV documentary about the cultural industry of E-Sports
(Griffith College, 2020) Dumas, Matthieu
"Game Changer" is a documentary discussing E-Sport and its stand in today’s cultural industry. The aim of this documentary is to offer a vision of E-Sports that is renewed, far from the common depiction the genre receives in the media. It proposes a discussion on the current state of E-Sports in the world of entertainment, discusses the coverage it receives in the media, and finally tries to answer if E- Sports are in fact sports or not. Game Changer is an 18 minutes’ documentary, interviewing three professionals within the E-Sports industry; Alex Blaike, PR and Social Manager for ESL Australia, Gael Parpex Director of the Associations “Générations E-Sport”, “Competition E- Sport” and co-founder of “Ma Team E-Sport” and finally Justin McNolley “MiracU” Pro-player for “Team Solo Mid” (TSM). They bring their experience and knowledge of the field, for us to make sense of what the culture is about, and give an insightful view on the genre, with the help of visuals and voice over. It analyses the treatment Gaming and E-Sports receives in the media, pointing it out its unfairness, proposing that there might have been a recent shift, due to the growing popularity of the genre. It also draws the similarities between Sport and E- Sports, proposing that the development, growth, and institutionalization of both disciplines into spectator sports, a primary form of entertainment, promotes E-Sports as an important media actor of today’s society.
History in Residence: a radio documentary about Dublin City Council's six historians in residence.
(Griffith, 2019) Byrne, Brian
This documentary is an examination of the work of Dublin City Council’s six historians in residence, the importance of public history, the history of Dublin and how we all relate or do not relate to it. History has long seemed the realm of the academic and the scholar, this 45 minute documentary will chart the efforts of Dublin City Council’s six historians in residence. As they attempt to take history down from it’s ivory tower of academia and make it a tangible thing to the public. Through the use of audio interviews, SFX and music, the documentary will explore the themes of public history and identity, what it means to be Irish and what it history means to us all. The narrative which emerges from these various themes, provides an insight into how important our history is to us, what we can learn from it, and what we are destined to repeat without it. In this programme I’ll be interviewing Dublin’s six historians in residence as I follow them through a normal workday. Moving from historian to historian, wending our way through Dublin’s districts, criss-crossing the Liffey, treading the steps of hidden history which permeate the brick and mortar of Baile Átha Cliath. With the historians as our guides, they will peel back the layers of the past, exposing the stories which lie just out of sight. Their mandate was to make history tangible for as many diverse groups as possible. On this journey we’ll hear from all the different people with whom the historians have interacted with over the past year; be they prisoner, pensioner or pupil.
Ireland Informed: A Characterization of Science Reporting in the Irish Media
(Griffith College, 2018) Mc Cluskey, Fiona
Science and scientific advancement has the capacity to be an exciting topic for the Irish news consumer. Public understanding of science and scientific advancement is important for informed policy making, legislating and funding. The purpose of this dissertation was to develop an understanding of the current landscape of science reporting in the Irish media and to assess if an adequate level of science coverage was achieved. The design of this research was both quantitative and qualitative, building on the research paradigm of Suleski and Ibaraki (2010). I identified and analysed the reporting of science news over a one-month period in 2018, across two television news shows, namely RTÉ News: Six One and TV3: 3News at 5.30, one tabloid and one broadsheet newspaper, namely the Irish Sun and the Irish Independent newspaper and two radio news shows, namely RTÉ Radio One: Morning Ireland and Today FM: The Last Word. Using a set of defined guidelines, 82 examples of science news reporting were identified during the study period and a content analysis was performed. It was found that 0.03% of science research published in peer reviewed journals reached the Irish media audience and there was an average of 1.7% science news coverage in Irish news content. The medical sciences received the most news coverage with an emphasis on cancer science. There was a focus on local relevance in the science news reports studied and although a tenancy toward negative news stories was anticipated, this was not observed. It was established that the level of science news coverage in the Irish media did not correspond to the appetite of the Irish news consumer and can therefore be deemed inadequate.
One Recovery – Two Regions: A radio documentary exploring the urban-rural divide in Ireland. Providing an insight into the lives of commuters
(Griffith College, 2018) Crosbie, Josh
One Recovery - Two Regions is a twenty-minute radio documentary that gives the audience an insight into the daily obstacles that those who live in rural Ireland face due to an unbalanced recovery. Documenting the stories from two commuters who work in different environments and locations but endure a similar routine. The audience is then brought on a journey to explore what initiatives are being done to minimise the urban-rural divide. It examines what programmes are working in conjunction with those experiencing this lifestyle and the government. Amongst all, it reveals that there are ways to develop rural life to sustain an attractive region for future generations. The research discovers that commuting has become a standard of acceptance, which has lasting knock-on effects to those commuting and the people around them. The experiences and knowledge shared throughout One Recovery – Two Regions gives a voice to those not often heard and can ignite a passion to change circumstances.
Raised by my Motherland: A radio documentary on Lyudmila Matthews, an orphan, a survivor and a witness of Stalin’s Great Terror
(Griffith College, 2018) Conor, Fay
This radio documentary, entitled Raised by my Motherland tells the story of Lyudmila Matthews. Lyudmila was a child in the Soviet Union when the series of repressions known as the Great Terror, or the Purges, orchestrated by Josef Stalin gained momentum. The Terror, through killings and forced starvation, resulted in the deaths of millions across the newly established Soviet Union and remains the most problematic aspect of the nations Communist history. The Terror destroyed Lyudmila’s family as her father fell victim to its ravages. Raised by My Motherland seeks to situate the story of this initial destruction of the family unit its proper historical context and then explore how Lyudmila, the one remaining survivor of that family navigated life in the Soviet Union as an orphan and experienced the unique nation as it was gradually moulded from above by its totalitarian leader, Stalin and then moulded again by his death. Lyudmila’s story is, considering her old age, a rare one and thus Raised by my Motherland places most of its emphasis on her voice as she reﬂects on her own Soviet Century. This is her account of that phenomenon which erupted in 1917, the memory and inﬂuence of which survives to this day, 100 years later.
Reputation: When a News story damages a good name.
(Griffith College, 2018) Keegan, Trevor
Have you ever stopped to think about the people involved in a news story you have read, watched or heard? Have you ever wondered how they felt, how they were treated by the journalist(s) covering the story and what happened them after the journalists moved on? In my radio documentary, and supporting thesis document, I set out to meet some people whose good name was tarnished by a news story in which they featured. I find out if journalistic ethics were adhered to or completely removed from the reality of the coverage. I also discover the real and lasting impact of having one's reputation questioned, dissected and ultimately tarnished because it was linked to a negative news story. The documentary also endeavors to explore the concept of reputation and its standing in the legal system whilst a tabloid editor reveals the pressures on paper to produce factually correct content in a very competitive market.
The Impact of Social Media on the Collection and Distribution of News in Ireland.
(2019) Maguire, Sadbh
The advent of the internet and the smartphone have resulted in a paradigm shift in the way people communicate with each other and how they access and share news and information. The available data for Ireland shows that fewer people are getting their news from newspapers and TV since 2015. This downward trend shows no sign of changing. This dissertation analyses how an event was treated on the different media platforms of a number of Irish news publishers over a one month period in 2019. The purpose of the study is to develop a greater understanding of the impact of social media on the collection and distribution of news in an Irish context. A combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis was conducted in addition to an interview with a media professional from Kinzen to accomplish this. The research findings show that News publishers have a clear understanding of the altered social media landscape and have adapted by making use of new mobile technologies to deliver their news across many social platforms, all of which are available on smartphones. This is reflected by the significant increase in coverage on social media platforms. Only 15% of the articles reviewed could be seen to be content directly derived from social media sources.

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