Ruling leads to change in Trocaire Lenten campaign
Howard Lake | 12 March 2007 | News
Trócaire has been informed by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland that it is confirming its initial decision in relation to Trócaire’s Lenten advertisement on gender equality, deeming that the campaign is toward a political end. This has forced Trocaire to amend the advertisement in the midst of its biggest fundraising campaign.
The amendment, however, is so subtle that it is unlikely to have much impact on either awareness raising or fundraising. The BCI has proposed an amendment to the script of the advertisments as follows:
“Support Trócaire to help end gender inequality.” The original script stated:
“Support Trócaire’s Lenten Campaign to help end gender inequality.”
The action of BCI has sparked a debate in Irish newspapers and broadcast media that has helped to draw further attention to the Lenten campaign. The section of the BCI code that relates to advertising states: No advertisement shall be broadcast which is directed towards any religious or political end or which has any
relation to an industrial dispute.
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Despite this change Trócaire says that it is satisfied that the three elements of their Lenten campaign namely, fundraising, awareness raising and campaigning on UN Resolution 1325 (including the online petition) are still fully intact. In order to ensure a successful Lenten campaign Trócaire felt it had no option but to agree to this revised script.
Trocaire says that advertising is a central element in ensuring a successful Lenten campaign and the work of the organisation is hugely dependent on the success of the campaign. RTE continues to carry Trócaire’s Lenten advertisements as originally submitted.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.