Paul Clark of the Covenant.
What was that all about on UTV News last night. A week long series of reports on the “Ulster Covenant” seems reasonable enough. And perhaps tonights promised report on Nationalism and the Covenant will do something to restore some balance to Paul Clarks strangely personal report last night.
Starting his Report with a visit to May Street Presbyterian Church where his grandfather heard a sermon on the Covenant in 1912 before walking out to sign it…….actually a couple of days later because the crowds were too great. Paul Clark even held up a “piece of family history”…….the Covenant signed by his grandfather in 1912.
Paul Clark is rapidly becoming the “Face of the Decades of Centenaries” ….on UTV at least. He is probably UTVs face with the most “gravitas”. This kinda thing seems to be his kinda thing. Visiting war graves in Flanders…..”Royal Visit”…..Titanic……and no harm in that.
But as the Titanic Experience showed, journalists got caught up in a Good News narrative that Belfast is just wonderful. Just look at those MTV Awards. Increasingly it looks like there is a narrative for the upcoming Decade and journalists will set aside anything that puts a darker shade on the Covenant…..
In journalistic terms, Paul Clark’s piece on the Covenant last night was an outrageous “puff piece” and unlikely to be balanced by tonights piece on “nationalism and the Covenant”. Meanwhile up at Stormont, there was hard news….a different narrative where an SDLP-led motion to censure a leading light in the 2012 Remembrance Campaign was being discussed.
Was it given proper recognition on UTV News last night? Why not?
Keeping An Eye On the Czar of Russia 
Mr Fitz,
It was a “Puff Piece”. Not a serious analysis. Nevertheless I look forward to tonights balancing act.
I wonder will it mention the implied (explicit?) threat of violence towards Unionism’s neighbours and the British state?
I wonder will it mention that Home Rule was democratically voted for ?
I wonder will it mention the subsequent events that flowed from the Covenant including the importation of German arms and the social and religious demagogoury that it spawned?
I wonder will it mention the sense of siege that it relied upon or the discrimination and alienation that Northern Nationalists suffered as a result?
I doubt it somehow (Rant over)
Not sure that I would rely on UTV for anything factual on this…last week on the evening news one of the reporters (sounded like a younger woman) said that the Ulster Covenant was signed by thousands of people who opposed the partition of Ireland. Also, Paul Clark has been fluffing his lines on this subject terribly. I thought the first time he might have been stunned having heard the aforementioned report, but its not been the only time.
BBC NI and UTV are in their own way as compliant with Norn Iron propaganda as the North Korean media.
The North Korean media is controlled by Feat.
The Norn Iron Media is controlled by Patronage and Access.
I see Alliance is to vote with Sinn Fein against Jim Allister’s Special Advisor Bill. DUP, UUP and SDLP support it. It will reach committee stage as a result. Eh what is the masterplan here?
Might be related to the fate of Stephen Farrys Ministry. Alliance has a disproportionate number of Special Advisors.
Hang on, SDLP voting with Jim A????
Whats going on
If hes making the point that Special Advisors should be scrutinesed and limited, its arguably a “good thing”. Especially if its widened to include general patronage.
That’s a big if Mr Fitz.
They’ll need to explain and closely argue this one
Reading between the lines, Id say it was more about “Debate” than “Winning the Debate”.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-19710873
I saw this earlier. 🙂
I just blogged on it Hoboroad, thanks.
http://bangordub.wordpress.com/