MEDIA:THE HISTORIC visit of Queen Elizabeth to Ireland is expected to make international headlines, with hundreds of foreign journalists accredited to cover the four-day trip.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, some 1,200 journalists have been accredited to report on the visit. This number includes about 750 journalists from Irish media outlets and 350 from British news organisations. The remainder are from Europe, Asia, North America and Australia. Some 120 photographers are also accredited.
Among the media organisations covering the visit are the BBC, Sky News, CNN, Chinese state news agency Xinhua and Russian state news agency ITAR-TASS. Most of the major newspapers and TV channels in France, Germany, Spain and Italy are sending reporters to Ireland.
Coverage of the Queen’s trip in the British media has been relatively muted so far. It has been largely limited to news features assessing opinion in Ireland towards the visit, the first by a British monarch since 1911. Some foreign journalists have reported that people in Ireland are too preoccupied by the economic crisis to care very much about the Queen coming. Yesterday, British media reports on the visit were dominated by the news that police had received a bomb threat related to central London. The threat was believed to be linked to dissident republicans.
Hervé Amoric, Ireland correspondent for France 24, a TV channel which broadcasts in French, English and Arabic, said the Queen’s visit was expected to feature in prime-time news bulletins in his home country. “It might not be reported on a daily basis for the full four days as with Irish and British media outlets but the Queen’s visit is sure to make the main evening bulletins in France at least once.”
Mr Amoric said France 24’s coverage would be geared towards its international audience. “People who know the history between Ireland and Britain realise the significance and symbolism of this visit,” he said. “Plus it comes soon after the royal wedding which generated an enormous amount of interest not just in France but across the world.”