Prime Minister Dr Rowley has questioned allegations by members of the media, through the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) concerning access for certain journalists at his news briefings at the Diplomatic Centre.
Rowley, who was speaking during an event at the Hyatt Regency last evening, said, “If there’s a press conference at the Prime Minister’s residence and we invite TV6, CNC3, TTT, Channel 5, even Loop of the modern era, I find it difficult to accept that it is said that if I don’t allow every media Mary and Johnny that there is not press freedom in Trinidad and Tobago.”
“I heard a suggestion that what I should do is rotate the invitation if a fixed number is a number that we’re using and I would like to ask CNC3 would you accept being rotated out of the press conference so that the latest blogger who calls himself the media with a name and a jersey comes in?
“What was more interesting is that even as we…invite all the main media houses in Trinidad and Tobago…if I don’t invite every Tom, Dick and Harry from the media then that is confirmation that there is not press freedom in Trinidad and Tobago.”
Dr Rowley added: “I have spent hours…accepting and responding to questions from all the main media houses and then I’m told that if some…disturber is not allowed onto the compound that important questions will not be asked. And that begs the question; if such miscreant is not in, is the mainstream media saying that there is some important question that they have not asked?”
“I will preserve the prerogative of the Prime Minister’s office to invite mainstream media to Prime Minister’s press conferences….when we think we have 12 or 14 media houses, we think we’re covering the ground very well, and therefore tonight we plead ‘not guilty’.”
WATCH Rowley’s full statement below:
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