Wednesday, October 31, 2012

On the Telly

Before coming to Ireland, we wondered what news from the US might be covered in the Irish news and especially wondered what might be said about the upcoming election. CNN International was not available, but finally found the channel for Sky News which is affiliated with FOX News. We did hear assorted stories about the election and many people here have asked us about it.  Sky News is going to have live coverage of the election. As the hurricane grow closer to the US,, there was more and more coverage of the hurricane and since it hit, there has been nearly continual coverage of the aftermath by Irish journalists in the US. I feel like the coverage has been very comparable to what we would see at home and coverage has not been confined to NYC,  These two subjects have really dominated the US news focus. I have actually been surprised at the extent of the coverage of both subjects.

On the Irish side of the news, a teenage girl committed suicide in the past few days as a result of bullying. Ireland is experiencing financial problems stemming from the economic downturn. Irish banks lost a great deal of money in the credit crisis and there was a government bailout. The government borrowed money for this bailout and there is huge debt. Ireland had actually been experiencing strong economic growth and is now in a recession. Because Ireland is a Euro country, it cannot adopt its own independent economic and exchange policies. The Irish financial situation is generally mentioned.

There are many US television shows on Irish tv. Of course, these do not ALWAYS reflect the best side of America. (I can remember visiting England many years ago and someone told me that he knew what the South was like because he warched Dukes of Hazzard!) There are also Irish/British versions of reality shows and we saw an HGTV type show of a couple being shown several houses. Some commercials are actually the same voices as we have in the US. There is an absence of American football. Of course, soccer is called football here and it dominates tv sports. Colleges do not have sports teams, they are club type sports and the rivalries are regional and fierce. We had to rely on the Internet to check the football scores.

If you were to select a tv show to show another country the best side of America, what would it be?


13 comments:

Unknown said...

I am happy to hear that you are being updated on the news here in the US.The Sky News channel seem to be reporting the same stories we hear in the US.The election and hurricane are all over the news. Reading your blog post makes me feel connected to a Ireland new channel.Its sad to hear that they had to receive a bailout and are in debt because of it. Ireland seem to be follow in the US footprints.The US is trying to come out of an recession and Ireland is going into a recession.I am disappointed to learn that Ireland reflect U.S. tv in a bad way.I wish that they would air positive U.S. tv shows instead of negative shows.

Cinda Prescott said...

I think it is crazy that they are covering the election and the hurricane so much there. I honestly can not think of a show that I would choose that best depicts the U.S., which is kind of sad. I can only think of shows that I would not want them to see.

mmartin said...

I am very happy to hear that you are still being informed about America in Ireland. I can tell you that you are right and it is mostly about the election and hurricanes. I am very sorry about the tragedies happening in Ireland, but I know all countries are really struggling right now. I am sorry to hear about the economy, but our economy is also going downwards. It is neat that you can still be informed about what is going on. I really enjoyed your post and wish you the best of luck in Ireland.

Elizabeth said...

I am not surprised they believe those from the South are like the actors in Dukes of Hazzard. Many Americans from other parts of the country think this as well! If I could choose a show to represent America I would select How I Met Your Mother. It represents many types of people and lifestyles in America.

Unknown said...

I am now going to have to watch "How I Met Your Mother" Elizabeth. :-)

Paige Ellis - EDU 301 said...

Modern Family hands down! This comedy gives a “taste” of the typical American families...albeit, over the top at times. Gay couple, older man married to much younger, beautiful immigrant woman, life with teenagers, and more are showcased each week. The only problem is that it does not show struggles that are happening in too many lives right now. Maybe that is why I love it so much...it is an escape! Described by another fan, “Today’s American families come in all shapes and sizes. Shot from the perspective of an unseen documentary filmmaker, this comedy takes a modern look at the complications that come with being a family in 2012”.

Unknown said...

It is amazing that they keep up with our election. They also face similiar issues that the children of America face.. bullying. It is sad that they feel that Americans are similar to Dukes of Hazzard.. Its funny and sad how countries will try to make other places seem.. for example Africa.. there are a lot of places in Africa that are really well off but watching t.v it seems like they are all poor.. If I were to select a t.v show to show another county the best side of America I would choose Everybody loves Raymond. They only show Reruns now but this show shows American families and the issues they deal with. Only problem is they are funny on the television.. Not so funny when they occur in real life..

Emily Jeanminette EDM310 said...

The TV situation in Ireland seems very interesting. If I had to choose a TV show to represent the best of America, I would probably choose Modern Family. It is a show about good family values, but is also funny and open-minded. It involves two gay fathers, one stepmother from Columbia, and two sisters who are polar opposites. This show is full of people from all walks of life and they are all in the same family. They seem to get along very well and stick together in the worst of times. I think it would be an excellent representation of the melting pot we call America.

Kiala Burnette said...

This post was intersting to me because I have always wondered what was shown on the television in other countries! I think it's cool that they covered the election and the Hurricane Sandy, because it shows that those two events were seen as being just as important to other countries as it is to us. If I had to picka t.v. show to show someone from another country, I would have to jump on the bandwagon and say, Modern Family. I have only seen this show one time, but if comparing it to America today, I would have to say it's the closest thing on t.v that I've seen. It shows alot of diversity in family and that's most likely what a person would find in the families of Americans these days.

Unknown said...

It is a wonderful thing to know that even though you were so far away, you were still able to keep up with these two important topics; the election and Hurricane Sandy! It's amazing to see just how other places view America. It's funny to me that someone told you they knew what the South was about because they watch "The Dukes of Hazard". Being in the military though, I get that type of response any time I meet someone and I have to say I am from Alabama. They think all of Alabama is just dirt roads and cotton fields I guess! Going to a different place really opens your mind up and helps you to appreciate America. It is very heartbreaking to read about the teenager who committed suicide. This goes to show how bad bullying has really gotten, EVERYWHERE!

Anonymous said...

It is nice to know that we are not the only ones that keep up to date on things going on around the world. The picture of Superstorm Sandy showing on the TV was not a terrible surprise to see though. With New York and surrounding areas being affected by it, the aftermath could be felt around the world because of the stock market being closed. I know when our economy is in trouble others feel it as well.

Anonymous said...

From the little you said about the television there I feel like they may have covered more then here in Mobile. I don't have complete access to Television but on other local avenues the local radio station seemed to cover more then the news station. I am actually shocked to hear about Ireland's economy and etc. I feel really sheltered in the fact I did not know they were in the same boat as us. It seems I need to do some news searching more often.

Ash Baumann

Rodney Patrick said...

I also have to agree that Modern Family would have to be the best side of America. It is a show that exemplifies diversity and also goes against what may be considered normal life. Plus, it is funny.