It’s the political mess Fianna Fáil can’t escape. Months after Jim Gavin’s presidential bid collapsed in spectacular fashion, the party is finally preparing to publish its long-awaited internal review — and nerves are jangling.

Gavin was meant to be a safe choice. A proven winner. A figure above party politics. Instead, a controversy dating back to 2009 detonated his campaign almost overnight, forcing a humiliating withdrawal and leaving Fianna Fáil badly bruised.

Now, as leaks swirl about when decisions were made, who knew what — and how much money was spent — the big question is where responsibility will land. TDs and Senators are still furious over the sidelining of Cork MEP Billy Kelleher, the secrecy around Gavin’s recruitment, and the role played by Micheál Martin and Jack Chambers in pushing the candidacy through.

With around €400,000 reportedly poured into a campaign that barely got off the ground, party members want answers — and some are wondering whether this is merely a face-saving exercise or a genuine reckoning.

On today’s podcast Sean Defoe is joined by Shane Coleman from Newstalk Breakfast to dig into what the review is likely to say, whether Micheál Martin’s leadership is really under threat, and whether this fiasco changes anything at all for Fianna Fáil.

Politicians used to fight elections on radio and in TV studios and newspaper columns. Now they’re doing it on YouTube, TikTok, Substack, and podcasts recorded in cupboards.

From Liz Truss launching a baffling YouTube show aimed squarely at the American right, to UK Greens embracing what critics call “cosy left-wing populism,” politics has fully entered its influencer era. Long-form, first-person digital media is no longer a side hustle — it’s central to how power is won, lost, and rehabilitated. And Ireland is part of this shift too.

During the presidential campaign, Catherine Connolly quietly dominated the under-35 vote by appearing on podcasts like Blindboy, Louise McSharry and How to Gael, while rivals stuck largely to traditional interviews. The result raised an awkward question for Irish politics: are podcasts now just as important as radio, TV, and print?

On today’s podcast, Sean Defoe is joined by writer and broadcaster Paddy Duffy to explore this increasingly strange corner of political life. Why do some politicians thrive online while others look painfully out of place? Why do so many still speak to the internet like it’s a press release? And is there a future where Irish TDs host their own successful podcasts — or would listeners revolt?

As ever, we’d love to hear from you. You can email us at 📧 newstalkdaily@newstalk.com

Netflix wants to swallow-up Warner Bros — home to Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, DC, Barbie and HBO — in a deal so big it would reshape global entertainment. But Paramount has crashed the party with an even bigger hostile bid, dragging in the White House, Hollywood unions, and a swirl of billionaire politics.

Prices, choice, cinemas, wages, competition… everything is suddenly up for grabs. Are we heading for a world where three giant companies decide what gets made and what we’re allowed to watch? And does the ordinary viewer even care, as long as The Sopranos streams in 4K?

On today’s podcast, Sean Defoe is joined by For Tech’s Sake co-host Elaine Burke to make sense of the battle for Warner Bros, Trump’s looming “involvement,” and why this might be the moment the entire streaming era pivots.

Email your thoughts 📩 newstalkdaily@newstalk.com and follow For Tech’s Sake wherever you get your podcasts.