RTÉ announces disinformation and policy correspondents

By Cillian Sherlock, Press Association

RTÉ has appointed a disinformation correspondent as part of its Clarity unit.

Kate McDonald, who has been a multimedia journalist with RTÉ since 2023, was announced as clarity correspondent on Monday.

Meanwhile, Prime Time journalist and presenter Louise Byrne has been appointed as a policy and analysis correspondent with that programme.

RTÉ said Clarity is its “focus on disinformation, discourse, and democracy”.

The broadcaster had signalled an intention to hire a disinformation correspondent in 2023, while the Clarity unit was established last year.

McDonald will be tasked with strengthening coverage on “the growing challenge posed by false and misleading information online”, including AI-generated deepfake content.

She said: “I’m really looking forward to building on my work investigating online harms and their real-world impact, whether that’s the ‘rabbit hole’ effects of social media algorithms or the trading of personal data to track our movements.

“I’ll continue to examine how digital systems shape the information people encounter and how that affects their everyday lives.”

Byrne’s new role, which is a new brief for the correspondent position associated with Prime Time, will see her “focus on how policies and actions impact everyday life”.

RTÉ said she will monitor and interpret government, EU and other institutional policy developments for Prime Time on RTÉ One and on online platforms.

She said: “I’m really looking forward to the new challenge – bringing context, background and analysis on key policy decisions to our viewers.

“The State is planning a significant increase in capital spending as part of its plan to boost housing and infrastructure.

“There’s never been a more important time for Prime Time to ensure its sharpest focus on the decisions and projects ahead.”