dropcap]RTÉ[[/dropcap] and NUI Galway have teamed up for an audience research project and an MA in professional practice in media.
An audience research panel of 500 Irish-speaking contributors will be recruited from around Ireland to give feedback on Raidió na Gaeltachta. The MA is run by Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge at NUI Galway and started in September 2018.
“Among RTÉ’s challenges around Irish-language output are identifying clearly our audiences so that we may best serve them, and also ensuring that we enable future media practitioners to continue to provide the high-quality services provided by RTÉ as Gaeilge,” said RTÉ’s Group Head of Irish Language, Rónán Mac Con Iomaire in a statement.
“That RTÉ have been able to work with NUI Galway with the aim of fulfilling these two key challenges shows the enormous value of partnership and the importance of building on the continuing relationship between our two organisations,” added Mac Con Iomaire.
The programme combines online academic modules with practice-based work experience in RTÉ in journalism, broadcasting, and content creation for radio, television and online platforms. The course has a maximum of 15 places per year and it emphasises practical learning through Irish at a number of RTÉ studios.
Students will study at NUI Galway along with different Irish-language units at RTÉ’s headquarters in Donnybrook, RTÉ regional studios in Connemara and in other Gaeltacht areas.
“The MA Cleachtas Gairmiúil sna Meáin offered by Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh looks like a great course and it’s an option DCU’s Gaeilge graduates might want to consider if they want to pursue a career in the media,” said Colm Ó Ciardubháin Programme Chair of DCU’s BA in Irish and Journalism.
“Gaillimh is uniquely suited to offer such an MA. They are close to Gaeltacht Chonamara and close to the centre of the Irish language media hub,” Ó Ciardubháin added.
The new Irish language audience research initiative is called Fíos Físe. This will investigate the reach, satisfaction levels and listening habits of Irish speakers from the north and south of Ireland with regard to RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. It is the first time that the views of Raidió na Gaeltachta’s core target audience will be investigated on a regular and ongoing basis.
This research will be used by NUI Galway in Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge’s teaching and research programme in Irish-language broadcasting. Participants in the initiative will complete a weekly online survey and the results will be regularly submitted to RTÉ.
By Orla Dwyer
Image Credit: Entertainment.ie