What happened to Chinese nationals Yang Jiang Hua and his wife Wu Xia Hua was indeed tragic. The couple were murdered at their business place in Cunupia more than one week ago and the story has been making national headlines ever since. The latest is a front page story in the Sunday Express: No help from Jack, which seems to hold the new national security minister accountable.
The murder of any person is cause for concern and the media and critics of Jack Warner should not be making a case for help for one family alone. Warner has made the point over and over again since he took office a few weeks ago that the crime situation is not under control. And he is working on making a difference.
However, it seems every step of the way people are laying blame on him for the escalating murders in the country and crime in general. He had to point out the other day that he didn't kill anybody.
As a caring MP he visited the family of the deceased couple as he has done when other constituents have had to face adversity. And he offered help.
The murder of any person is cause for concern and the media and critics of Jack Warner should not be making a case for help for one family alone. Warner has made the point over and over again since he took office a few weeks ago that the crime situation is not under control. And he is working on making a difference.
However, it seems every step of the way people are laying blame on him for the escalating murders in the country and crime in general. He had to point out the other day that he didn't kill anybody.
As a caring MP he visited the family of the deceased couple as he has done when other constituents have had to face adversity. And he offered help.
But honestly, for a newspaper to make a big national issue of the fact that "No representative from the Ministry of National Security was present at yesterday's funeral service for Yang Jiang Hua and his wife..." is taking it a little too far.
Are we to understand then that the national security ministry should be sending a representative to the funeral of every murder victim.
Are we to understand then that the national security ministry should be sending a representative to the funeral of every murder victim.
And why is it that over the years it was not an issue that the ministry did not send representatives to the funerals of the thousands of murdered citizens? Were they of lesser importance than this Chinese couple or are the media just looking for a reason - any reason - to blame Jack for something?
The media have a major role to play in a democratic society as the watchdog for the citizens to keep checks and balances and to hold those in authority accountable. However, I have seen a trend in the national media in Trinidad & Tobago that is based on sensationalism that feeds a cynical society.
What is worse is that some of the stories are dead wrong.
One Guardian story recently headlined: PM, Cabinet knew about demolition gave the impression that Warner lied when he said he acted alone in the demolition of a protest camp in Debe and that the Prime Minister did not know about it.
The story did not support the headline allegation and boldly stated that the minister "did not act on his own accord when he instructed the demolition of the Highway Re-route Movement’s camp, to allow works to resume on the $7.2 billion Point Fortin Highway".
The media have a major role to play in a democratic society as the watchdog for the citizens to keep checks and balances and to hold those in authority accountable. However, I have seen a trend in the national media in Trinidad & Tobago that is based on sensationalism that feeds a cynical society.
What is worse is that some of the stories are dead wrong.
One Guardian story recently headlined: PM, Cabinet knew about demolition gave the impression that Warner lied when he said he acted alone in the demolition of a protest camp in Debe and that the Prime Minister did not know about it.
The story did not support the headline allegation and boldly stated that the minister "did not act on his own accord when he instructed the demolition of the Highway Re-route Movement’s camp, to allow works to resume on the $7.2 billion Point Fortin Highway".
However the whole story was about the fact that the contractor had made a claim for compensation due to the delay allegedly caused by the protest and that the PM and the cabinet were aware of the claim.
The article never stated that the PM was aware of the decision that was made to demolish the camp on a particular day. That is what Warner stated when the media asked him about the matter. The Guardian story was WRONG and sensational.
When media act in that manner they are not fulfilling their duty. Their responsibility is to inform people about what is happening based on verifiable facts and the objective truth. Too often we find stories based on speculation on allegations without any attempt to question sources.
For example, when Michael Annisette reported in September last year that as many as 13 containers of drugs passed through the Port of Spain and Pt Lisas ports the media reported it as fact without asking the most obvious questions of the trade union leader:
The article never stated that the PM was aware of the decision that was made to demolish the camp on a particular day. That is what Warner stated when the media asked him about the matter. The Guardian story was WRONG and sensational.
When media act in that manner they are not fulfilling their duty. Their responsibility is to inform people about what is happening based on verifiable facts and the objective truth. Too often we find stories based on speculation on allegations without any attempt to question sources.
For example, when Michael Annisette reported in September last year that as many as 13 containers of drugs passed through the Port of Spain and Pt Lisas ports the media reported it as fact without asking the most obvious questions of the trade union leader:
- How do you know this?
- When did this happen?
- Why didn't you report this to the police?
- If you knew this and didn't report it to police aren't you complicit in this crime?
- If you know that 13 containers arrived, then surely you know to whom they were consigned? So who are YOU protecting?
We absolutely need a free and unbiased media in Trinidad & Tobago and the government of the day has stated that and pledged to fight to protect that freedom. However, we in the media have to examine our work and ask whether we are truly carrying on our job freely or with an agenda that suits certain interests.
Let's be honest. And let's keep media free and responsible.
Jai Parasram | Toronto, 22 July 2012
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