The Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA) on Monday strongly condemned a proposal by the Privileges Committee of Parliament to ban Newsday reporter Andre Bagoo from the Parliament for the publication of a parliamentary report on UDeCOTT.In a statement, the TTPBA, which represents print and broadcast media expressed concern over the committee recommendation to ban Bagoo for the rest of the session which ends on Friday and suggested that this is part of "a growing trend of intimidating the media".
On November 13, the Privileges Committee recommended a ban on Bagoo and an apology from Newsday for the premature publication of contempt of Parliament proceedings against UDeCOTT before the findings were presented to the House.
Newsday published Bagoo's article "Udecott apologises to House Speaker" on Sunday, June 28, 2009.
The story was about UDeCOTT's decision to apologise to the House for its public statements in response to comments by Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh. Both Bagoo and Newsday were referred to the Privileges Committee for breach of parliamentary rules.
The reporter and Newsday’s Executive Chairman and Editor in Chief Therese Mills agreed that the paper was wrong and they apologized for the breach of parliamentary rules.
But that didn't satisfy the government-dominated committee which ruled Newsday and Bagoo were guilty of contempt.
The TTPBA said is surprised the committee sought to ban Bagoo in addition to recommending that Newsday apologise.
“The TTPBA considers the punishment unjustly harsh in nature especially when it takes into consideration parliamentary precedence in such matters and notes that other entities accused of similar breaches, like Udecott, were required only to issue an apology," the association said.
It noted a minority report on the matter signed by MPs Roodal Moonilal, Tim Gopeesingh and Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who warned the move to ban Bagoo would be viewed as an attack on press freedom.
Their minority report urged all members of the House to either reject the report in its entirety or have the recommendation to ban struck out. The report said a ban on the reporter would appear “authoritarian, dictatorial and contrary to the expressed commitment of Trinidad and Tobago to the fundamental right of freedom of the press as enshrined in the Constitution.”
The TTPBA agreed with that position.
“The TTPBA believes that in such circumstances, the apology issued by Newsday to the committee should suffice and that the House should indeed reject the report and recommendations, in keeping with the democratic principle of freedom of expression, which is the hallmark of Parliament; it would be of the greatest irony if such a principle were disregarded by the very institution that is supposed to preserve it.”
The TTPBA also raised the issue of increasing incidences of acts of intimidation against the media.
“The TTPBA is concerned about what may be perceived to be a growing trend of intimidating the media and emphasises that the freedom of the press remains a paramount symbol of democracy which all should strive to maintain and preserve.”
The Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) has also found the recommendation to ban Bagoo as "unduly harsh and highly unusual punishment".
MATT expressed "grave concern that a pattern may be emerging of attempted intimidation by way of the Privileges Committee of journalists whose reporting may have embarrassed, or offended the Government”.
MATT noted the case of CCN-TV6 and two of its journalists who have been referred to the Privileges Committee over a newscast on statements made by the House Speaker. The committee is yet to deliver its findings on this case.
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