TV shake-up as broadcast moratorium scrapped for upcoming General Election

Ahead of the soon-to-be-announced General Election, Coimisiún na Meán has announced the replacement of the broadcast moratorium, the 24-hour period before the opening of polling stations and during the period when polling occurs. 

Instead, an additional care requirement will be set in place for broadcasters to follow. 

This decision follows a review of the moratorium, which has been in place since 1997, conducted by Coimisiún na Meán and was commenced in February of this year.

This review included an examination of electoral silence periods in other countries, a survey of attitudes conducted with Ireland's leading market research company, Ipsos B&A, and a public consultation.

The new additional care requirement requires broadcasters to show extra care on what they are reporting during the critical election period.

During this time, broadcasters should be cautious with any election related information they believe, or have reason to believe, was shared intentionally to mislead voters. 

The implementation of this additional care requirement is at the editorial discretion of the broadcaster. This may include the broadcasters rebutting or correcting misconceptions arising from misleading information. 

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Broadcasters should also take care to ensure that opinions expressed by programme contributors do not interfere with the electoral process, by making a false or misleading claim with respect to election procedures.

Broadcasters are also asked not to report on opinion polls or exit polls during polling hours. 

Speaking about the publication of the guidelines, Aoife MacEvilly, Coimisiún na Meán’s Broadcasting and Video-on-Demand Commissioner said, “A media landscape that supports democracy and democratic values, underpins civic discourse and reduces the impact of disinformation is a priority for Coimisiún na Meán. During election periods, broadcasters across Ireland play a crucial role in informing the public about the issues and candidates involved in the election campaign.

The annual Reuters Digital News Report, which was published in June and is funded by Coimisiún na Meán, found that trust in news remains high in Ireland compared to other countries. We recognise the trust that Irish viewers and listeners place in broadcasters and our approach to the moratorium reflects Ireland’s changing media landscape," she added. 

The new approach will be reflected in Coimisiún na Meán’s guidelines, which will be published shortly after the date of the next election is announced.

The guidelines provide direction and advice to broadcasters as to how fairness, objectivity and impartiality can be achieved in their coverage of elections. 

Coimisiún na Meán will also be engaging with online platforms on their preparation for the elections. This is to ensure that they play their part in upholding electoral integrity, while also making sure that voters across the country can make both free and informed decisions on polling day. 

Coimisiún na Meán is Ireland’s agency for developing and regulating a thriving, diverse, creative, safe and trusted media landscape.