Dennis: Press freedom in Tobago under threat

PNM Tobago Council political leader Ancil Dennis fears that freedom of the press may be under threat on the island.

On Channel 5’s morning show, Rise & Shine, on Tuesday, hosts Deryck Braithwaite (Brother B) and Jumaane Cox discussed Tobago’s political climate, most notably the backlash to the controversial, leaked audio recording in which two THA officials discussed using state funds to hire people to carry out a social media political propaganda campaign.

Braithwaite expressed the view that Chief Secretary Farley Augustine will not survive politically in Tobago and advised him to take his family to Canada “to try to make a living there.”

He argued Augustine also does not know who to trust in his administration.

“The sad things about that Farley administration presently is that you don’t know who to trust, and since you don’t have trust in your own camp, the public will not trust you from here on in regardless of how you may sound. Perception in politics is reality, regardless.”

But the next morning, Braithwaite apologised to Augustine at the start of show, describing him as a friend.

During a PNM public meeting in Charlotteville on Thursday night, Dennis weighed in on Braithwaite’s apology.

He said although he does not always agree with some of Braithwaite’s statements, the host has developed a reputation for speaking his mind.

“But here you had Brother B day before yesterday morning in his usual style talking the truth, like a big man, saying Farley should go to Canada and Farley don’t have a chance and he better come out of politics, they might take him back in teaching,” he said.

Dennis told the audience when he got up the next morning, he was amazed to see Braithwaite apologising to Augustine on the show.

“I say, ‘Brother B looking for friends?' All of us must ask ourselves, How did a talk show host of a popular TV programme that many of us look at on mornings, go from a very honest statement, that I must agree it was critical of the chief secretary, to apologising the very next day?”

He continued, “It has to be that Brother B came under pressure from somewhere and it is likely to be pressure from perhaps the owners of the establishment.

“And therefore, I am prepared to conclude one of two things. Is either the owners of the establishment are politically biased against the PNM so therefore they are prepared to tolerate disrespect and criticism of PNM representatives, including chief secretaries, but they not prepared to accept the same from other chief secretaries.

“It has to be either that or somebody make a call concerning the statements that Brother B made.”

Dennis said he hopes Braithwaite was not told he had to apologise in order to keep his job.

“I am hoping that was not the situation because then we have a serious problem to be addressed in Tobago as it relates to our democracy and as it relates to freedom of the press on the island of Tobago.”

He said all kinds of stories appear in both the print and electronic media about the government.

“The most the government will do is correct statements that they believe to be erroneous and, in some cases, people sue. But in Tobago, media people, popular talk show host, turn from big man one day to little man the next day to go and apologise to the chief secretary.”

Dennis advised Braithwaite, “Doh leh nobody take yuh and make yuh little boy. You cannot tell me that you expressed a view that was by no means disrespectful, very fair statement based on what is happening.”

He said any politician in that kind of situation, “you have to consider your political career over and therefore Brother B was only giving good advice.”

The PNM held a meeting earlier in the week at Calder Hall on Monday – Labour Day – where the Prime Minister gave the feature address.