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November 25, 2019
Press release
The Press Association of Jamaica is raising concerns about statements about the press made by Prime Minister Andrew Holness on November 18, 2019 at a JLP Constituency Conference in West Kingston.
Like any citizen, the Prime Minister is free to criticise the press, and to comment on any media report, whether because he thinks it is inaccurate or for any other reason. However, it is cause for concern when a political leader, speaking from a party platform, seeks to undermine the media as a whole. It is even more disturbing that Mr. Holness did so under the cloak of supporting freedom of the press, for which Jamaica has an enviable reputation.
“I was just listening to the news, before I came here, and you know, the news report is the news report, I make no comment on the opinions proffered by journalists, because that is the freedom of the society,” the Prime Minister said.
Firstly, in apparently conflating opinion journalism and reporting, Prime Minister Holness began by confusing his listeners as to what exactly he was commenting on. This is an important distinction that eludes many and we are disturbed that the Prime Minister would start his comment on such a basis.
“They can take whatever stance they want to take because it’s free media, it doesn’t have to be the truth. It doesn’t have to relate to the facts, it’s their opinion,” Mr. Holness went on.
This statement is problematic in a number of ways. We are sure the Prime Minister is well aware that his assertions are entirely untrue. Reporting should obviously be fair, balanced and accurate, and opinion commentary, whatever the position taken by the commentator, should also be based on facts. For the Prime Minister to state otherwise to his listeners, many of whom are being guided by him, is a troubling misrepresentation of the work of the press, which will inevitably have the effect of weakening trust in what is an essential pillar of any constitutional democracy.
“…not all the things that are presented to you are facts or are true and you have other alternatives besides what is presented to you as news. You can go on social media, you can go on my page, Andrew Holness JM, all my social media pages, the party pages, you have so much now, news opportunity, to get informed, you don’t have to rely on one particular media for information or commentary or opinion,” he went on.
Obviously, it is uncontroversial that Mr. Holness is directing members of the public to his or his political party’s social media pages. However, by conflating this with his comments about the media not needing to report the truth, Mr. Holness is reiterating a clear message that the media are not to be trusted, and that the government’s and party’s information arms are preferable to that of a free and democratic press.
In its report on the 2019 World Press Freedom Index, press freedom group Reporters Without Borders noted “The hostility towards journalists expressed by political leaders in many countries has incited increasingly serious and frequent acts of violence that have fuelled an unprecedented level of fear and danger for journalists.”
Thankfully, this cannot be said of Jamaica. We, and we are sure, all well-thinking persons want this to remain true.
We therefore urge Mr. Holness to refrain from using the power of his platform to erode trust in an important democratic institution. We caution him to remember the powerful position from which he speaks, the weight that his words carry, and that he has repeatedly stated his commitment to uphold the freedom of the press.
On World Press Freedom Day 2017, Mr. Holness said “We believe fundamentally that a free press is necessary for the development of strong democracies.” These are the right words. However, the Prime Minister’s comments last weekend can only serve to damage both the press and our democracy.
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