The verdict on the recent application by the Barbados Light & Power Company for a rate hike promised by the Chairman of the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) Sir Neville Nicholls passed without any serious notice by the media earlier this month. The media given its responsibility within the Fourth Estate of the Realm has failed the PEOPLE yet again given its responsibility to keep us informed. The blatant renege by the Fourth Estate of its important civil responsibility means that most Barbadians remain ignorant to the important issues affecting them.
The Head of the Barbados Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (BANGO) Roosevelt King when asked by BU the possible reason for the delay gave the following response:
“Through fear tactics, psychological warfare, oppression and violence many people have been forced physically and mentally, [to not exercise] their right to voice their opinions or their desires to fight against the oppression that they experience. The people are forced to believe, and later come to identify with, the idea that the oppressor has supreme power and is working in the favor of the people. As a result a culture of quiet, non resistant, passive if you will, people are born. This Culture of Silence is longstanding and continues because the people continue to allow the destruction and the oppression to occur, not because they want to, but because fighting against the oppressor seems futile. Those that do fight are eradicated and made examples of in the attempt to silence future attempts at reform. – Author unknown – internet posting”
Be reminded Mr. King’s BANGO participated in the just concluded FTC/BL&P rate hike application.
Today’s Nation editorial makes for interesting reading. On another blog BU made the point that our Fourth Estate needs to demonstrate a duty of care when reporting news. If it does not it will have the inevitable effect of diminishing the integrity of the profession. The topic of the editorial is worthy but the content has fallen woefully short in our opinion.
Not to bore the BU family we have snipped extracts from the editorial to demonstrate our point:
Just this week, the acting general manager of the Barbados Water Authority (BWA), Dr John Mwanza, advised Barbadians that if they didn’t stop wasting their precious water, they could face another rate increase.
One possible reason for the hike: the BWA might have to import water from neighbouring Dominica to keep local levels up. Well, what could be wrong with a neighbourly solution to one’s island problem? Nothing, really, short of a military invasion or intervention.
How many times have Barbadians been told not to waste water? This maybe true but how will such a call resonate with Barbadians when it is known 60% of the water escapes from our distribution system because of leaks? What about the fact burst water mains are sighted daily all over Barbados and Barbadians have to literally beg Barbados Water Authority personnel to repair the bursts? How will this state of affairs create a culture of water conservation in Barbados?
Two accepted scientific polls with results unfavourable to Mia Mottley, followed by two questionable polls that are favourable to her. The latter enabled by the Nation newspaper; coincident, or a deliberate attempt to create news rather than report it?
We should remember the 2007-8 Cadres poll that suggested 20-10 victory for the DLP in the 2008 Jan 15 national election. We should remember the counter poll by Boxill that sought to counter Cadres projections and results.
Another Cadres poll with statistics that Mia Mottley does not like so the Nationnews decided to counter or is it contained the results of that poll with a text message unscientific poll and has sought to highlight and publicize the results as if they were or could ever be provable “statements of Facts”.
During all of this traditional media employees are reminding us that they check and recheck facts.
Must reasonable people can understand when organisations have a problem, but it’s how you deal with it that’s important and how you communicate with people that are keeping you in business. It’s 3.45pm and still no paid-for Sunday Sun has been delivered.
Calls to the 1) Circulation Manager, 2) After hours Distribution, (3) News Hotline, 4) Customer Experience and 5) Eric Holder (Circulation Manager) home number all meet with FULL voicemail boxes. Eventually yesterday late into the afternoon our Saturday Sun was delivered.
Yes! there are presumably paid ‘ad’s on at least one radio station telling us that today’s edition will be late, but 4pm plus to get a daily paper? And what value is there to those companies paying to advertise in the publication?
Will Nation Publishing refund those that have locked into paid subscription.?
Two weeks have passed since the Nation newspaper printed the front page story which declared that the government’s political strategist Hartley Henry had threatened Nation newspaper Sunday Sun Editor Carol Martindale. The management of the Fontebelle newspaper reacted swiftly to that telephone call made on the Saturday afternoon by going to print hours later to meet the next day edition. To demonstrate the seriousness of how the action by Henry was received, the Royal Barbados Police Force was summons, a letter dispatched to Prime Minister David Thompson and other correspondence sent to international media watchdog agencies.
The dust has settled somewhat and some Barbadians who have remained above the partisan prattle are starting to ask the tough questions. BU has a few of our own as well.
Did Carol Martindale have a conversation with leader of the Opposition Mia Mottley concerning the DLP sponsored CADRES poll before it was published?
Is it true the telephone call between Henry and Martindale was NOT recorded?
Is it true the witness to part of the telephone call between Martindale and Henry at the Nation end was not party to sufficient of the conversation to validate the charge which has been made by Martindale?
Is it true the Nation newspaper maybe facing a law suit given the flimsy evidence used to support their actions?
Barbadians are truly ‘something else’. The hundreds of calls, texts and mails I have received over the past four days suggest that I need not say very much in response to certain allegations, because people already know about ‘the connection’.
I thought I had stumbled upon a dark, grey secret with respect to why a certain person enjoys seemingly unfettered access to a particular publication, week in and week out. But every mode and means of communication has been used in recent days to convey to me graphic details of ‘the connection’. What I thought was a piece of ‘hot, juicy news’ turned out to be ‘a particle of rich history’; for Sam Cuch, the Duppy and their in-laws know all about ‘the connection’.
‘The connection’ apparently did not start yesterday, last month or even last year. ‘The connection’ has been ongoing for years now and apparently has been a rocky road for one, characterized, as has now become the norm with cohorts of the aggressor, by an enormous amount of abuse. I am hearing now of blows to the face, blows to the head, blows about the body and even attempts at slitting the wrist. I am also told of the entry of a company head honcho into the “ling”, and the moving out and moving in with the said heavy roller. This heavy roller must be packing a mean punch, kick and especially lick to have two bosses in so pitiful a state, lying prostrate at every beck and call.
Arising from an earlier blog Down By The Riversidefellow blogger from the Living In Barbados Blog expressed the view that private enterprise must be allowed to manage to stay afloat and make money for shareholders (parsing). We have no problem with that position, the flip side however is that BU has the freedom to critique the genuineness of decisions taken as we perceive them. As a corporate citizen the public’s perception should be of value to the Nation Group of Companies.
We are aware that three hundred daily newspapers have gone out of business in the last 25 years in the United States. We are aware that the main reason from the drop in circulation has been because the younger readers have been tapping into Internet based sources like blogs, free online news sources etc.
Unfortunately we have to take the word of the OCM Group Chairman Sir Fred Gollop about the reason for sending home Adonijah and 20+ other media workers from the Nation Group of Companies last week. He mentioned about increase cost in newsprint blah blah blah. We have access to the OCM consolidated financial statement for 2008, what we don’t know is how the Barbados companies performed vis-a-vis others in the OCM Group. We have to guess.
Today Barbadians heard the sad news that the leading media house in Barbados, The Nation Group of Companies has taken the decision to lay-off 28 employees. It is interesting that only a few days after One Caribbean Media (OCM) declared unprecedented profits one of its subsidiaries would brazenly send home Barbadians. After a few years of gouging itself at the expense of Barbadians and others across the Caribbean the Board of OCM has decided that protecting its shareholders is paramount even if the prevailing economic conditions are unforgiving for those tossed out on the breadline. We will write more on this issue soon.
The female in the BU household has insisted that we raise the matter of Scharon Millington the former popular host of Voice of Barbados’ (VOB) Afternoon Delight program. We were surprised to learn a couple weeks ago in response to a caller to Getting Down To Brass Tacks the host Dennis Johnson indicated that Scharon Millington had parted ways with the company. We would have thought given the popularity of Millington the management of VOB would have felt obligated to use gentle public relations to inform her fans.
The BIG question we pose to big-muhguffy Vic Fernandes: Was Millington fired, persuaded to leave or did she resign?
Submitted by the Caribbean Institute for Democracy
Mr. Adam Harris
Editor
Kaieteur Newspaper
Georgetown, Guyana.
Dear Adam:
I must again take issue you Mr. Adam Harris, Editor of the Kaieteur Newspaper.
It has not been lost on me that Kaieteur News apparently deliberately edited my letter to the press, which you published in yesterday’s edition (Dec 8), to make it appear unintelligible as well as an attack on the PNC, as a party, as opposed to a rebuke of Robert Corbin’s undemocratic and vindictive politics. All of CGID’s correspondences are reviewed by a team of legal professionals. Hence, our correspondences, we think, are libel and slander proof. A reasonable conclusion therefore is that your edits were not for the latter purpose but merely political.
KN removed my criticism of President Jagdeo. You also removed my criticisms of Corbin and, like the following paragraph, inserted the name of the PNC instead, when clearly the intent of my contentions was condemnatory of Corbin himself. Example: You published that: “CGID believes that the recall of James McAllister provides a keen insight into the PNC’s domineering approach to governing and antipathy for democratic values. No party with such mentality must ever again be entrusted with governing Guyana.” (more…)
We have linked to the Keltruth Blog to update this story. If some of us felt that the Kingsland Estate trial ongoing in Canada is not news worthy enough for the traditional media, maybe it has now become so. If we understand Keltruth latest blog right, they have sent letters to all the world leaders attending the United Nations 63rd General Assembly in New York today (23 September 2008). (more…)
Censorship has reduced the Barbadian media to a spineless, wishy-washy affair where adverse comment about certain untouchables is banned from print and talk outlets. Ezra Alleyne has written (and I hope he doesn’t mind being quoted): “Speaking as an attorney-at-law who . . . advises on the law of defamation on a daily basis . . . I say that the ‘black letter’ Law on Defamation in Barbados is among the most modern to be found anywhere.”
Snip
Ezra feels that the Defamation Act 1996 “places Barbados almost on par with the USA” in certain aspects of public comment. If all this is so, it would appear that much of the cutting in newspapers and radio talk shows has more to do with the personal whims of faceless censors than with breaching the law. But as Jesus pointed out in Acts 9:5, it is hard to kick against the . . . authorities.
It is no secret that the BU household is addicted to the weekly column penned by the venerable and highly intelligent Lowdown Hoad. His masterly articulation on social and other issues that affect Barbados society are often cleverly delivered when he resorts to his uniquely satirical style. Again, we have to make the point that his column is a must read for all Barbadians who want to read an untarnished view.
This week we have detected a ‘cold biting’ to his writing which is a departure from his norm. The confidence which he has to attack the media, obviously his criticism is pointed at the Nation Newspaper as well is interesting and refreshing. It tells us volumes about the man. He is very secure in who he is and is willing to defend a position he believes in. It also speaks to the point that the Nation Newspaper editors do not dare to apply their editorial license in the same way they have done to Peter Wickham and others when reviewing Hoad’s column.
The ACM Executive, 2007-09: Standing – Guy Delva, Peter Richards, Michael Bascombe, Canute James; Sitting – Nita Ramcharan, Wesley Gibbings & Anika Kentish.
We find it interesting, in fact amusing, that there is an association called ‘Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) and media houses or a cadre of journalists from Barbados have not assumed a meaningful role in that association in recent times. The association recently held its Fourth Biennial General Assembly and to our surprise Barbados was reported to have been absence. It is worthwhile to note that the inaugural meeting of the ACM was held in Barbados six years ago.
Barbados has historically prided itself as playing a leading role in many of the regional agencies. We therefore have to ask media practitioners in Barbados to explain their glaring absence from the ACM Executive in recent times. BU should not be surprise at this current state of affairs because we have been asking the question over and over in our previous articles: why is it that the Barbados Association of Journalist (BAJ) have disregarded the need to organize themselves under an umbrella body that would enable them to more effectively mobilize the cause of the venerable Fourth Estate which they represent. Do they not appreciate their key role in disseminating accurate news on behalf of the PEOPLE?
The last time we checked the BAJ was still involved in a deep slumber.
In the coming weeks and months, BU will be highlighting what we believe to be deficiencies in the Barbados media. We have written extensively on the role of the Fourth Estate and its importance to commit to report on the news accurately. What is equally important is for the journalists to present the news after applying the basics of What, When, Where, How, and Why. The two quotes below adequately illustrate the glaring inadequacy of our leading daily newspaper.
The two articles highlight the performance of RBTT a leading regional bank. The first article published by the Trinidad Express gives a detailed analysis of the banks performance which any idiot should be able to follow. The second article published by our own Nation newspaper published a public relations release obviously issued by the bank. We would have thought given the fact that RBTT operates a bank in Barbados, the Nation newspaper would have felt obligated to provide the public with voluminous analysis of the banks’ performance. This is in light of a pending acquisition by Royal Bank of Canada.
Flat financial results were the order of the day for RBTT Financial Holdings Limited (RBTT). For the nine months ended December 31, 2007 the Group reported an EPS of $1.95, a 1.5 per cent decrease over the previous financial year’s nine month EPS of $1.98.
Net Income of the Bank underwent a marginal 6.6 per cent increase from $2.21B to $2.36B. The sole contributor to this increase was Net Interest Income which increased 12.5 per cent. However, the Other Income component endured a 2.8 per cent reduction. Operating Expenses for the nine months increased 8.5 per cent year on year to $1.46B, while the Bank recorded an Impairment Expense of $6.4M compared to $20.1M last year.
RBTT FINANCIAL HOLDINGS LTD has reported US$145 million in pre-tax earnings for the nine-month period ended December 31, 2007, a five per cent increase over the corresponding 2006 period. Group chairman Peter July said the profit attributable to shareholders, US$107 million, was affected by a higher effective group tax rate that moved from 21 per cent to 25 per cent mainly due to changes “to tax legislation in one jurisdiction, increased provision for tax assessments, and higher taxable income generated by our retail banking entities”.
As a result, the banker reported diluted earnings per share, US$0.31 vis-a-vis US$0.32 for the same nine-month span last year.
…But what else does the report show us? A need for some education at the local papers, I suggest. In the same article the paper talks about there not being any “KNIGHT” of long knives, meaning no recriminations. Now, I’m sorry, there is no excuse for misuse of phrases. The correct phrase should be “NIGHT of the long knives”, and refers to a purge that took place in Nazi Germany during June 30-July 2, 1934 when Adolf Hitler’s regime executed at least 85 people for political reasons (see Wikipedia). This is a schoolchild type of mistake (like “Gladly, the cross-eyed bear”) . If it were a deliberate malapropism or some other play on words (“Sir David, knight of the long knives”, he who wields the sword?) then I would say “how witty”, but I suspect that it’s just sloppy journalism. Tsk! If the editorial staff do not know what is right there is a problem. If they do know what is right and don’t catch these errors then their system needs to be reviewed.
Read More – Click On Image
Public comments, including Doctor Don Marshall and a recent editorial suggest that our democracy is safe if our traditional media houses, with their well trained and zealous workforce is allowed to do their job without the intimidation of politicians in high places. Let us not forget the stricture of our unforgiving Defamation Laws.
In the aftermath of a short and intense political campaign which ended Tuesday, 15 January 2008, with victory for David Thompson and his Democratic Labour Party (DLP), we continue to worry about the perennial problem of an ineffective media in Barbados – read Barbados Free Press. The willingness of our media practitioners to sway and buckle to political and other pressures should be of concern to defenders of our democracy. It is not acceptable that as a country we should pride ourselves on a high standard of education, yet our media practitioners continue to demonstrate that they are devoid of any courage by demonstrating their spineless disposition. We have written extensively about the importance of the role of the Fourth of Estate – enter keywords ‘fourth estate’ in our search area on the top of the page.
The time has come for media houses in Barbados to stop failing the people and to awake from their slumber.
There is a saying that people get what they deserve – well, something like that anyway – and in very much the same way that we are able to send a clear message every five years to the political directorate, so too we need to send a message to the owners of the Fourth Estate in Barbados. The only way we can expect balance reporting from our media houses is to speak-out against the inequities when they occur, embarrass them with our public comment, let them suffer by our lack of financial support, let us write to stakeholders such as the unions, and to their important clients and international watchdog agencies to help agitate for justice. The actions we can take as civic minded Barbadians are limitless.
There is the popular saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. To those of you who are a bit slow this Monday afternoon we have highlighted four areas on the image. Can you connect the dots?
Regrettably I have to confirm that for the first time since my Grandfather Clennell Wickham started writing People and Things in the 1940s, this article has been unilaterally suspended by the Newspaper that agreed to host it. Clearly, my perspective on this occasion is very different to that which I offered during the 1999 and 2003 elections. I am therefore grateful to BU and BFPfor carrying this review of the politics of inclusion which is yet to see the light of day.
Peter Wickham – BA, MSc, MPhil (UWI)
The Sunday Sun of January 3rd 1999 presented an article entitled “The New Politics of Inclusion” which sought to critique an apparent “programme” of the Arthur administration which was apparently intended to allow for greater participation in the governance of our country. This article took the position that the politics of inclusion represented a development that was not only good but absolutely necessary for the proper development of a country like Barbados which is both small and resource deficient. This perspective was, however, a theoretical argument which assumed much about this programme of inclusion which this author presumed would take democracy beyond the right to vote in elections and allow Barbadians the opportunity to play a role in a government that is open, accountable and participatory.
The BLP fought and won the 1999 election and created history in the process. The bumper harvest of seats in that election was no-doubt assisted considerably by this programme of inclusion, which can now be reviewed against objectives which were both political and developmental. This review is concerned more with the delivery of developmental objectives, however, since the 1999 article is used as a base and it concluded that:
“The politics of inclusion is worthy of consideration, so long as it can be identified as a derivation of “participatory democracy”. The nature of participatory democracy is such that is can easily be confused with a programme of overtly political patronage and the use of public funds to advance a political cause. A fine line separates the two; hence it is essential that either party adopting such a programme give it the fullest possible expression so that the objectives of the programme are clearly a contribution to national development”.
My fear of a DICTATORSHIP is a very serious aspect of my reason for change. This admistration has clearly shown its willingness to take us down the road of a DICTATORSHIP. Let us address the withdrawal of PETER WICKHAM from writing articles for the Nation and the risk of the halting of CALL IN SHOWS, and from what I have been reading and what I have heard that this gov’t has undertaken illegal means to tap into private citizens telephone calls, text messages and Internet activity such as the interception of emails etc, this was facility was first introduced with the CWC and has since been put into active use to control and monitor the actions of those not favourable to the DICTATOR.
Commenter~Wishing in Vain
Frequent contributor to the blogs under the moniker Wishing in Vain hinted yesterday that certain actions behind the scenes were unfolding which can be interpreted as restricting freedom of expression among Barbadians. Today, Peter Wickham confirmed on national radio that the Nation newspaper has withdrawn his articles because he has been deemed to be a biased contributor.
We should try to have some more discussion on this matter.
Update:
According to frequent commenter Adrian Hinds, he believes that the genesis of Peter Wickham’s censure by the Nation newspaper maybe traced in the following video:
Submitted by Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy to the British Telegraph – 29 Dec 2009 When someone says “Barbados”, people traditionally think of palm trees, white sand, turquoise water and perhaps someone relaxing in a deckchair wearing a straw hat. Yes, we do have the gift of some very beautiful beaches here but Barbados is so [...]
Thanks to GoWEB Caribbean for sending the images. Recently we witnessed the spectacular but scary pictures of an American Airlines flight broken into pieces like a child would a stick of macaroni. According to other news American Airlines has suffered two other mishaps although not as serious as AA Flight 311. Should would be passengers be [...]
The issue of declining morals in our societies is one which BU remains very concerned. We have recorded our view in previous blogs; the issue of homosexuality is one of a moral flavour and not the rights issue in which the gay movement has been able to escalate this issue. The recent same sex marriage [...]
Submitted by Lincoln Lewis, General Secretary – Caribbean Congress of Labour As we close the year 2009 and embrace the New Year it is time not only for celebration of the symbolism of the season but also using the experiences we have acquired over the year in developing our resolve to meet the challenges envisage in [...]
It seems our leaders have surrendered to the many global agendas which abound. BU followed with interest Pastor Victor Roach voicing his satisfaction in the media at the soon to be introduced breathalyzer legislation in Barbados. It is generally known the leading cause of vehicular accidents in Barbados is linked to all manner of reasons BUT [...]
The theatrical production of two St. Leonards Boys recorded on video being flogged by a teacher was confirmed to be a prank by the Nation newspaper today. The video first appeared on Facebook and was subsequently downloaded and posted by an over zealous and exuberant blogger. BU first heard about the video when Anthony ‘Admiral’ [...]
Sir, as a concerned Barbadian citizen and tax payer, I hope that you will permit me enough space in your publication to discuss Al Barrack and the $60 million owed to him by our Government. I recall hearing about Al Barrack and the monies owed to him in the media a few years ago, as well [...]
Barbados has received a lot of licks from many quarters on the immigration issue. Come January 1, 2010 the much discussed amnesty will expire and illegal immigrants residing in Barbados before January 1, 1998 who have not processed an application will be deported. A recent poll by CADRES indicated Barbadians across the political spectrum were [...]
BU for sometime has featured many blogs on the obvious tension which continues to grip the world caused perhaps by the clash of the two dominant religions – Islam and Christianity. Our concern as a small island which is significantly dependant on tourism is the looming impact current tensions may have on our tourist industry. On [...]
The verdict on the recent application by the Barbados Light & Power Company for a rate hike promised by the Chairman of the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) Sir Neville Nicholls passed without any serious notice by the media earlier this month. The media given its responsibility within the Fourth Estate of the Realm has failed [...]
Submitted by Adrian Loveridge ‘He (Geoffrey Roach, CEO of the Bridgetown Cruise Terminal) reported cruise ship passengers arrivals to be 760,000 for the last financial year, and projected a six percent growth in the next financial year’. ‘But he said passengers were spending less, as evidenced in a recent Florida Caribbean Cruise Association study which put […]
It seems appropriate that we should end 2009 by focusing on the global recession which has decimated the developing economies of the world, Barbados included. The irony of it all is while some have lauded the benefits of globalization and economic partnership agreements; the resulting inter-connectivity of world economies has exposed the vulnerability of suc […]
The BU family has discussed debt in earlier blogs, BU family Green Monkey member posted the video Money as Debt which presents the dark side about how debt is created and managed in the banking system. Another family member Looking Glass recently sent us the link to the video posted. What BU found interesting in [...]
It is that time of the year when Barbadians will have the opportunity again to measure the Barbados appeal-factor through the eyes of the rich and famous. Last Christmas BU blogged about honorary Bajan Simon Cowell of American Idol fame frolicking on Sandy Lane beach with Sir Philip Green and company. This year UK’s Fleet [...]
Submitted by Terence Blackett Khalil Gibran’s famous quote – “Money is like love; it kills slowly and painfully the one who withholds it, and enlivens the other who turns it on his fellow man” – pretty much sums up the two paradigms of man’s loci in regards to the proper or base use of what is [...]
The recent announcement to postpone the payment of salaries to civil servants on the eve of Christmas has to be viewed as insensitive by the government. Bear in mind there is precedent for paying salaries early at Christmas time. There is the recession which has impacted Barbados and by paying salaries early could have served [...]
Submitted by Looking Glass Faith in the automatic forces that push tourism and the economy requires a large does of optimism. Perhaps we should look beyond our own optimism and preferences to the context in which those opinions have meaning. First Mark King, director of the Black Bess project was reported to inform the Nation that “I [...]
The verdict on the recent application by the Barbados Light & Power Company for a rate hike promised by the Chairman of the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) Sir Neville Nicholls passed without any serious notice by the media earlier this month. The media given its responsibility within the Fourth Estate of the Realm has failed the PEOPLE yet again given its responsibility to keep us informed. The blatant renege by the Fourth Estate of its important civil responsibility means that most Barbadians remain ignorant to the important issues affecting them.
Mr. Adam Harris
The Sunday Sun of January 3rd 1999 presented an article entitled “The New Politics of Inclusion” which sought to critique an apparent “programme” of the Arthur administration which was apparently intended to allow for greater participation in the governance of our country. This article took the position that the politics of inclusion represented a development that was not only good but absolutely necessary for the proper development of a country like Barbados which is both small and resource deficient. This perspective was, however, a theoretical argument which assumed much about this programme of inclusion which this author presumed would take democracy beyond the right to vote in elections and allow Barbadians the opportunity to play a role in a government that is open, accountable and participatory.
