WATCH: Brown Burke says videos attacking media, politicians are dangerous
KINGSTON, Jamaica— Chairman of the People’s National Party (PNP) Dr Angela Brown Burke says videos circulating online attacking media houses and journalists, and members of Jamaica’s two main political parties are dangerous and are setting a bad precedent for the country.
There has been an alarming number of attacks on the country’s media companies recently from political leaders, and supporters from both sides of the aisle, as well as content, often created using artificial intelligence (AI), spreading rumours and making accusations against some of the nation’s leaders.
Dr Brown Burke asserted that these videos pose great danger as they could incite others to take action that could make life difficult for individuals.
“I believe that the videos are dangerous. They are dangerous because of the content and how they frame the arguments being specific about certain individuals and talking about them. It is almost as if you are fingering individuals and you are saying some things about them that could incite others to make it difficult for them to do their jobs, to go around wherever the community is, the island and so on,” Brown Burke said.
She said that standards need to be established which dictate how instances like these are dealt with.
“The media doesn’t always say things about us that we like. Opinions differ on issues and on the positions that we take… There is no problem in challenging a story’s point of view or challenging a perspective that someone has. But when you move it now from the action that the person did or the argument that the person made and you focus it on the person, then now that becomes a whole other kettle of fish and something that I believe we should not turn a blind eye to and we definitely should not ignore,” the PNP chairman stated.
The PNP joins the Press Association of Jamaica and the Government in condemning the recent attacks on the media.
“We certainly condemn any attempt at identifying individuals and doing it in a way that calls attention to them, that could set them up and could make their lives difficult,” Brown Burke said.
“There are videos going around that support me and that are saying something else about individuals in the media and so on… I would call them out. I would ask them to stop,” she said.
