Falconer slams media over criticisms
SENATOR Sandrea Falconer, the minister in charge of information, says she has been unjustly maligned in sections of the media over the handling of the visits of the prime ministers of the United Kingdom and Japan.
At the same time she pointed out that she was not a part of the local team that negotiated the visits but still tried to secure opportunities for questions to be put to both leaders.
She said that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s team had turned down her request, while Prime Minister David Cameron’s team eventually agreed that he would take questions at the wreath-laying ceremony at National Heroes Park.
“During a briefing, providing the details of the trips, we were told that the Japanese team had stated that there would be no opportunity for the Jamaican media to ask questions of Prime Minister Abe. Representation by the Jamaican side for at least one question was declined. On Wednesday afternoon I met with members of the Japanese delegation and appealed to them to allow our local media access. This request was politely denied,” Falconer explained at the first Jamaica House media briefing that has been held in several weeks. This was also the first time she was publicly addressing the issue which had the Press Association of Jamaica up in arms prior to, and during the visits.
She said the British prime minister’s delegation initially agreed to one question from the media, but “for reasons unknown to me, this was changed to no question.”
“When this was communicated to me, I expressed my dissatisfaction to Foreign Affairs and then I called the British High Commissioner to appeal for consideration to the Jamaican media on Tuesday shortly after 1:00 pm. I asked the high commissioner if a full-blown media event could not be accommodated, at the very least one media house should be allowed to interview the prime minister,” she explained.
Falconer further said that, the following morning she was informed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Jamaica Information Service that interviews would be facilitated for three media houses after Prime Minister Cameron’s wreath-laying ceremony at National Heroes Circle.
The minister said she was flabbergasted to hear that the British High Commissioner had said at a press briefing that barring the media from asking questions of the prime minister was not their idea. “A subsequent statement from the Commission has now established that I had spoken the truth on my Facebook page. While I am satisfied that the High Commissioner has set the record straight, my integrity was brought into disrepute by erroneous statements including members of the media, who were harsh in their commentary labelling me a liar or facilitating others who made that claim,” the visibly distressed information minister said.
She said that despite the clarification, only two journalists contacted her for comment. “It troubles me that sections of the media crossed the line of what is accepted as fair, and honest and responsible reporting. They chose instead to impugn my integrity through vitriolic commentary.
“You do not have any right to destroy, propagate falsehood, malign, damage reputation and tear down. You enjoy awesome freedom, but with that freedom there is an accompanying responsibility,” she stated.