Tim Was Left No Choice

They’ve gone and done it! They have sent one of the island’s most respected, highly regarded, expert, versatile and experienced journalists into voluntary retirement. At least from one media house. He packed up in frustration, having been made victim, an object of ridicule – Mr. Political Apologies – and scapegoat of all things partisan. It has long been widely alleged that a man called Red considers him Yellow – for some crime equal to treason and deserving of the guillotine.

Red-iculously, perception in certain political circles is that the media is unfair and unbalanced these days, even though it operates in much the same way it operated between 2011 and 2015 without complaint. What was fair and balanced back then has suddenly become biased reporting. Fascinatingly, if not embarrassingly, it seems politicians have decided it is up to them to determine what’s fair and balanced in local journalism and what’s not. Some actually believe they should have a hand in choosing and editing the day’s news as broadcast by some radio and TV stations!

Suddenly there’s a sung epidemic. Laughable, some say but there’s a most serious side to this turn of affairs. Politicians who themselves can be heard from the House and from their platforms castigating, shaming, silencing and destroying their opponents are the most consistent critics of sections of the media they consider non-aligned. How can these same proponents of “victory at all cost” now have the gall to pose as promoters of fair and balanced reporting while at the same throwing libel suits at established and respected professional journalists?

Politicians, give me a break. The Queen will soon be 90, time to change your ways. Some politicians carry on like mangoes that will never ripen. This week the general public heard a colourful and insightful story entitled “Tim had no choice”. Tim, Tim Bois Sek. The story speaks of a man who lost his daily bread because he did not amount to much in red coins. But before all this change of the tide, this supposedly erudite, well-spoken, highly popular household name was deemed the best person to brand a then novice media house, one of the nation’s most respected.

This individual helped attract the ratings, market penetration and public approval for his place of work. He may not have done it all alone. However, he did a whole lot. His name was milked. No problem, the man in my Tim-Tim was doing what he loved to do. Alas, a swarm of blood-sucking red Zika mosquitoes insisted he be thrown under the bus. Moral of my story? If you eh red, you dead. That’s it for this broadcast. Stay tuned for more “Fair and Balanced Live”.