Gov't didn't "commandeer" media: Parsanlal

The government of Trinidad and Tobago says it did not "commandeer" the media for two broadcasts in which Prime Minister Patrick Manning presented positive messages to the nation in the middle of a general election campaign.

Information Minister Neil Parsanlal said in a media release Tuesday what Manning did was neither "unprecedented nor unusual in an election season".

Manning invoked clauses in the broadcast licences of the various stations to get blanket air time on Sunday night for an interview with the prime minister and again on Monday for a "state of the nation" address from a Port of Spain hotel.

Parsanlal also denied allegations and suggestions that the interview was soft and and failed to address critical national issues.

And he said Manning hosted a similar interview before the 2007 elections "at the same venue, using the same format...using (free) Government time".

Parsanlal said Manning "made himself available to the media" in keeping with the "Government’s commitment to a free and independent media and in recognition of the role of a responsible media in a democratic society."

He added, "While some arms of the media had made requests for exclusive interviews, it was not considered proper or appropriate for the Prime Minister to favour any arm of the mainstream media in this way."

Parsanlal said the journalists were selected "from a range of media entities and personnel" who had made previous requests, noting that "there were no restrictions on what questions could be asked and the interview was free and wide-ranging."

He said the government intended to have all media represented and insisted that no one media house was given preferential treatment. The three journalists who appeared on the show were Hans Hanoomansingh of Heritage radio, Anthony Wilson of the Trinidad Guardian and Juhel Brown of the state-owned media.

The Trinidad Express said it was not invited and neither was its television station, TV6. The Express and TV6 are considered the country's number media outlets.

The opposition has slammed Manning and demanded to know why many other journalists - including investigative reporters - were not invited.

UNC Chairman Jack Warner called it the "saddest moment for journalism".

Read the story: Jack Warner verbatim: Saddest moment for journalism in T&T