Comment

Elaine Byrne: In the face of litigious figures, RTÉ too often errs on the side of caution

The Shane Ross incident is only the most recent example of the national broadcaster’s habit of shying away from legally perilous public-interest reporting

Shane Ross is a hard sell. This columnist relished writing about the many bewildering escapades of the former minister for transport, tourism and sport when he was in government.

RTÉ’s decision not to broadcast an interview with Ross, a Sunday Independent columnist, about his biography of Mary Lou McDonald, the Sinn Féin leader, was met with a predictable response by those unenamoured with him.

“He's an insufferable bore and full of his own self-importance. He's ...