NTA: Media must choose better experts to interview

National Transformation Alliance (NTA) political leader and former police commissioner Gary Griffith has called on the media to do better in choosing expert interviewees.

In a press release on Sunday, Griffith said the media needed to better as the trend of “inflating politically aligned voices and dressing them up as objective experts” was a disservice to the public.

“It is time for the national media to wake up and stop misleading the public by carelessly labelling individuals as ‘political analysts’ or ‘security experts’ when in reality their track records and public commentary expose clear political bias and questionable credentials,” it said.

He referred to University of the West Indies' (UWI) Dr Indira Rampersad and security consultant Garvin Heerah.

The release also referenced Progressive Empowerment Party’s (PEP) political leader Phillip Alexander being called a “giant.”

Griffith said, “The role of journalism is to inform, not to mislead. Credibility matters. Background matters. And political alignment must be disclosed-especially when it masquerades as neutral analysis.

“Trinidad and Tobago deserves better than propaganda disguised as expertise. Let’s call it what it is-and demand a higher standard of media integrity,” he said.

On Friday, former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley also criticised comments UWI senior lecturer Dr Bishnu Ragoonath made about the legality of presidential appointments.

Rowley said, "I woke up yesterday morning to, once again, a so-called analyst from the political arena, using their presence on UWI's payroll to hold themselves out an an 'analyst' when in fact they have done no proper research, they consulted no one in the know nor are they an 'expert' in the facts of the issue that they attempt to bring clarity on."

In 2023, Rowley labelled the The Council for Responsible Political Behaviour — which Ragoonath heads — as biased.