- by Met
The Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) has said it is dismayed at an exchange between Everald Warmington, State Minister with responsibility for Works, and a Business Access TV reporter.
In the brief recording, Mr. Warmington was heard chastising the reporter after being asked for a response from the government to the strike by workers on the Mandela Highway project.
The PAJ accepted that Mr. Warmington was not aware that he was being recorded.
However, PAJ President George Davis is calling for Prime Minister Andrew Holness to either state whether he supports Mr. Warmington’s conduct or direct Mr. Warmington to “act in a manner that is befitting to the office he holds as state minister and as member of Parliament” and “demonstrate decency and respect in his interaction with reporters.”
“We encourage reporters, journalists to be brave and steadfast in how they go about their work. Make sure that they treat…those elected and appointed officials with respect and that they demand the same, and that they never settle for being disrespected or being abused by those who serve the country and interact with them,” Mr. Davis urged reporters, even as he demanded that all elected officials speak respectfully to members of the media.
It doesn’t matter if one knows if one is being recorded or not…there are basic standards of decency n decorum expected of our leaders at all times.Even as an individual,one must not debase oneself merely because one thinks no one is recording it!!
Nutten nah come out of it as usual cuz this is Mussi the 5th time on record Warry show his true colors…but something SHOULD this time!
Him too disgusting man, he could have easily told her to wait for an official statement at a later date if he didn’t want to answer right then. The reporter was not even being aggressive like they can be at times. I think she needs some voice training in speaking more clearly and with better intonation, otherwise her request was valid in a democratic society. This rabid, wild dog had no reason to respond like an uncivilized subhuman to someone simply doing their work. I don’t want to go back to the days when their was no free press, folks forget what it was like in history when nobody was called up to be accountable and ppl were kept in the dark on important matters, the press is an integral part of a democratic society.