(Trinidad Express) Works and Transport Minister Jack Warner on Thursday gave his word that Government, under Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, would in no way interfere with freedom of the press.
“In fact, we are where we are because of freedom of the press, and we shall be the last persons to affect that in any way. And if, at times, the press gives us a beating or a licking, we must take it and see where we have gone wrong and correct it,” he said.
Speaking at Thursday’s post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, Warner and Foreign Affairs Minister Suruj Rambachan responded to questions about political interference at the State-owned media house Caribbean New Media Group (CNMG).
He said a lot of ministers would confirm that in no way would a member of the Government subscribe to any act that would inhibit the press in any form or fashion.
“You can have our collective word on that. Now and forever,” he said.
He said no directive was or has been given, “and let me be so bold to say, will be given” to CNMG to structure the news in a manner favourable to the Government.
Rambachan said there were other TV stations—TV6 and CNC3—and “you would know that you produce the news very freely, and you are not directed in those stations to produce the news in a particular manner”.
