McCarthy is managing director, RTÉ News & Current Affairs and is the first women appointed to this position. She is also a member of the RTÉ Executive Board. McCarthy previous held the role of managing editor of regions and radio news programmes as well as politics and business coverage, where she shaped and expanded the organisation’s political and regional news coverage and strategy, particularly enhancing digital output. Prior to this, McCarthy was RTÉ’s political coverage editor at Leinster House, leading the reporting of political news stories as well as overseeing the live broadcasting of national events such as General Elections, election debates, Referenda including Marriage Equality and Abortion. From 2008-2012 McCarthy was the editor of RTÉ’s dedicated political programme The Week in Politics and Leaders’ Questions programmes during a time of huge political and economic upheaval. A native of Cork city and educated at UCC (B.A History & Economics) McCarthy holds an M.A (Politics) from UCD and a postgraduate diploma in Conflict & Dispute Resolution from Trinity College.