Do local media have a duty to give a voice to every element of society and not just those most numerous or dominant?

Do the media really shape people’s attitudes or do they just reflect those prevalent in society? In assessing what events are newsworthy, are journalists in return influenced by the attitudes and preferences of their audience? Do local media have a duty to give a voice to every element of society and not just those most numerous or dominant?

These are just some of the issues raised in a new booklet that will be launched in the Amnesty International Café on Middle Street Galway at 7pm on Wednesday the 3^rd of September. The booklet details the results of a research project that surveyed one month’s output of seventeen of the West of Irelands’ local papers. ‘Changing Perspectives- an exploration of the portrayals of the Majority World in the West of Ireland’s local print media’ is the work of post graduate students Louise Murphy, Cillian O Kelly, Paul Grealish, and Emily Mc Groder; all students from NUIG’s Masters in Philosophy, Ethics, Culture and Global Change. The project was devised and supervised by Sarah Clancy of the Galway One World Centre. The finished booklet makes for interesting reading and will be available free of charge at the launch or by request from the Galway One World Centre (info@galwayowc.org). Copies of the booklet will also be furnished to all the local newspapers in the region many of whom assisted with the survey. The launch is open to the public, however as space is limited please advise us if you will attend- Galway One World Centre on 091 530590 or info@galwayowc.org