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| File: Excerpt from a speech on Jan. 25, 2010 at the inauguration of Kamla Persad-Bissessar as Political Leader of the United National Congress (UNC) |
As recently as Tuesday at the celebration of the United National Congress (UNC) marking the second anniversary of Perasd-Bissessar's election as leader of the party, the Prime Minister mentioned press freedom as part of her overall vision for Trinidad & Tobago.
She said: "And remember always that we in the UNC have a clear vision of what our country must be …
"It is a vision where the media must be free to report and probe as a fourth estate of governance, to be the guardians of democracy to generate debate and discussion on matters of national interest on which citizens can act…".
Rambachan told reporters at the post cabinet media briefing that the People's Partnership government is under more intense media scrutiny than any past administration. He said the government has never interfered with the rights of reporters.
He was responding to a question from a reporter concerning the 2011-12 report of the journalism watchdog, Reporters Without Borders, which downgraded Trinidad & Tobago on the press freedom index.
The summary of its report stated: "There was a surprise of a different kind in Trinidad and Tobago (50th, down 20 places) as a result of a scandal involving spying on journalists, as well as moves to boycott radio and television stations and procedural abuses."
It did not provide any specific details on the allegations of boycott of radio and TV stations or explain what it meant by procedural abuses.
Rambachan said he would prefer to read the full report before commenting on the conclusions. However he stated that it is important for objectivity in this matter. He stated that the government has never boycotted any radio or television station, so he was at a loss to understand why the report arrived at that conclusion.
The issue of the "trinidadgate", which was not raised at the media briefing, had to do with the spying scandal on journalists by the previous administration, which the Prime Minister exposed in Parliament.
Reporters Without Borders acknowledged that the current government has taken action in the matter.
It's trinidadgate report stated:
"Journalists whose communications have been illegally monitored include Dale Enoch of Radio I 95 FM,Sasha Mohammed of TV6, Shelly Dass of CNC TV, Francis Joseph and Ken Ali of Newsday,Camini Marajh of the Trinidad Express daily and Inshan Ishmael of IBN TV.
“The present government has taken real measures to strictly curtail the use of such practices and put them under judicial supervision,” Reporters Without Borders said.
It suggested that "an investigation – if necessary, by a special parliamentary commission – must be carried out in order to shed light on this incredible misuse of the intelligence services and, in particular, to determine the degree to which the information gathered may have hurt journalists and their sources.”
The Trinidad & Tobago government has already taken action to deal with the problem and the Prime Minister has restated her pledge to protect the rights of journalists and media in the country.
In December 2010 one news executive suggested that the government's hiring of journalists to work in the state information services was a form of attack on media freedom.
Dominic Kalipersad stated: "I note the State agencies that are luring staff from TV6. If this is an attempt to weaken TV6 because of our strength, I want to say TV6 will always remain strong. Is this the type of press freedom that the Prime Minister is talking about?"
Persad-Bissessar responded by stating that must not be seen as a press freedom issue.
"Indeed it's the exercise of rights, constitutional rights to seek a job where you feel you can perform and where you have obtained a job. It's freedom of movement and freedom to be employed, I don't see it as an attack on press freedom if one person leaves a job to take up another, I really don't see it that way," she told the Trinidad Express.
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