News and current affairs have been at the core of RTE's activity ever since its foundation, but more particularly since the inauguration of Irish television in 1961. This book focuses on the pressures, the programmes and the presenters in this controversial area. It is a story that touches on the most significant events in the political history of 20th-century Ireland, particularly the Northern crisis, and explores the responses and the responsibilities of a national public service broadcasting organization in an era of conflict and dramatic social change.