MATT wants to know why CNMG fired talk show host; demands removal of GISL head from CNMG show

Fazeer Mohammed

The Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) on Monday said it is "disturbed" by the dismissal of journalist Fazeer Mohammed from his job as a host of the "First Up" morning program on the state-owned CNMG television service.

In a media release the association said it would like to know "why and at what level the decision was taken" to terminate Mohammed’s employment with the station.

It is also asking for an explanation as to the timing of the action against Mohammed, who it said was fired without warning last Saturday, "two days after he interviewed a government minister who appeared to be displeased by his line of questioning."

The media body said it hopes that CNMG can give "a categorical assurance that there was no causal connection between those two events."

MATT said in its opinion Mohammed was conducting the interview "in a professional manner and was raising questions and concerns shared by many members of the public, both locally and overseas. The timing of his dismissal, however, gives the impression that he was penalised for doing his job."

Mohammed's guest in the controvsersial interview was Foreign Affairs Minister Suruj Rambachan, who was himself a morning talk show host on a private radio network before returning to active politics earlier this year.

Mohammed is reported to have said that according to Islam women are not allowed to be in a leadership position in reference to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

Andy Johnson, the Chief Executive Officer of the Government Information Services Limited (GISL) has replaced Mohammed. A media report says CNMG claims Mohammed was sent home due to cost cutting exercise.

MATT has also taken issue with Johnson's appointment. "Whatever the reason for the termination of Mr Mohammed’s employment, it was a very serious error of judgment to replace him with Andy Johnson...

"The Media Association has the greatest respect for Mr Johnson, who was a leading practitioner in the field for many years. However, Mr Johnson is no longer a practising journalist, but is now clearly aligned with the government of the day."

MATT said Johnson's "objectives and responsibilities as head of GISL are therefore in direct conflict with those of an independent journalist. For Mr Johnson to be given the role of host of a news program at CNMG, a state-owned media house, gives the impression that the government views CNMG as an extension of GISL."

The association stated that CNMG is intended to work in the public interest to provide independent news and opinion and therefore "Mr. Johnson’s hosting of the program, especially in the wake of Mr Mohammed’s ouster, will make it extremely difficult for CNMG to be seen as a source of unbiased information.

"The Media Association therefore hopes that Mr Johnson’s stint as host of First Up will be brought to a rapid end and that he will be immediately replaced by someone who has no such conflict of interest and is currently qualified for this particular job," the release stated.