[UPDATED] AG: 'Who holds bloggers to account?'

Attorney General Reginald Armour is questioning who is holding bloggers to account.

He spoke at a communications conference hosted by the Public Relations Association of Trinidad and Tobago (PRATT).

Armour raised the issue of misinformation and the role of the media.

He questioned the definition of the phrase “fourth estate," a term used to refer to the media.

Armour said with the rise of social media, questions must be asked about the definition of media.

“Who now are the journalists? Who are the media practitioners?”

Armour also asked whether there are any regulations to govern social media journalists.

“Which social blogger out there is part of an organisation that has a constitution that attempts to regulate their activities?

“Which member of that worldwide web…who is building a profile to hold some member of the judiciary, executive or legislative to account, is himself or herself accountable to a responsible body of other persons?"

Armour said the media must also recognise their responsibility to the public.

He
asked whether enough is being invested in training for journalists.

“What responsibility do media owners have for media and information literacy education of the…journalists and media practitioners they employ?

“What percentage of money is employed by the media houses in training journalists and members of staff in artificial intelligence and digital technology?’

Senator Dr Paul Richards was part of a subsequent panel discussion with Armour.

He said questions must also be asked about the media’s responsibility to stakeholders other than the public.

“All (media houses) have different mandates, different shareholders and stakeholders with different agendas. So when we say, 'responsible media'…responsible to whom?”

Communications Minister Symon de Nobriga said misinformation is a real problem facing the Government.

“How do we address rapid misinformation and disinformation we face as a society? That challenge is real and it is serious, but I truly believe it is not insurmountable.”

Armour and de Nobriga were among eight government ministers at the event.

They sat in the front row as presenter Nicole Duke-Westfield highlighted several situations in which she said communication departments at government ministries were left to “clean up the
mess."

Pointing to memes that circulated on social media in the aftermath, Duke-Westfield told PR practitioners at state agencies it is always important to be prepared for any crisis.

“What does your risk communication strategy look like? What is the worst thing that could happen? How are you managing when (the ministers) say something that they were not supposed to say?”

This story was originally published with the title "AG: 'Who holds bloggers to account?'p" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

Attorney General Reginald Armour is questioning who is holding social media bloggers to account.

He raised the question while speaking at a communications conference hosted by the Public Relations Association of Trinidad and Tobago (PRATT).

Armour said that with the rise of social media, questions must be asked about the definition of media.

“Who now are the journalists? Who are the media practitioners?"

Armour also questioned whether there are any regulations to govern social media journalists.

“Which social blogger out there is part of an organisation that has a constitution that attempts to regulate their activities?”