Certain sections of the tabloid press have "a long way to go" in learning how to treat Ireland's minority groups, a Labour party senator said today.
Speaking at a Labour conference on equality issues in Dublin's Mansion House this morning, the Meath East Senator said it was time to "end simple generalisations and easy assumptions about the communities living here, and demonstrate what diversity is really bringing to this country".
Senator Hannigan said there was a danger of a white, Irish-dominated media drastically under-representing modern Ireland.
"Whilst the broadsheets and national radio and TV stations do seem to have learned how to treat the more established minority's in the country, such as the gay community and disabled community, it is clear that certain section of the tabloid press have a long way to go," he told the conference.
He added that the Travelling Community was too often met with the "blows of media generalisation".
"The general image, given to us of the Travelling community in Ireland is that of a group of people, not interested in education, or community development," said Senator Hannigan.
