This book presents an overview of political communication in the Republic of Ireland from a multiplicity of perspectives and sources. It brings together academics and practitioners to examine the development and current shape of political communication in modern Ireland. It also examines what the future holds for political communication in an increasingly gatekeeper-free media landscape. The field of political communication, where journalists, public relations professionals and politicians intersect and interact, has always been a highly contested one fuelled by suspicion, mutual dependence and fraught relationships. While politicians need the media they remain highly suspicious of journalists. While journalists remain wary of politicians, they need access to them for information. For most of the time, what emerges is a relatively stable relationship of mutual dependence with the boundaries policed by public relation professions. However, every so often, in times of political crisis or upheaval, this relationship gives way to a near free-for-all. Politicians, spokespersons and sometimes even journalists, become fair game in the battle for public accountability and support. The determination of public relations professions to avoid this and keep the relationship based on mutual dependence has become a central component of modern statecraft and systems of governance. The need to keep politicians and the media 'on message' and use the media to inform, shape and manage public discourse has become central to the workings of government, opposition and interest groups. On the other hand, the packaging of politics has potentially troublesome implications for the democratic process. In the era of the instant news cycle, new technologies and constant opinion polling, just where does information end and misinformation begin? With millions being spent annually on advisors and 'spin-doctors', just where does media access end and media manipulation begin?

This book examines the relationship between Britain and Ireland, specifically the central role played by print and broadcast media in communicating political, cultural, and social differences and similarities between the two islands. The relationship between Ireland and Great Britain has a long and complex history. Given their geographical proximity and shared language one key dimension of this relationship has been the communication media - print and electronic - that have mediated this relationship. This book addresses this important, but relatively neglected, topic at a critical time in Anglo-Irish relations. Taking the long view, as well as looking in detail at specific episodes, the contributors map British-Irish interactions in print and broadcast media. This volume assesses the proprietorial and journalistic connections between various media institutions, the conditions under which media organisations operated and distribution channels employed. It considers media influences in terms of the role of media organs in constructing national identity and promoting social change. Furthermore, this book also considers news flows between the two islands, censorship in times of conflict, cross-border influences of television, and the relationship between cinema and television. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the journal Media History.

This book examines the history of journalists and journalism in twentieth-century Ireland. While many media institutions have been subjected to historical scrutiny, the professional and organisational development of journalists, the changing practices of journalism, and the contribution of journalists and journalism to the evolution of modern Ireland have not. This book rectifies the deficit by mapping the development of journalism in Ireland from the late 1880s to today. Placing the experiences of journalists and the practice of journalism at the heart of its analysis, it examines, for the first time, the work of journalists within the ever-changing context of Irish society. Based on strong primary research - including the previously un-consulted journals and records produced by the many journalistic representative organisations that came and went over the decades - and written in an accessible and engaging style, The Fourth Estate will appeal to anyone interested in journalism, history, the media and the development of Ireland as a modern nation. -- .

This book presents an overview of political communication in the Republic of Ireland from a multiplicity of perspectives and sources. It brings together academics and practitioners to examine the development and current shape of political communication in modern Ireland. It also examines what the future holds for political communication in an increasingly gatekeeper-free media landscape. The field of political communication, where journalists, public relations professionals and politicians intersect and interact, has always been a highly contested one fuelled by suspicion, mutual dependence and fraught relationships. While politicians need the media they remain highly suspicious of journalists. While journalists remain wary of politicians, they need access to them for information. For most of the time, what emerges is a relatively stable relationship of mutual dependence with the boundaries policed by public relation professions. However, every so often, in times of political crisis or upheaval, this relationship gives way to a near free-for-all. Politicians, spokespersons and sometimes even journalists, become fair game in the battle for public accountability and support. The determination of public relations professions to avoid this and keep the relationship based on mutual dependence has become a central component of modern statecraft and systems of governance. The need to keep politicians and the media 'on message' and use the media to inform, shape and manage public discourse has become central to the workings of government, opposition and interest groups. On the other hand, the packaging of politics has potentially troublesome implications for the democratic process. In the era of the instant news cycle, new technologies and constant opinion polling, just where does information end and misinformation begin? With millions being spent annually on advisors and 'spin-doctors', just where does media access end and media manipulation begin?

From the Revolutionary War forward, Irish immigrants have contributed significantly to the construction of the American Republic. Scholars have documented their experiences and explored their social, political, and cultural lives in countless books. Offering a fresh perspective, this volume traces the rich history of the Irish American diaspora press, uncovering the ways in which a lively print culture forged significant cultural, political, and even economic bonds between the Irish living in America and the Irish living in Ireland. As the only mass medium prior to the advent of radio, newspapers served to foster a sense of identity and a means of acculturation for those seeking to establish themselves in the land of opportunity. Irish American newspapers provided information about what was happening back home in Ireland as well as news about the events that were occurring within the local migrant community. They framed national events through Irish American eyes and explained the significance of what was happening to newly arrived immigrants who were unfamiliar with American history or culture. They also played a central role in the social life of Irish migrants and provided the comfort that came from knowing that, though they may have been far from home, they were not alone. Taking a long view through the prism of individual newspapers, editors, and journalists, the authors in this volume examine the emergence of the Irish American diaspora press and its profound contribution to the lives of Irish Americans over the course of the last two centuries.

A leading biblical scholar, Hans Heinrich Schmid, believes that righteousness, or the right order of the world, is 'the fundamental problem of our human existence'. It is a key theme in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament's theology of creation and salvation, along with associated themes such as justice, steadfast love/loyalty, truth/ fidelity, compassion/mercy, sin and disorder/chaos. A number of studies of righteousness have been undertaken but most have tended to focus on Israel's call to be righteous, as voiced in particular in the Prophetic Books and the Psalter. In contrast, this book focuses on divine righteousness as the basis for all other notions of righteousness, as this is outlined in the foundational teaching or revelation of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament- namely, the Torah or Pentateuch. It then undertakes a study of how righteousness in the Prophetic Books, the Psalter and the Book of Job relates to this foundational teaching.

The publication of the Vatican II document on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum) was an exciting and challenging moment for the Church. While honouring the tradition, it also marked a quite dramatic development in the Church's attitude to modern critical analysis of the Bible and encouraged study and reflection on it by all members of the Church. The golden jubilee of its publication is a timely moment for a book such as this. It contains essays on various aspects of Dei Verbum by authors from around the world. They write from the perspective of their respective disciplines of biblical studies, patristics, theology, liturgy, philosophy, and communications media. They situate the document within the Jewish-Christian tradition, assess its reception since Vatican II, and its implications for the future.

A leading biblical scholar, Hans Heinrich Schmid, believes that righteousness, or the right order of the world, is 'the fundamental problem of our human existence'. It is a key theme in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament's theology of creation and salvation, along with associated themes such as justice, steadfast love/loyalty, truth/ fidelity, compassion/mercy, sin and disorder/chaos. A number of studies of righteousness have been undertaken but most have tended to focus on Israel's call to be righteous, as voiced in particular in the Prophetic Books and the Psalter. In contrast, this book focuses on divine righteousness as the basis for all other notions of righteousness, as this is outlined in the foundational teaching or revelation of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament- namely, the Torah or Pentateuch. It then undertakes a study of how righteousness in the Prophetic Books, the Psalter and the Book of Job relates to this foundational teaching.

This book provides reflections on the Sunday Bible readings in the Roman Catholic Lectionary for Years A, B, and C of the liturgical cycle. They previously appeared in separate volumes of Sunday Matters published by ATF Theology in the Dominican Series. They have now been combined in this single volume, colour coded for easier use, and with a revised general introduction and introduction to the Gospel of Matthew. Like the previous volumes, this one is intended to assist those preparing homilies and those with a desire to understand a little more deeply the readings used in the Sunday liturgy. Mark O Brien OP is a member of the Australian Province of the Dominican Order, also known as the Order of Preachers (OP). He entered the Order in 1967 and studied theology in Dominican houses of study in Canberra and Dublin. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1973 and completed post-graduate studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, in 1976. He taught Old Testament studies at Yarra Theological Union, Melbourne, from 1977 and completed a doctorate in Theology at the Melbourne College of Divinity in 1987, now the MCD University of Divinity. He is the author of The Deuteronomic History Hypothesis: A Reassessment and has co-authored several books on the Old Testament with Antony F Campbell SJ. He is currently Dean of Studies for his Province and lectures in Old Testament studies at Catholic Theological College and Yarra Theological Union, both colleges of the MCD University of Divinity. How can we listen to ancient wisdom and make this part of our own story as we try to live deeply spiritual lives in the midst of a busy twenty-first century culture? Mark O Brien s reflections on the Sunday readings can help us hear and understand how these words nourished the Jewish people and the early Christians in their time, and how they have the potential to nourish us today. He brings to these reflections years of scholarship and, equally important, years of his own faith-filled pondering of these texts and wrestling with the God who constantly catches us by surprise. O Brien takes the risk of sharing the questions the Scriptures put to him, and this invites us into our own dialogue with these rich, challenging and often puzzling texts. These reflections will be a great help for anyone wanting to reflect on the Word of Scripture either for personal use or for assistance in preparing a homily. Mary Coloe PBVM Yarra Theological Union, a member college of the MCD University of Divinity, Melbourne"

The publication of the Vatican II document on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum) was an exciting and challenging moment for the Church. While honouring the tradition, it also marked a quite dramatic development in the Church's attitude to modern critical analysis of the Bible and encouraged study and reflection on it by all members of the Church. The golden jubilee of its publication is a timely moment for a book such as this. It contains essays on various aspects of Dei Verbum by authors from around the world. They write from the perspective of their respective disciplines of biblical studies, patristics, theology, liturgy, philosophy, and communications media. They situate the document within the Jewish-Christian tradition, assess its reception since Vatican II, and its implications for the future.

This book provides reflections on the Sunday Bible readings in the Roman Catholic Lectionary for Years A, B, and C of the liturgical cycle. They previously appeared in separate volumes of Sunday Matters published by ATF Theology in the Dominican Series. They have now been combined in this single volume, colour coded for easier use, and with a revised general introduction and introduction to the Gospel of Matthew. Like the previous volumes, this one is intended to assist those preparing homilies and those with a desire to understand a little more deeply the readings used in the Sunday liturgy. Mark O Brien OP is a member of the Australian Province of the Dominican Order, also known as the Order of Preachers (OP). He entered the Order in 1967 and studied theology in Dominican houses of study in Canberra and Dublin. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1973 and completed post-graduate studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, in 1976. He taught Old Testament studies at Yarra Theological Union, Melbourne, from 1977 and completed a doctorate in Theology at the Melbourne College of Divinity in 1987, now the MCD University of Divinity. He is the author of The Deuteronomic History Hypothesis: A Reassessment and has co-authored several books on the Old Testament with Antony F Campbell SJ. He is currently Dean of Studies for his Province and lectures in Old Testament studies at Catholic Theological College and Yarra Theological Union, both colleges of the MCD University of Divinity. How can we listen to ancient wisdom and make this part of our own story as we try to live deeply spiritual lives in the midst of a busy twenty-first century culture? Mark O Brien s reflections on the Sunday readings can help us hear and understand how these words nourished the Jewish people and the early Christians in their time, and how they have the potential to nourish us today. He brings to these reflections years of scholarship and, equally important, years of his own faith-filled pondering of these texts and wrestling with the God who constantly catches us by surprise. O Brien takes the risk of sharing the questions the Scriptures put to him, and this invites us into our own dialogue with these rich, challenging and often puzzling texts. These reflections will be a great help for anyone wanting to reflect on the Word of Scripture either for personal use or for assistance in preparing a homily. Mary Coloe PBVM Yarra Theological Union, a member college of the MCD University of Divinity, Melbourne"