Huntley Medley will be recorded in history as one of the worst communication officers this country has ever witnessed and that could not have come at a worst time, journalist week.
Huntley’s display of boorish and unprofessional conduct in yanking the microphone from the hands of Andre Jebberson and then cutting the Microphone of Abka Fitz-Henley, was something to behold, as I have never seen such level of “Bhutto” behaviour from someone working in the office of the Prime Minister. ( Director of Communication. Seems like anyone can become a director in public office today)
I saw another reporter literally fighting to keep his microphone from being snatched from his grasps by the meddling Microphone “Hunter” and hid the mic under the desk where he sat, while waiting for an answer as the “Hunter” hovered above him like an Apache Helicopter, ready to rain “hellfire missles” at him before snatching his microphone also. Thankfully in this case he had no more questions and handed off the Microphone to the Mic “Hunter” .
The entire Jamaica House Press Conference arrangement left a lot to be desired , it was disorganized and the setup was kindergarten at best, with a single microphone being passed around the room from reporter to reporter.
I could not understand, why it was not possible to have microphone strategically placed in the briefing room so journalist had access to these instruments vs having the Director of Microphone marshaling the single unit I witnessed being handed off from one journalist to the next.
Frankly, I was disappointed that journalist stood(sat) around and took this level of mistreatment from a obviously ignorant Minister of Misinformation and a Director of Mis-communication and Microphone and not pack up there stuff and leave the room.
It will be interesting to hear from the once very vociferous media association of Jamaican at yet another disgraceful behaviour of Sandrea Facolner at her team at a press conference, where she was in charge.
This has become a pattern of behaviour and the level of arrogance and rudeness that I saw yesterday and one more than one occasion before this, should serve as a wake up to call to Jamaicans to have a greater say, in who we have serving us , our expectations of these persons and actions that are required when the fall out of line.
Sandrea Falocner and Huntley Medley were way out of line and needs to be sanctioned, but with a spineless society that is split down the middle across party lines and a an ineffective Prime Minister, that will more than likely never happen, which therefore allows these kinds of situation to continue into the future.
Yesterday was a sad day for press freedom in Jamaica and it once again happened under the Portia Simpson Miller led administration, which continues its refusal to communicate with public and when pressed for answers are rude to the very public that placed them in their in the first place.
They will all be in for a rather rude awaking very soon.
Huntley the “Mic Snatching” Meddler of Miscommunication, your actions yesterday were disgraceful and unbecoming of a public officer.and you need to be fired from your substantive role in Office of the Prime Minister.
No apologies will be accepted, you need to be dismissed, I have enough of this damn foolishness !
I hope the “real” media people will step forward and move for the dismissal of this misguided idiot !
Filed under: communication | Tagged: commmunciation |
Warren's Blog 
it seems that this position as Director of communication is reserved for party functionaries as wasnt Mr medley removed from his position at the JIS when the JLP was in govt? Therein lies the problem in jamaica as with a change in govt comes a change in personnell at these positions so you cant blame the D.O.C. at the opm as a change in govt means he has lost his job???
One microphone works best. if not, then everyone would talk at once ( they are competitors) and it would be harder to moderate. have you seen the paparazzi talking to U.S. celebrities from different media houses, all you hear is six questions being asked at the same time, as everyone wants to get the scoop.
this point stands on its own, and is not supportive of the boorish behaviour of Huntley Medley, who acts more like a bouncer in a club than a moderator
I hear you cullcull, but it looks terrible.
i think it hurts them more, because both Huntley and Sandrea Facloner were former journalists.
They behave like house negroes
The other side of the story is posted below
Where ?
Can you send a link .
The following is the full statement from the Director of Communications in the Office of the Prime Minister, Huntley Medley, regarding the treatment of journalists questioning the National Housing Trust/Outameni deal during the post-Cabinet press briefing held at Jamaica House on Wednesday November 26.
Media reports on the unfortunate developments at the Jamaica House media briefing on Wednesday, November 26 have not all conveyed the position and views of the Communication and Public Affairs Department of the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).
It is the responsibility and duty of the Communication and Public Affairs Department to encourage, facilitate and support frequent opportunities for the media to interface with the Prime Minister, ministers without portfolio and other senior officials in the OPM. During a courtesy call by members of the Executive of the Press Association of Jamaica with the Prime Minister – which the Communication Department facilitated – on Tuesday, November 25, the Prime Minister gave a commitment to participate in more regular exchanges with the media. The communication department will act on the Prime Minister’s commitment.
The Jamaica House media briefing is one of the occasions for the media to be provided with information about the programmes and activities of the OPM and the government in general. Internally at the OPM, the Communication and Public Affairs Department has consistently advocated for the briefing to be held more regularly and for there to be fulsome, honest, open communication with the media and the public at all times.
There are certain basic procedures that have always existed to guide media briefings and press conferences at Jamaica House. The Communication Department is responsible for ensuring that those procedures are followed for good order. During questions and answers journalists are required to indicate their intention to ask a question by raising their hands and on being acknowledged by the person providing answers or the moderator of the briefing, to ask their question and allow for the answer. The journalists might indicate their desire to ask a follow-up question related to their initial question. This has always been facilitated and was facilitated on Wednesday.
During the Briefing on Wednesday, TVJ reporter Mr Andre Jebbinson, was recognised and handed the cordless audio microphone used by the OPM team to enable the questions from journalists to be heard by all and to be recorded for the live broadcast of the briefing by the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ). Mr Jebbinson initially asked and was allowed about six questions.
He was then asked by me to allow other journalists to ask questions after which he would be permitted an opportunity to ask any other questions he wished. He indicated that he had two more questions. He was allowed to ask the additional two questions and again asked be me to allow other journalists to pose their questions. Mr Jebbinson started to ask another question at which point I took the audio microphone from him and handed it to another journalist.
In an unfortunate act of defiance and ungraciousness which some young journalists have mistakenly equated with being probing and fearless, Mr Jebbinson refused to allow me to retrieve the microphone from him which necessitated my exertion of some force in taking the microphone from him. After other journalists were allowed to ask their questions, I recognised and again allowed Mr Jebbinson to ask his other questions and get answers to them.
Another unfortunate situation again occurred during the briefing after several questions were asked by Mr Abka Fitz-Henley of Nationwide News and his questions were all allowed. On being asked to permit other journalists to pose their questions he also refused to relinquish the cordless audio microphone and I gave instructions to the audio technicians to mute the microphone.
I accept the very negative impression that has been created by my actions and the media reports of what transpired. On reflection, I am convinced that I did what was right but might not have done it right: My motives were correct but my methods might not have been the best under the circumstances.
As a journalist – news reporter, radio presenter, news editor, media manager for more than thirty (30) years; and as a former trainer of journalists as lecturer in journalism with the University of the West Indies School of Continuing Studies, I will never be party to any attempt to muzzle journalists in the performance of their duties. However, journalists also have a duty to act responsibly, fairly, and to recognize and respect the rights of others, including their own colleagues.
The reporter from one of the daily newspapers who did not ask any questions during Wednesday’s briefing told me after the event, that she was unable to ask any questions as the time was monopolized by the TVJ and Nationwide reporters.
The Communication Department of the OPM will continue to facilitate the media to access information from the OPM so that they can perform their duty of informing the public. We will also review our arrangements for ensuring the orderly flow of the media exchanges involving officials of the OPM with an adherence at all times to basic operating procedures.
Its is always this crap from the people who work under the PNP. You screw up royally and then come to the public to explain the screw up and hopefully that will be the end of the matter.
Listen this asinine piece of statement.
I am convinced that I did what was right but might not have done it right.
What CRAP is this from the Director of Communications.
Sir give me a freaking break, I am not a journalist but I know crap when I see it.
This is an insult to our intelligence.
Seems after 30 yrs you have not learned much or is it that you have placed your intelligence aside when it comes to defending the party ?
This is a sad day for journalism, this defense is pathetic at best.
What about the other journalist who did not get a chance to speak, because other journalists were hogging the mike ?
This is all the fault of the opm. Had there been regular press conference there would not have been the need to limit us to one or two questions.
The PM needs to fix up!