It may be time for the local media to follow the example of the US and UK press and declare any partisan interests they may have, says PNM Minister Colm Imbert. Imbert suggested the move yesterday when asked about the ruling PNM's reaction to the firestorm of controversy surrounding state agency Udecott, former chairman Calder Hart and statements by Prime Minister Patrick Manning and former minister Keith Rowley. Imbert said: "This too shall pass... in political life a week is a long time. One day you're on top of the mountain and the next day down in the valley and so on–political life is not for the faint-hearted."
Imbert claimed the media was "not balanced in reporting everything."
He added: "I see things being suppressed and other things being given prominent coverage. I see submissions made before the Uff Commission which are damaging to certain people being 'buried,' but when a submission is made which scandalises someone in the government system, it is given full prominence. "When you look at what is said, they are both equally important, but when something is unfavourable to the Government it is given prominence and front page," said Imbert. "The media has every right to choose to publish whatever it wants as it is an independent, free press. If people want to publish a blank page that's their business and their right.
But where I think the media is going wrong is in choosing to report in a one-sided way but also claiming to be fair and balanced. "The US and UK media declare their positions and do not hide their political affiliation. Everyone knows Fox news is a Republican supporter in the US and the others are pro-Democrat. People also know which UK papers are pro-Conservative. "So it's probably time for this to happen here now. Don't hide it, people should know where the media is coming from." (GA)