Two journalists in particular, by self-appointment, were at the forefront of guarding democracy last week: André Jebbinson of TVJ and Abka Fitz-Henley of Nationwide.
Martin Henry wrote the following in the Sunday Gleaner , November 30, 2014
They would not yield the microphone to any of their colleagues to ask questions at the post-Cabinet Jamaica House press briefing. Amazingly, it was the man who enforced the rule of fairplay, albeit somewhat roughly, who felt obliged to tender something of an apology.
Jebbinson and Fitz-Henley owe an apology to their colleagues, if to no one else, for their selfish behaviour in big, big Journalism Week. No one appointed them to be spokespersons for the entire media corps.
Amazingly, well, not-so-amazingly after all, their professional association, the PAJ, used the opportunity in true trade union style to deliver a long lecture to the OPM about how to conduct the weekly post-Cabinet press briefing with not a word of reprimand to the two members who hogged the show to the detriment of their fellow members of the association.
How is that for fairness and balance in a profession that prides itself on fairness and balance?
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20141130/focus/focus2.html
If Mr Henry had just take a few minutes to do a proper research he would not have written this article which was filled with so many factual errors and one must therefore question his motives. We expect columnist to research and write the truth based on that research and not to state opinions as fact.
If Mr Henry had done the research he would have found out that the Director of Communication, Huntely “mic snatching” Medley, lied when he wrote in his apology that the two gentlemen in question “hogged” the ,Micropone and others who wanted to ask questions were not allowed to do so. The journalist to who Huntley referred denied telling him, she did not get any questions in, she reportedly told him ” she did not ask any questions because all the questions she wanted to ask, were already posed”.
How on earth did Martin Henry miss this and presented a error filled column as facts, this is so disappointing from someone who wants to give the impression that he is a independent journalist.
Well , low and behold Abka Fitz-Henley has responded to Martin Henry’s factually incorrect column and has stated the following
In his Sunday, November 30, 2014 column titled ‘Guarding democracy – from the press, too’, Martin Henry let himself down.
Henry has committed the cardinal sin of not being properly seized of the facts before putting pen to paper. He appears to have formed his view based on the propaganda supplied by the political directorate.
I had maintained my silence on allegations from the political directorate because I do not wish to be drawn into a tit-for-tat, but Mr Henry’s error-strewn piece means one of the initial actions I will take is to suggest that he recant.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20141201/cleisure/cleisure4.html
Suddenly all the PNP apologist are coming out of the woodwork, but now unlike years ago, the public has many ways to get information and not just from the few who have access to the media to spew their error and factually incorrect articles.
You form your own judgement
Filed under: communication, Politics | Tagged: commmunciation |
Warren's Blog 
I agree with you 100%. Martin Henry is the best the gleaner has to offer. However is column yesterday, failed to make the distinction between respecting the rule of law and the state abusing its powers. Both journalists who were criticised by Henry did not appear to attack the legitimate rule of this administration. (Although, I believe this administration is illegitimate and it would be appropriate to physically throw the prime minister out of Gordon House). They only wanted appropriate answers to their questions, that would put the issue regarding the NHT’S purchase of OUTAMENI in context. It appears that it is the view of Martin Henry, that the actions of the board members were not outlandish and that persons who question their decision want the government to succumb to rule of outside forces.
Don’t you know that the reporter probably told Abka what he wanted to hear. you think he would say ‘ you hogged the mike’. All the media know the answer that the info minister will give for the most part, but all news media send their own reporter, so they can carry it from the own reporter.
It is a foolish journalist who would say, all the questions have been asked. then why would their boss pay them !!!. If that is the case, Observer , Hot 102 can keep their reporters at home knowing fully well that TVJ and Nationwide will ask ‘all the questions’
Jay, you a slip up. normally those crappy excuse would not get by you
Cullcull like you have reminded me, its what was said, let the facts speak for themselves. TVJ, NNN and CVM all contacted the reporter in question and she gave the same information to all three , so I am not simply going by with Abka said.
Huntley was a lair and Martin failed to do his research. I did mine and it took a few minutes.
do you buy that explanation ?. Butch and Danville call her into office, hey, nationwide and TVJ have the scoop, what did you get. , oh nothing, they asked all the questions … She would not be doing her job !!!
My boss was late with my salary. Them say sorry, hope it was not an inconvenience , i said no problem . it called being polite when things go bad …
Report the fact not your personal view while stating it as being factual. That is lying and that is what Huntley Medley did.
I believed that Portia lied on the Outameni issue, but that was a personal position, you said she spoke the facts.
So I take from the last sentence above is lying is ok under certain circumstances ie when you don’t want the other party to look bad.
Could that be what PSM did when she came to parliament.
BTW were you aware that PJ Patterson had previously fired Easton Douglas for lying to cabinet 1999/2000 ??
media 101, you get your own scoop. you never cede that your competition get the scoop and ‘asks all the questions you would ask’
Culcull,
Do you think the Minister with no information would answer a question that was already answered even though it was from a different reporter.
She would give the same answer, but that’s how it is. Thats why Minister go from nationwide, to Hot, To RJR To Power saying the same thing. It would be a dumb station who would carry forgo the scoop because another station covered it adequately !!!.
Jerry Small does it at times still, he reference Nationwide and other programs, but the rule is that you don’t advertise other stations. you get the scoop for yourself. All journalist basically asking the same questions which they already know the answer. Not getting to ask questions should get you fired
You said PSM lied on the Outameni … which you are free to do.. but it can be settled easily, .. Are you privy to the the sales agreement on Outameni .. basically that dictates whether she was lying or not..
The fact that I may not have it does not prove that I am wrong . How does the sale agreement prove she did not lie.
The agreement is a commercial transaction, where one party agrees to by the assets being made available by another.
The agreement would not speak to the intended purpose of the buyer ( NHT).
What is clear is the NHT did not even know what was purchase and they have a copy of the agreement.
They do not understand business, which reslutred in them failing to ensure that intellecurtal property was part of the agreement until after they had paid over the money.
I know the PM lied by her own admission
1. She said she knew nothing about the deal until it was reported by the media
2. She said she DOES not instruct the NHT board
3. She then said she had ” instructed” the NHT board to do what the board had already indicated it was going to with the property before the news was made public.
Now unless the PM was clairvoyant, how could she have issued such instructions before she became aware of the sale ?
Proof the PM is a liar !
Worse she is not a good one either !
The sales agreement speaks to what was sold. terms and conditions. People says NHT by Outameni, the sales agreement would reflect if it was the property and/or the Intellectual property that was bought.
Easton Douglas said it was bought Lock , Stock and Barrell.
PSM said only the Land and some chattels were bought. the sales agreement ( Fact) would tell who was lying ( if anybody)
1. She said she knew nothing about the deal until it was reported by the media
2. She said she DOES not instruct the NHT board
Point 1… cant prove that,… Even Audley Shaw ( and Bruce Golding) said Ministers would not know of Operational Matters.. matters of Policy would be brought to their attention.
Point 2 . Ministers don’t instruct board on operational matters. ( Bruce Golding told the AG that is she sign extradition letter, she would have to sign her resignation letter… AG said she was not instructed by BG) .
Point 3… cannot comment, i never heard PSM saying she instructed the board on operational matters.
Check the ansel records.
I heard her myself.