Skip to content

Culture & SocietyBreaking

Irish consent advert on grandparents hugging is withdrawn after criticism

By

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets, mostly center (67%).

5 articles in total, 1 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

The consent advert produced by We-Consent, a project of the Dublin Rape Crisis Center, has been withdrawn after criticism of its depictions of grandparents hugging and kissing grandchildren. The 25-second video showed one grandchild happily embracing grandparents while another looked uncomfortable as her grandparents leaned in. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said the video was inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents and had been removed by the centre after his officials’ engagement with it. The New York Post reports that the minister’s department provided funding for the campaign. Irish politician Gavin Pepper called for common sense, saying a hug from a grandparent should not be presented as strange or suspicious.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. The We-Consent advert, made by the Dublin Rape Crisis Center, has been withdrawn after criticism.

    Reported byCenter2Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Center
    BBC News, Sky News
    Right
    New York Post

  2. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said the video was inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents.

    Reported byCenter1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Center
    BBC News
    Right
    New York Post

  3. The campaign received funding from the minister’s department, according to the New York Post.

    One outletNew York Post· Right

  4. Irish politician Gavin Pepper said a hug from a grandparent should not be presented as strange or suspicious.

    One outletNew York Post· Right

  5. The 25-second video showed one grandchild happily hugging grandparents while another appeared uncomfortable.

    One outletNew York Post· Right

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • The advert was inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents.

    Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said so when announcing the removal. Irish politician Gavin Pepper said the ad presented a grandparent’s hug as strange or suspicious and urged common sense.

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side reports the Irish consent advert on grandparents hugging was withdrawn after criticism, including Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan’s description of it as demeaning. Center outlets state the withdrawal neutrally, while right-leaning outlets stress the government funding and the backlash, and one opinion piece mocks the campaign.

  • the left

    No coverage yet

    No left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

  • the center

    2 outlets

    Center headlines report the advert being pulled or taken down after criticism, without naming the critics or the funding behind the campaign.

    Grandparent hugging consent ad pulled after criticism
    BBC NewsCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet · 1 opinion

    Right headlines stress the government-funded PSA and the backlash that got it yanked; the far-right Daily Caller opinion piece mocks the campaign as the real culprit behind rape crisis.

    Irish PSA urging grandparents to get consent before hugging grandkids Loaded verb“yanked”The verb adds a dramatic, informal tone to a plain removal of the advert.More neutral: removedDisagree with this highlight? after backlash
    New York PostRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left

    Has not covered this story.

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right7

    slammedboldly declaresfont of all problemsDiscovers

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    slammedMore neutral: said

    “Slammed” conveys harsh anger beyond reporting what Pepper said.

    …not be presented as something strange or suspicious," Irish politican Gavin Pepper slammed.

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    boldly declaresMore neutral: says

    “Boldly” adds the outlet’s judgement about the ad’s message rather than reporting it as a statement.

    …is supported by government agencies — the 25-second public service announcement boldly declares: “Not everyone wants a hug.

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Dehumanizing label

    font of all problemsMore neutral: the public

    Describes Irish people as the source of all the country’s problems, a sweeping insult to a national group.

    The latest ad from the Irish Government to the Irish people, who are the font of all problems in the country and desperately need to be stopped from their bad behaviour.

    Used byThe Daily Caller (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    DiscoversMore neutral: Reports

    Presents a sarcastic claim as a discovery of fact.

    Ireland Discovers Real Culprit Behind Rape Crisis: Grandparents Hugging Their Grandkids

    Used byThe Daily Caller (Far Right)

Show 3 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Sensational language

    Real CulpritMore neutral: Ad Draws Criticism in Ireland

    Presents the ad as the cause of the rape crisis, a causal claim the article does not support.

    Ireland Discovers Real Culprit Behind Rape Crisis: Grandparents Hugging Their Grandkids

    Used byThe Daily Caller (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    fierce backlashMore neutral: criticism

    The adjective adds drama to criticism that other outlets describe without it.

    …grandparents to get consent before hugging their grandkids was yanked after fierce backlash and pleas from politicians for “a bit of common sense.” The advert released by…

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    yankedMore neutral: removed

    The verb adds a dramatic, informal tone to a plain removal of the advert.

    Irish PSA urging grandparents to get consent before hugging grandkids yanked after backlash

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

0 outlets

No left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the center

2 outlets

Leads with

  • advert withdrawn after criticism
  • minister’s description of the video
  • depictions of grandparents hugging

Leaves out

  • government funding of the campaign

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

1 outlet · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • government-funded campaign
  • backlash and calls for common sense
  • minister’s statement that it was demeaning
See the 2 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Center

    9 hr 15 min later

    Its first report, Oct 22, 7:58 AM EDT

  • Right

    First to report

    New York Post, Oct 21, 10:43 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. New York PostRightOct 21, 10:43 PM EDT
  2. BBC NewsCenterOct 22, 7:58 AM EDT
  3. Sky NewsCenterOct 22, 3:08 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

Read next

Help someone else find the truth beneath the surface

Most people see one side of a story. Share this one, so they can see how every side is telling it and decide for themselves.

Email it

Seen a mistake? Tell us what is wrong with this page