Category: Elections

As the presidential race begins, ordinary citizens must speak up for democratic principles

Posted on By AOB
Elections, News, Policy

As Ireland’s 2025 presidential race unfolds, the integrity of its democratic process faces new challenges from foreign interference and smear campaigns to misinformation spread by bots. Writing in The Irish Times, Eileen Culloty, assistant professor in communications and deputy director of the DCU Institute for Media, Democracy and Society, together with David Farrell, Professor of Politics at University College Dublin and expert in electoral systems, argue that institutional safeguards alone are not enough. And advocate empowering ordinary citizen through tools like citizen panels and grassroots vigilance to actively defend democratic norms and ensure fair and trusted elections.

#GE24: How Anti-Immigration Candidates are Pivoting

Posted on By EDMO Admin
Elections, News

Dr Shane Murphy examines the campaign dynamics of right-wing and anti-immigrant candidates. In May of this year, in the run up to the local and European elections, the monthly Ipsos snapshot  poll found immigration to be the number one issue on among 29% of the Irish public. The salience of immigration as an issue, and … Read More “#GE24: How Anti-Immigration Candidates are Pivoting” »

#GE24 Media Dynamics: more attack ads, Aontú’s political satire, and O’Gorman’s old tweets  

Posted on By EDMO Admin
Elections, News

Aoife Barry reviews the media dynamics of GE24 for EDMO Ireland and FuJo. After a three-week campaign, voting day has finally dawned. So how did the final week of campaigning look online? As noted last week, the first major attack ad of GE24 was launched to muted fanfare when Fine Gael took aim at Sinn … Read More “#GE24 Media Dynamics: more attack ads, Aontú’s political satire, and O’Gorman’s old tweets  “ »

#GE24: Don’t share until you verify it’s true

Posted on By EDMO Admin
Elections, Media Literacy, News

The final days before an election are prime time for dubious information. A last-minute falsehood leaves little time for journalists and fact-checkers to respond. Even if it is debunked quickly, the confusion can shift the narrative around candidates and parties. We all have a critical responsibility to check if information is true before we share … Read More “#GE24: Don’t share until you verify it’s true” »

#GE24: What the manifestos say about mis/disinformation

Posted on By EDMO Admin
Elections, News

In TheJournal FactCheck newsletter, editor Stephen McDermott examines what the party manifestos say about mis/disinformation. Sign up to the monthly FactCheck newsletter here. We’re past the halfway point of the election, and all the major parties have launched their manifestos. The main talking points from those manifesto launches have been around things like housing, tax cuts, reducing … Read More “#GE24: What the manifestos say about mis/disinformation” »

#GE24 Media Dynamics: attack ads, milking media appearances, and organic TikToks

Posted on By EDMO Admin
Elections, News

Aoife Barry reviews the media dynamics of GE24 for EDMO Ireland and FuJo. While ‘attack ads’ have been a feature of American life since the 1960s (we can thank some of the era’s pioneering ad men for that), they’re not a prominent part of Irish politics. Yet this week saw the first attack ad of … Read More “#GE24 Media Dynamics: attack ads, milking media appearances, and organic TikToks” »

#GE24: The National Alliance

Posted on By EDMO Admin
Elections, News

Dr Shane Murphy examines the campaign dynamics of right-wing and anti-immigrant candidates. June’s local elections were largely successful for the Irish far right with six anti-immigration candidates elected to local councils. In the aftermath, right-wing candidates began considering what steps would need to be taken in order to recreate this success in the upcoming general … Read More “#GE24: The National Alliance” »

GE24: Compare information sources

Posted on By EDMO Admin
Elections, Media Literacy, News

In the digital age, information is more accessible than ever. Social media platforms, news websites, blogs, and podcasts provide a constant stream of updates, opinions, and breaking news. A cornerstone of media literacy is comparing sources—a practice essential for uncovering the truth and understanding the broader context of any story. If a piece of information … Read More “GE24: Compare information sources” »

GE24: Look beyond engagement metrics

Posted on By EDMO Admin
Elections, Media Literacy, News

Engagement metrics – such as likes, shares, comments, or views – are not reliable indicators of content quality. Social media and messaging applications make it really easy to share information quickly to large groups of people. In addition, AI-powered technology can also be used to create fake profiles and promote false or inaccurate content, making it … Read More “GE24: Look beyond engagement metrics” »

GE24 Media Dynamics: doctored images, dodgy claims, and stage management

Posted on By EDMO Admin
Elections, News

Aoife Barry reviews the media dynamics of GE24 for EDMO Ireland and FuJo. The first week of campaigning for General Election 2024 is done, with housing and immigration rising to be two of the biggest issues for parties and their candidates across media and social media. Early on in the week, the two issues coalesced … Read More “GE24 Media Dynamics: doctored images, dodgy claims, and stage management” »