(Jamaica Observer) The regional Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) has lashed Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) parliamentarian Everald Warmington over his current impasse with the local media.
“The Association of Caribbean Media Workers, in unqualified solidarity with our colleagues in Jamaica, wishes to roundly condemn the conduct of parliamentarian, Mr Everald Warmington, following a legitimate query by CVM Television anchor, Ms Kerlyn Brown, during a live television interview on March 8, 2011,” said ACM president, Wesley Gibbings.
“We understand that a subsequent question on the issue put to him by CVM’s manager of news and current affairs, Mr Garfield Burford, was also met with highly inappropriate, coarse and vulgar language,” Gibbings, a Trinidadian, said in the ACM statement.
Warmington dismissed Brown by telling her to “go to hell” when she asked him about knowingly remaining in parliament while he was a citizen of the United States. Burford alleged that Warmington used nasty language when he called to ask him about his conduct with Brown.
Gibbings said Warmington should know that as a representative of the people, he was entitled to answer questions put to him in the public interest, and was certainly obliged to treat these questions “with the civility and decency that would recommend him to remain in public service, even those questions he does not like and does not feel obliged to answer”.
“We remind him and our colleagues of the duty of the journalist to query the actions, attitudes and opinions of those in positions of public trust and authority. We hope that this further inspires our colleagues to stand fast together with Ms Brown and Mr Burford, and to strive to do their duty without fear or favour.
“Should Mr Warmington not feel obliged to make an appropriately contrite response and should those at the highest political levels in Jamaica decline to signal unconditional disapproval of such behaviour, the ACM, the Jamaican media and its people cannot be expected to be satisfied with merely a corporate apology — a statement issued on his behalf by his political party.
“We join with those who believe that the Jamaican people deserve far more than that. We consider Mr Warmington’s conduct to warrant more than a corporate apology because of our deep concern for a chilling knock-on effect that such behaviour by a senior politician creates.
“What this verbal bullying does is to create conditions under which journalists can be intimidated into not pursuing matters in the public interest. In an increasingly volatile climate, there exists a slippery slope that could so easily lead to supporters and sycophants deciding to act where their political leaders are silent.
“The ACM is convinced that if left unchecked, verbal intimidation of journalists could only intensify if there is tacit acceptance or overt encouragement. We cannot predict, however, how much more serious this might become,” the regional grouping said.
