ALTHOUGH you would not be able to tell it from the reportage in the mainstream media, one of the major media developments over the last year was the Government’s use of its advertising clout to reward and punish media houses for toeing the official line. This has led to some curious positions being adopted by the media.
While, for example, the Government’s use of its advertising power was condemned by the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) at its November meeting in Peru, as well as the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago, the local media houses did not consider it significant enough to even publish the press releases from IAPA and MATT.
Instead, Media Watch was surprised that two newspapers, the Express and Newsday, which ignored the IAPA and MATT releases, have taken objection to Integrity Commission chairman Ken Gordon’s decision to call in the police to investigate what is a clear breach of the Integrity in Public Life Act by whoever leaked to Newsday the Commission’s deliberations over a complaint against former Attorney General John Jeremie.
Media Watch has been around long enough to know that freedom of the press does not give anyone immunity to break the law. Gordon’s investigation is clearly aimed at whoever broke the Integrity Commission’s secrecy provision and not at reporter Andre Bagoo’s scoop. Gordon is quite right, and in fact has an obligation to investigate who leaked this information since to do less would seriously undermine the already diminished confidence in the Commission.
Media Watch is not surprised by the two-faced media approach on this issue since it is consistent with the behavior of media houses which hounded then Chairman Eric St. Cyr to comment on some controversial matters before the Commission and then criticised him for talking too much, eventually calling for his resignation.
If they are really concerned about freedom of the press then Media Watch expects some consistency on the issue of media freedom. Instead, Media Watch notes that some journalists and editorial writers provide unquestioning support for the PP administration while others have attempted to display only token attempts at investigative reporting. At the same time, they attempt to ensure the obligatory glowing coverage of the PM that assures a regular supply of government advertising.
Still although there was a short-lived boycott of the Express by Caribbean Airlines Limited, the TnT Mirror Group of weeklies, the most independent publications in the country, have suffered the most from the advertising boycott aimed at stifling free expression and our aggressive investigations. Similar pressures have also been applied to i95 FM, and Media Watch will not be surprised that more media houses are added to the list in the ongoing attempt to fetter the press.
