MediaPLUS: NewsBrands warns of AI's threat to institutions
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NewsBrands Ireland, the representative body for Ireland’s print and digital news publishers, has warned that artificial intelligence threatens to “quietly destroy” the democratic institutions of the state.
Sammi Bourke and Deirdre Veldon, chair and vice chair of NewsBrands Ireland, emphasised that news publishers’ business models are under unprecedented pressure from big tech platforms, evolving audience habits and the unlicensed use of original reporting in AI training.
“Gen AI is powered by journalism it refuses to pay for,” said Bourke. “By harvesting original reporting to feed Large Language Models (LLMs), the financial viability of quality journalism is under existential threat.
"If journalism becomes unsustainable, the consequences will be weaker scrutiny of power, greater exposure to disinformation, and declining public trust in democratic institutions.”
To safeguard the future of the Irish media landscape, NewsBrands Ireland is calling for:
Robust government action: Highlighting commitments in the current Programme for Government to support an independent media sector, NewsBrands is calling for the delivery of promises to ensure AI systems are transparent, accountable, and compliant with copyright and data protection law.
Transparency & accountability: Technology companies must be mandated to disclose exactly what content they use and how they use it. NewsBrands welcomes the proposed measure in the General Scheme of the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026, which provides for a significant increase in the powers afforded to regulators to monitor, inspect, and require information from big tech companies. This has the potential to allow for proper investigations into what copyrighted material is accessed and how it is used.
Fair remuneration: Implementation of robust frameworks to ensure publishers are compensated for the use of their intellectual property; fair payment is the "price of a sustainable information ecosystem."
Correction of regulatory gaps: Addressing the exclusion of media and creative voices from the National AI Advisory Council, which currently lacks representation from the journalism or arts sectors.
EU leadership: Leveraging Ireland’s upcoming EU Presidency to lead on the implementation of the EU AI Act and ensuring other EU regulations remain fit for purpose.
Centra will sponsor the Camogies Leagues for four seasons.
Centra sponsors Camogie Leagues
Centra has become the title sponsor of the Camogie Leagues after agreeing a four-year deal with the Camogie Association.
Centra said the deal will help support the continued growth and development of the game across Ireland, just as the Camogie Leagues celebrate their 50th anniversary, and a number of promotional activities will be run at the chain's 500 stores nationwide.
“This sponsorship reflects our commitment to increasing visibility for Camogie, growing attendances at games, and helping to inspire greater participation among young girls, ensuring a strong future for the sport," said Rita Kirwan, marketing director at Centra owner Musgrave.
“The Camogie Association is delighted to welcome Centra as the new title sponsor of the Centra Camogie Leagues."
Brian Molloy, Uachtarán an Chumann Camógaíochta, said: "Centra recognises the strength and quality of camogie and has shown a genuine passion for supporting Gaelic Games at every level. We look forward to working together to continue the growth and success of the game nationwide.”
Tania Reut of the RTÉ business desk.
Reut joins RTÉ business team
Tania Reut has joined RTÉ business desk after more than two years as a multimedia reporter with the national broadcaster.
"A thrilling new challenge as I join RTE’s fantastic business team. So lucky you learn from the best!" she wrote on LinkedIn.
Reut started with RTÉ in 2023 after working as a freelance news reporter for Virgin Media Television.
The University of Warsaw graduate has also worked for TVP in Poland reporting on eastern Europe during her career.
Kate-Marie Murnane. (Pic: LinkedIn)
Murnane moves to The Tonight Show
Kate-Marie Murnane has started work as a researcher for Virgin Media Television's Tonight Show.
Murnane joins Virgin Media from RTÉ where she worked as a researcher for programmes such as Prime Time and Upfront with Katie Hannon.
She has Master's degrees from the University of Galway (Journalism) and UCC (Criminology).
"I’m happy to share that I have started a new position as Researcher for The Tonight Show on Virgin Media Television," Murnane wrote on LinkedIn.
Bad Bunny performs onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show at Levi's Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Pic: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
Super Bowl audience down from last year
Sunday's Super Bowl attracted an average of 124.9m viewers for NBCUniversal across television and streaming, down 2.8m from the record mark set last year.
During the second quarter of the NFL's showpiece event, Super Bowl LX was watched by 137.8m, the highest peak viewership in US television history.
The halftime show performed by Bad Bunny was watched by 128.2m people, down 5.3m from Kendrick Lamar's halftime show last year, the most-watched ever.
The Puerto Rican rapper, fresh from winning Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, had been at the centre of a culture war whipped up by US President Donald Trump over his Spanish-language lyrics and his outspoken defence of immigrants.
Turning Point USA, the right-wing pressure group co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk, held an alternative halftime show headlined by Kid Rock, which reportedly attracted an audience of 6.1m on YouTube.
The Super Bowl was the most-watched in US Spanish-language television history, with an average of 3.3m viewers watching on Telemundo, peaking at 4.8m during halftime.
The Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13 to win their second Super Bowl.
(l-r) Sammi Bourke, Ann-Marie Lenihan and Deirdre Veldon. (Pic: File)
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