The Equality Council of Trinidad & Tobago (ECTT) has accused the Media Association of Trinidad & Tobago (MATT) of hypocrisy concerning its statement on alleged advertising boycott of the TnT Mirror and Radio i95.5 FM.
MATT issued the statement calling on the intervention of the Prime Minister, noting that if such a boycott is taking place it violates the concept of media freedom.
MATT issued the statement calling on the intervention of the Prime Minister, noting that if such a boycott is taking place it violates the concept of media freedom.
In a statement reacting to MATT's position, the ECTT found it considers MATT "hypocritical" since it was previously silent on the issue of bias advertising by the State when the issue was raised in 2009.
"As a specific example ECTT...via the Freedom of Information Act unearthed that the Ministry of the Local Government in 2009 incurred massive advertising including a monstrous $100,000 expenditure in one particular month to i95.5FM.
"As a specific example ECTT...via the Freedom of Information Act unearthed that the Ministry of the Local Government in 2009 incurred massive advertising including a monstrous $100,000 expenditure in one particular month to i95.5FM.
"MATT saw no reason to sound the alarm bells when i95fm got large advertising from the NLCB when that State Agency was chaired by the owner of i95 FM.
"MATT did not utter a peep on this issue where a known party hack who was awarded a radio frequency within hours received what appeared to be the lion's share of the State advertising."
ECTT said MATT's voice was "choked" when the State advertising went mostly to i95.5 FM over the past decade while other stations struggled to obtain similar advertising.
ECTT said MATT's voice was "choked" when the State advertising went mostly to i95.5 FM over the past decade while other stations struggled to obtain similar advertising.
The organisation said stations perceived as hostile to then PNM Administration such as WIN TV, WIN Radio, Heritage, Radio Jaagriti and ieTV "paid a price for that perception, yet MATT did not come to their rescue."
The Equality Council said MATT was also quiet when the state did not pass any advertising to The Bomb newspaper.
"MATT fails to highlight in its solicitation for State funds for the TnT Mirror that the publication has been re-engineered essentially as the unofficial newspaper for the Opposition People's National Movement and as such can no longer claim to be objective, nor ascribe any journalistic integrity to its commentators.
The Equality Council said MATT was also quiet when the state did not pass any advertising to The Bomb newspaper.
"MATT fails to highlight in its solicitation for State funds for the TnT Mirror that the publication has been re-engineered essentially as the unofficial newspaper for the Opposition People's National Movement and as such can no longer claim to be objective, nor ascribe any journalistic integrity to its commentators.
"Just prior to the announcement of the 2010 General Election date and the dissolution of the Parliament the State and its agencies began an intense advertising campaign...
"The PNM controlled State was using the guise of government advertising to de facto promote the PNM Party. MATT was silent on this issue.
"It appears to ECTT that MATT is a stranger to equality of treatment and appears to have a naked political agenda that is tied to that of the TnT Mirror and i95.5FM. MATT may think that the nation has forgotten its selective silence under the past administration, but there are many who remember," the organisation said.
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