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| Condor Bashes Media |
| By Sheena Brooks |
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Hon. Sam Condor
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Minister of National Security Deputy
Prime Minister Hon. Sam Condor yesterday blamed the
local media for the state of affairs in the Federation,
calling the press core "immature and irresponsible".
During his first press conference since talking the
mantle of National Security, Condor slammed members
of the local media core for "not educating the
public". One member of the media had questioned
the absence of Police Commissioner Austin Williams at
Thursday's conference which ignited a heated exchanged
between the Minister and the journalists.
"The press is not educating the public. Good news
all over but you all don't see good news. The media
is supposed to publish information, but the media is
always second-guessing. Just look at the first question
we had this morning - second-guessing - 'Why isn't the
Police Commissioner here?' We come to a press conference,
we decide who we bring, we decide who we want at the
press conference. That is not a question; you are all
second-guessing us. If he is not here that is not of
news value," Condor declared.
"This is my first press conference as minister
of National Security and you are second-guessing me;
and the media does that all the time. Why I didn't bring
the Commissioner? He could be sick, he could have gone
away, we could have given him another assignment; all
kinds of things. How is that a sensible question to
start with? That is stupidness! You have to give us
the benefit of the doubt that the Commissioner is indisposed
and unavailable."
He continued, "That is my impression of the media;
always second-guessing the government. You all always
assuming some ulterior motives."
The Minister was at the time flanked by several heads
of various arms of law enforcement along with Permanent
Secretary in his Ministry, Astona Browne and National
Security Consultant Dr. Norgen Wilson.
Condor said the problem with the country was an immature
media that was only interested in publishing news meant
to deliberately embarrass the government. He declared
that the media gave the government and country "bad
press".
"The media is irresponsible, immature and gives
us a bad press. You all have to grow up in the media
and be mature and sensible. That's what's happening
with the country; there are people who are making a
correlation between the media and what's happening in
the country, you know. If we are to grow as a country
and mature then the media has to play a more responsible
role," the Deputy PM insisted.
He demanded that the media practitioners take responsibility
for the image they were portraying with regards to the
state of affairs in the country, especially in relation
to the crime situation.
"You all give the country a bad press and you all
have to take responsibility for this. Somebody has to
tell all you that!"
The representative for The Observer strongly objected
to the criticisms being leveled at the media and noted
that the government and law enforcement entities had
relied on the media in many instances involving worthy
causes. One such instance the journalist highlighted
was the posting of wanted persons' images which led
to their capture or the individuals turning themselves
in to police due to the publicity.
Many of the journalists present at the press conference
expressed indignation at Minister Condor's comments,
calling the remarks "unfair" and "unnecessary".
Following the briefing, members of the public called
in to local radio programs and said the journalists
should have "walked out" of the press conference.
Others said the Minister spent more time "bashing
the media than telling the people what they plan to
do to solve all these murders". |
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