The Leveson Report Posted On The Internet NOT The Alexandra Report!

Lord Justice Leveson

After the phone hacking scandal which occurred in July 2011, the UK government commissioned a 2-part Inquiry to be headed by Lord Justice Leveson. The Inquiry was given a remit to “make recommendations on the future of press regulation and governance consistent with maintaining freedom of the press and ensuring the highest ethical and professional standards.” After nearly 1-year of investigating Lord Leveson’s report was published today.

The recommendations of the Leveson report will have implications for how the global media manages its affairs. BU notes that the role of blogs was covered in the report. BU also notes that the report which was made public today is widely accessible on the Internet.   The same CANNOT be stated about the government of Barbados which has laid the Alexandra Report in the House of Assembly BUT still the document remains elusive to taxpayers.

See links:

• The Leveson Report (Executive Summary)

• The Leveson Report (Full Version)

Media, War Propaganda And The ANTI-CHRIST

Submitted by Pachamama

President Barack Obama labelled The Anti-Christ

Today China and Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution and prevented a possible Third World War scenario. That resolution would have enabled the United States of North America, NATO and a motley group of plutocratic, oligarchic, despotic Persian Gulf Arab regimes (which purport to represent something they call ‘The League of Arab States’ to institute regime change in Syria a la Libya.

To Obama the Arab Awakening has presented an opportunity to institute regime change in countries the USA dislikes in its quest for unquestioned global dominance. The powers are not interested in removing the leaderships of  criminal, undemocratic, client states in Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Jordan, Egypt and Kuwait which otherwise act as gas stations and US military bases. Obama’s regime change military strategy is overtly aimed at Syria, Iran, Venezuela and other countries that defy American foreign policy but the real agenda is to encircle and check China and Russia. This colonial policy has no interest in the human rights of the peoples in countries where the ‘leaders’ dutifully take their orders from Washington. Washington itself may speak about civil rights in glowing terms for its own people but its history suggests a lack of any commitment to human rights, as a more fundamental requirement for the peoples of North American.

Is Guyana Government Threatening Freedom Of The Press By Choking Advertising Dollars

Submitted by Rickford Burke, President of the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID)

The Editor in Chief
Kaieteur Newspaper
Georgetown, Guyana

Dear Editor:

I have noted your notice to readers detailing a nefarious, systematic Government of Guyana campaign to strangle Kaieteur newspaper by drastically decreasing or withdrawing government advertising as a punitive measure. I have also scrutinized the following statistics which you published on the percentages of government of Guyana advertisements which were placed in newspapers in Guyana from, April 18 to April 24, 2010: Guyana Chronicle – 35.9%, Stabroek News 32.1%, Guyana Times: 18.5%,  Kaieteur News: 13.5%.

When the PPP government withdrew its ads from Stabroek newspaper two years ago, President Bharrat Jagdeo stridently argued to the nation as well as to me personally and a group of Guyanese with whom he met during the Caricom Heads of government summit in New York, that his government had withdraw ads from Stabroek News and had placed them in the Kaieteur News instead, because Kaieteur News by far had the widest circulation among all newspapers in Guyana.

So, what has changed from then to now? This level of decline in government advertisement to Kaieteur has a direct correlation to Kaieteur News’ continual exposure of corruption, malfeasance, criminality and impropriety in the Jagdeo regime, and its sustained policy of investigative reporting that demands governmental accountability.

Fourth Estate Surrender

Recently Mr. Richard Cox, Head of News and Current Affairs at the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) passed away. Last week BU learned that veteran Nation newspaper journalist Albert Brandford was put out to pasture and is currently freelancing at the Nation (seems a little strange). Despite BU’s disagreement with many Brandford’s positions on political matters, we concede that his ineffectiveness over the years may have been caused by the lack of support from his colleagues. Wow, if David Ellis were to exit the profession next, the talent level of the Fourth Estate would be less than mediocre. As if to support the point BU read a story which was reprinted by the Nation from the Associated Press (AP) which questioned Tiger Woods proclivity for fraternizing with White women.

For sometime BU has been discussing race issues and we have been labeled racist by some. It is interesting the Nation newspaper would highlight the Tiger story verbatim from the AP wire, but would hesitate to publish local stories which highlight the hypocrisy around race relations in Barbados. The conspiracy to prop up the status quo maybe?

Our journalists today seem happy to run with stories which appeal to the fast food diet of readers. Recently, a caller to a talk show made the analogy of patients doing research before visiting the doctor and consequently keeping the doctor’s diagnosis honest. The same is occurring within the media sphere. A knowledgeable and discerning public now has access to news and information on the Internet more than ever before. There is the current readership who will continue to prop up the membership of the local media but BU sees it declining overtime with a changing demographic.

Top Media Personality Veoma Ali On $20,000 Bail

Voice of Barbados (VOB 92.9 FM) Manager Veoma Ali

It was with shock that we read the report in the Nation newspaper today (16 September, 2008) that popular Voice of Barbados (VOB) personality Veoma Ali  appeared in the Magistrates A Court and was released on $20, 000 bail. To our horror, Ali was charged  with an attempt to seriously maim gospel singer Kareen Clarke. The BU household continues to this minute to grapple with the very thought of this beautiful lady pelting lashes in Kareen Clarke like the jilted lover. Karen Clarke is our local gospel singer par excellence!

• Is this the same Ali who was at the centre of the controversy which ended with popular radio broadcaster Patrick Gollop having to part company with VOB?

• Why would the two individuals who have to depend on good public reputations in their respective vocations not have seen the sense to avoid the the glare of the court?

The Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation In The News

The new General Manager of the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation assumed duties Wednesday morning at its Pine headquarters. Lars Soderstrom was met on arrival by CBC Chairman Leroy Parris and Executive Director David Wright and then was introduced to the senior managers in the Corporation's boardroom - Source:Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation 30/07/2008

The Swede Lars G.O. Söderström is reporting on his Website that he has been the General Manager of the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) for the last three months. We try to keep on top of the news which affect Barbados but we have to confess we missed this announcement. As always the BU household thanks the BU family member for drawing this matter to our attention. We have to admit though that the Swede’s resume is impressive, on paper!