Media organizations take on Manning on 94.1fm affair

Prime Minister Patrick Manning is feeling the heat from several quarters for his stand on the media and his declarations about his relationship with the media. He said on Thursday he would visit media institutions "if ever I am aggrieved by anything the media does in the future" adding that he would not hesitate to go to court.

The Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA) has called Manning's personal visit to a radio station to complain about an alleged unprofessional broadcast unacceptable, noting that it could be interpreted as an abuse of power for a prime minister.

In a media release TTPBA said the prime minister should not have gone to the radio station.

“In a democracy, to have a prime minister do so is unacceptable as it can be interpreted as an abuse of power and a threat to freedom of the press, because such action may be perceived as intimidatory.”

The organization added, "A broadcaster does not have the right to say anything about anybody or put on air information that is incorrect and which may lead to harm...There are mechanisms in place that the public can use to have incorrect information corrected."

It said, “The Media Complaints Council is one such means and the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, in spite of there being yet no broadcast code in place, has the influence necessary to correct glaring errors of the broadcast media.”

The TTPBA said it is alarmed "at this seeming threat to press freedom and we sincerely hope that there will be no repeat of this unfortunate incident.”

Earlier in the week The Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) said the prime minister’s right should be exercised in the public interest with due care and responsibility.

In a followup release MATT responded to Manning's declaration that as a citizen he has the “right” to visit a radio station.

“Matt maintains its position that the Prime Minister’s visit to 94.1FM was inappropriate and unnecessary,” the release said. “Freedom of speech is enshrined in Section 4 of the Constitution...The Media Association takes this opportunity to remind its members and all members of the population that we have a responsibility and right to comment on the actions of public officials and issues of national importance.”

And Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday has called on the media to stand firmly in the face of “threats” and “intimidation” by Manning over criticisms of the Government’s performance and policy in the press.

“Mr Manning can say what he wants...the fact that his action of storming a radio station with security detail to challenge the statements of broadcasters will have the effect of intimidating the management and staff—including journalists,” Panday said.

The Vice President of the Law Association, Hendrickson Seunath, has also commented on what he called "intimidatory" and "ill-advised" conduct of the prime minister.

"For a prime minister to walk into a radio station because an announcer said something that offended him must be viewed as intimidatory," Seunath said adding, "even if he was justified by doing it the perception out there will be that he used his position to intimidate. I think it was ill-advised for him to take that step and I do not thing that it is something we should encourage."