Communications Minister Symon de Nobriga has responded to claims by News 7 journalist Kejan Haynes, that preferential treatment is now being given to state-owned TTT.
In a News 7 report, Haynes said that de Nobriga told media practitioners of other media houses that they were not officially invited to cover the repatriation exercise of Venezuelan Nationals back to their homeland this past weekend.
According to Haynes, TTT was given exclusive coverage of the event to give the station a “fighting chance.”
In a release this morning, de Nobriga said the comment was lighthearted and supposedly off the record.
Here is his the Communication Minister’s official statement:
I have seen the news report circulating and it is unfortunate that Kejan Haynes took seriously a statement made by me lightheartedly and supposedly off the record at the repatriation exercise on Saturday.
Given the large numbers and in keeping with the health protocols, it was determined that only TTT and the Information Division would have access.
However the Director of Government Communications had been instructed to ensure that all footage of the event be made available to all media houses once they requested same.
As Mr Hayne knows very well, there is no policy that provides or affords the state-owned media – TTT or any arm of the Information Division – preferred or exclusive access to any events or activities and I am surprised that Kejan should infer otherwise.
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