10th January 2023
Speaker: Donnacha McKeon, Broadcast and Channel Manager for Oireachtas TV
This joint IPU/IPEN seminar hosted by the Public Engagement hub focused on broadcasting parliamentary business. Drawing from the experience of the Irish Oireachtas TV, the seminar explored different possible models available for parliaments to broadcast and the consequences of these for public engagement.
Broadcast and Channel Manager Donnacha McKeon presented live from the broadcast studio of Oireachtas TV, the television channel of The Houses of the Oireachtas, the national parliament of Ireland.
Donnacha’s presentation covered how Oireachtas TV does far more than simply cover parliamentary business, for instance working with independent broadcasters to produce documentaries about events of particular significance, such as A Woman’s Place (on the 100th anniversary of universal suffrage).
The seminar reflected on the ownership of parliamentary broadcasting and the choice between traditional and internet based broadcasting, and the consequences of this for public engagement.
There was also insight into how the Irish Oireachtas has addressed sign language translation. Rather than hiring sign language translators in each instance, the parliament has recruited these to become parliamentary staff with a far wider remit than simply translating proceedings including supporting strategies to reach out to this group.
You can watch a recording of the seminar here on the Public Engagement Hub website.