Media must be accurate, balanced

Speaking after a visit to his alma mater, Naparima Boys College in San Fernando, Sir Trevor dismissed the phenomenon of “fake news’ which is also perpetuated by social media platforms, saying this makes the job of media professionals increasingly difficult.

Asked about the impact of social media, Sir Trevor said, “it’s everywhere and it’s constantly at you. It’s not always the kind of thing that corresponds with the traditions that we have all been taught about, for example, I was always told what you do should be accurate, it should be well-balanced. Well I’m not too sure we can say that about all social media.” “But the fact is, it is there, its’s not going to change and we have to cope and I think it makes the business of straining off what is actually relevant, what is important and what is factual, I think it makes that very, very difficult,” he said. Regarding the fake news phenomenon, Sir Trevor said: “I don’t go into too much of that nonsense of fake news. I think that’s a distraction, there is a vast, vast acre of information and the job of processing that information gets much, much more difficult. Every day it becomes more difficult.” McDonald also noted that Trinidad and Tobago possesses a “very strong tradition of journalism” and recalled that persons from within the Commonwealth had been brought into Trinidad to assist in developing its news media.

“I go back to the days when a lot of people from the Commonwealth were brought into Trinidad to help train people because I think even then it was realised how important journalists were and in particular information and I think some Prime Ministers took it to a degree, almost too far, and Eric Williams, when he became the Prime Minister thought his press conferences should be kind of lectures to the nation every week which was broadcast again on the radio,” Sir Trevor said.

“Even in that, whatever you talked about, seems to be a recognition of the importance of information, it’s one of my creeds, people must be informed if they are to make proper decisions and so I thought even then the tradition is great, I’m sure it is now,” he said. Asked how journalism had changed over the years, McDonald said, “it’s changed enormously and I think it’s the speed with which one has to gather information, assess it and make the kind of proper judgements as to what’s going on.” He cited an example of him having to stay in the Philippines for about six to seven weeks “before I actually began to understand and appreciate what was happening, and if you just jetted in for a few days, it’s rather difficult to make that proper judgement about the politics of the place.” “One of the great problems of today is that we are all supposed to do it in an instant,” he said, adding, “and of course the multiplicity of media platforms all talk about doing it quickly, up to the minute news, breaking news, happening now, there is a rush to fill acres and acres of space for the news and I’m sure it’s well done but there are some issues that take a little more time to be considered and I think I was lucky to have that path.” “I am not too sure how I would have fared in the more hectic pace of today’s world,” he said.

Earlier, addressing the student body, Sir Trevor, who was welcomed with a standing ovation by both students and teachers, advised them that success was not possible without hard work. “You do not succeed without working, it is absolutely essential,” he said.

Sir Trevor told students to make full use of their educational opportunities as it was the key to continued success. He recalled that Naparima College “taught me that whoever you are, however humble is your background, you can be successful if you are prepared to work hard.” Sir Trevor also posed for photos with several staff members who gushed over him with one staff member showing off a copy of a book which was written by him.

In 1992, Sir Trevor was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen’s honours list. He received a knighthood in 1999 for his service to journalism and was awarded with a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) fellowship at the 2011 British Academy Television Awards.