Journalism’s first obligation!

Bias in news coverage is a violation of the principles of journalistic ethics. The Nine Principles of Journalism, as stated by the American Press Association, provide a stark reminder. The first four are particularly cutting, as they powerfully demonstrate how far the local media have strayed, especially when its members are involved in a story.   

They read as follows: “Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth. Its first loyalty is to citizens. Its essence Is the discipline of verification and its practitioners must maintain an independence from those they cover.” The police finally acknowledged in a press release on Monday that on Thursday, February 28, 2019 an individual was taken into police custody in connection with the report of a bomb threat at George F.L. Charles Airport, on February 20, 2019. 

The release continued: “That same evening, the suspect was transported to Victoria Hospital, having ingested a substance. The suspect is in a critical condition at a medical facility and has not been charged.” There is nothing in the communique that has not been in the public domain since last Thursday’s arrest. It is also to be noted that it does not contradict anything making the rounds on social media. 

Monday’s long-awaited police press release followed another by Miguel Fevrier, president of the Media Association of Saint Lucia (MASL), that featured a day earlier in St. Lucia Times under the heading “Journalist Rehani Isidore Continues to Fight For His Life.” The statement read in part: “As our colleague continues to fight for his life, our thoughts and prayers are with his immediate and extended family . . . who are devastated by this situation.” What led to the sad state of affairs goes unmentioned in the MASL president’s statement, even though it was by now common knowledge. 

The closest the MASL president, himself a reporter, came to acknowledging a link between the man who was allegedly fighting for his life in an emergency ward and the recent bomb scare was when he said: “We understand that rumour and speculation have [sic] and will exist, but while we await official word from the relevant authorities MASL makes no further statement on the matter.” While it is to be understood that these cases must be treated with sensitivity, the pretend ignorance on the parts of both the media and police only fuels the public suspicion that how the media reports a crime depends very much on who the suspect is. 

On Monday, this reporter spent several hours at Victoria Hospital, perchance to discover how Rehani Isidore was doing. By that time the rumours were everywhere: the patient had died; the patient had been removed to another island, and so on. All efforts at reaching the media association had failed. The police insisted there was nothing to add to their statement made several days earlier. My inquiries at Isidore’s workplace were also fruitless. The HTS receptionist told me, “The company’s statement on the matter was ‘no comment.’” 

Not so long ago a concerned Director of Public Prosecutions found herself in media hot water, with good reason, when she advised local journalists to be especially careful when writing about suspects in criminal matters. The then media association president took the DPP to task on TV and elsewhere for “attempting to gag the press”. But now it seems the press has chosen to gag itself, issuing pleas for prayers “for one of our own” whom the police say is their suspect in the most recent bomb scare case.

Enquiring minds don’t have to look far for proof of the media prejudice hinted at here. Only last week Michael Pooran’s mother was everywhere, being interviewed about her son’s murder. Some of our reporters have made a name for themselves tracking down regular people as well as ranking officials, presumably all in the interest of keeping the nation informed. Tearful mothers of not only victims but also of suspects handcuffed to hospital beds have been interviewed on TV while attendant police officers turned their heads away. All of that within minutes of an incident, when those interviewed were quite possibly out of their sedated minds. 

Not even the circumstances of the reporter’s arrest at his workplace have been reported. Instead his colleagues “await official word from the relevant authorities” while inviting the nation to pray for him. If this were not such a serious matter on several counts, a writer could produce a fine comedic piece comparing the statements by Rehani Isidore’s concerned colleagues in the regular press and on Facebook. Nuff said.  

While the principles of journalistic ethics do not apply to the press office of the RSLPF—after all the office is less concerned with public information than with the image of the force—they certainly apply to the mainstream media that would sell itself as unbiased and seekers of truth.