Does Gallagher camp really want to debate media regulation

So what do the Football Association of Ireland and Sean Gallagher have in common? Well both believe they were robbed of due victories by flawed rules and bad refereeing.

Yes, not since Thierry Henry’s double handball in 2009 that stopped Ireland going to the world cup finals has there been so much moaning and angst. This time it is just from the Gallagher camp.

Richard Moore, a “media adviser” to Sean Gallagher had a long article in the Sunday Times on 13^th November and is interviewed again yesterday in the Irish Times.

According to the Journal.ie today, “SEÁN GALLAGHER’S PRESIDENTIAL campaign is to make a formal complaint to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) over the candidate’s treatment on the dramatic RTÉ Frontline debate last month”.

Among the issues raised by Moore was the time devoted to attacking Gallagher which he believes was unfair. Interestingly he didn’t have a problem with other candidates being attacked in other debates, and when Sean Gallagher got to announce his candidacy for the Presidency on the Late Late Show on the 6^th May. This wasn’t a problem.

There is no doubt that there is a gaping chasm in the Irish media when it comes to effective and fair regulation. But just as was the case for the Irish soccer team in 2009, there is no going back for Gallagher.

So let’s have a debate about media regulation, but not one that begins with the “we were robbed” sob story that is getting so much media coverage in recent days.