Grenada government battles the media
by Leroy Noel
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
ST GEORGE‘S, Grenada: Battle lines are drawn
between the government and media workers in Grenada as several practitioners
were reportedly intimidated and threatened by agents of the ruling New
National Party (NNP) on Sunday. Over the
weekend the NNP announced that it did not want the presence of the media
during Sunday’s General Council meeting but later invited the media to be
present in the afternoon session. However,
junior reporter Tricia Reuben and cameraman Levi Benoit who went to cover the
event said they were verbally abused and were told by at least one executive
member of the party that their security were at risk as party supporters
shouted no media. The two media practitioners
quickly vacated the area where the meeting was taking place.
Several media personnel here also reported that they are constantly being
heckled by party supporters and receive threatening telephone calls.
The drawing of battle lines began after the media here was threatened with the
full force of the law if it published anything about a report in the Offshore
Alert which alleged that the Prime Minister received US$500,000 in a briefcase
as a bribe in 2000 from a German fraudster who was appointed a diplomat by the
Grenada government, subsequently revoked in 2001.
The main opposition party here has accused the government of trying to muzzle
media. Public Relations Officer of the
National Democratic Congress (NDC) Nazim Burke speaking to thousands of
supporters on Sunday said “Dr. Mitchell is deeply concerned that he lost the
popular votes during last November’s elections and over the last six months
his party has embarked on a systematic campaign to shut down our media”.
Mr. Burke added, “The government is trying to frighten the media into
intimidation and submission, but it must be remembered that we are a people of
courage, determination and perseverance who will never lie down to the ruling
party” Meanwhile, the Media Workers
Association of Grenada (MWAG) in a statement Monday says it views with grave
concern the hostile treatment meted out to reporters and the television crew
of the Grenada Broadcasting Network (GBN) who covered the ruling New National
Party’s General Council meeting. The
association considers this behaviour most awful and intolerable and deems it
as another effort by some party hawks to frighten and hinder the media workers
from performing their duties of disseminating information to the nation.
The party it added invited the media and so it had a responsibility to ensure
that each one was provided with the condition and environment to do his or her
work.
"We understand that the television crew of
the GBN was heckled and tormented from the entrance and finally was offered
police protection. MWAG would like to note that this is not the first time
that some NNP members have behaved idiotic and foolish. At one of their
conventions at the Grenada Trade Centre, the media was pelted with rolled up
paper and other items".
The statement noted that the association
condemns in the strongest possible way Sunday’s attack. "We call on the
leadership of the party to exert greater discipline and tolerance on its
members. We steadfastly hold to the principle that the media must not be
inhibited in the performance of its duty. We call upon all media practitioners
not be deterred by such ruthless attacks".
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