Minister: Telecom cannot set code of conduct without media input

Public Administration Minister Dr Lenny Saith said yesterday that the Telecommuni-cations Authority could not unilaterally set standards of conduct for the media without its (the media’s) full cooperation and input. Speaking during the post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall, Saith said it was a “prescription for problems” to have the Authority formulating a code for the media without “using the judgment” of the media. He was responding to criticisms from a number of top media personnel who were critical of the code. “It should be treated for what it is, it is a draft,” he said, adding: “We are at the initial stages of what I hope is going to be a process of consultation,” he said.

Noting that the Telecommuni-cations Act provided for the laying of a broadcast code, Saith said the Telecommunications Authority as an independent body developed the draft code. The code has not yet been sent to the Government, he said. It was put out for public comment. Saith, who said he read the code, observed that there were many grey areas which required a lot of judgment. He was very pleased to see that there will be a fair amount of comment on it, he said, noting that there were wide and varying views on that matter, “ranging from the extreme conservative to the extreme liberal.” Saith said at the end of its consultations the Telecom body would present a document to him and after examination and amendments (if need be), he would take the document to Cabinet.