[UPDATED] Communications Minister: No preferential treatment for TTT

COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER Symon de Nobriga says his "joke" with journalist Kejan Haynes was not communicated well and says state-owned media house TTT is not in fact being given special treatment.

In a media release on Tuesday, de Nobriga said he saw media reports about a statement he made but had been taken out of context.

"I have seen the news report circulating and it is unfortunate that Kejan Haynes took seriously a statement made by me light-heartedly and supposedly off the record at the repatriation exercise on Saturday."

However, neither the media nor Opposition were laughing at his statement.

The light-hearted comment was a policy that TTT would be given an advantage over other media houses when covering government assignments to give it (TTT) “a fighting chance.”

Haynes' News at 7 had said on Monday that on Saturday TTT was allowed access to areas barred to other media houses to cover the repatriation of some 700 Venezuelans from the Cruise Ship Complex, Port of Spain.

In his statement on Tuesday, de Nobriga said it was not that TTT was given preferential treatment, but it was a matter of safety.

"Given the large numbers, and in keeping with the health protocols, it was determined that only TTT and the Information Division would have access."

He said instructions were given to ensure access to footage to all media houses requesting it.

"As Mr Haynes knows very well there is no policy that provides or affords the state-owned media, TTT or any arm of the Information Division, preferred, or exclusive access to any events or activities and I am surprised that Kejan should infer otherwise."

He told Newsday he supported a free press as fundamental to democracy and enshrined in the Constitution.

Asked about only TTT covering the Prime Minister’s tour of one of two coast guard patrol vessels launched on Friday last week, de Nobriga said under covid19 protocols all present were split into two groups, one for each ship, and Dr Rowley took reporters' questions afterwards.

De Nobriga had missed the official opening of the Carenage Police Station, at which media, except TTT, were not allowed to follow Rowley during his walk-through.

Wesley Gibbings of the Association of Caribbean Media Workers told Newsday, "There is a general principle, within press freedom, that the State should not employ its resources to either favour or discriminate against independent media.

“Denying access for some media, and not others, to public state events is one breach. Allocation of state ads is another."

TT Publishers and Broadcasters Association head Grant Taylor, who is Newsday's managing director, has written to de Nobriga on the issue.

"I do think it's only fair we give him a chance to respond before we say anything."

Newsday editor-in-chief Judy Raymond advised de Nobriga to acquaint himself with media practice.

"Perhaps in that case too, he would be better able to judge when it is and isn't appropriate to joke about these things.

"If there is an issue of space or health considerations on an assignment, it is fine to limit access to a media pool, once you make that known to all the media in advance and ensure that they all have access to the material produced by the pool.

"But if you restrict access, and even invitations, to one media house – especially a state-owned media house – you leave yourself wide open to accusations of using it to produce not news, but government propaganda."

Express editor-in-chief Omatie Lyder told Newsday, "Not having heard any audio of what the minister said, I can’t determine whether he was being light-hearted as he claims, but that is irrelevant to the issue. He has admitted it was determined that only TTT and the Information Division would have had access to the event, and instructions given that all footage be shared with other media.

"The Express received no invitation to cover the repatriation exercise and I gather other media didn’t, so it’s a serious matter. That 700 Venezuelans were being repatriated is a big story of national interest. We ought to be allowed to do our own reporting and gather our own footage."

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar told Newsday, "This is down the road to dictatorship and tyranny, a serious breach of democratic principles. Today you are allowing only one voice and stifling the freedom of the press.

"It is mind-boggling they'd admit this was a policy decision. The Government has lost its way."

This story was originally published with the title "Communications Minister on reported TTT preferential policy: 'I was joking'" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER Symon de Nobriga says his "joke" with journalist Kejan Haynes was not communicated well and says state-owned media house TTT is not in fact being given special treatment.

In a media release on Tuesday, de Nobriga said he saw media reports about a statement he made that he said had been taken out of context.

"I have seen the news report circulating and it is unfortunate that Kejan Haynes took seriously a statement made by me light-heartedly and supposedly off the record at the repatriation exercise on Saturday."

The light-hearted comment was a policy that TTT would be given an advantage over other media houses when covering government assignments.

Haynes' News at 7 had said on Monday that on Saturday TTT was allowed access to areas barred to other media houses to cover the repatriation of some 700 Venezuelans from the Cruise Ship Complex, Port of Spain.

The report caused outrage among members of the media and the public.

In his statement on Tuesday, de Nobriga said it was not that TTT was given preferential treatment, but it was a matter of safety.

The media statement read: "Given the large numbers and in keeping with the health protocols it was determined that only TTT and the Information Division would have access; however the director of Government Communications had been instructed to ensure that all footage of the event be made available to all media houses once they requested same."

It added: "As Mr Haynes knows very well there is no policy that provides or affords the state-owned media – TTT or any arm of the Information Division – preferred, or exclusive access to any events or activities and I am surprised that Kejan should infer otherwise."

In his news report on Monday, Haynes said de Nobriga told him off-camera that TTT was given special treatment as a result of government policy. Haynes added that he contacted other Cabinet ministers and was told the same. He did not identify who the other Cabinet ministers were.

The "policy" has been widely criticised, with some calling it dictatorial and unconstitutional.