Madam, - Hugh Linehan offers a very fair analysis of the extremely troubling statements and actions of Michael McDowell about Irish public service broadcasters' editorial freedom (Opinion & Analysis, February 18th).
It is odd, to say the least, that the Minister's most recent broadside, in which he laid down the narrow limits within which RTÉ journalism should be practised, had previously gone without any comment or criticism in your pages, with just a factual report of his text.
What the Minister snidely referred to as the "commentariat" needs to be more alert and responsive in defence of the democratic freedoms that they exercise on our behalf. - Yours, etc,
HUGO BRADY BROWN, Stratford on Slaney, Co Wicklow.