PNM, UNC knock media in Senate

THEIR reasons may have been different, but for a solitary moment in time, the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) and the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) were united in their criticism of the media.

Speaking during debate in the Senate yesterday on the issue of live parliamentary debates, Government Senator Danny Montano said this was an open door for the PNM because Prime Minister Patrick Manning was supportive of such debates. While stressing he had “no axe to grind with the media,” Montano lamented that by and large there was a lot of inexperience in the media compared to other countries while “good journalists were stretched thin.”

Montano referred to a newspaper article which alleged that he begged United States Ambassador Roy Austin not to withdraw US military aid from TT over this country’s support for the International Criminal Court. Montano said the article was false and the particular newspaper now had “the lowest circulation in the Caribbean.” He declared that “TT and the US will be allies for years” and in every longlasting friendship there were occasional disagreements.

Senate Minority Leader Wade Mark lambasted the three major dailies as “stooges and tools” of the PNM and took issue with newspaper owners who claimed to be independent while pursuing hidden political agendas. Mark observed that in Britain, certain newspapers clearly stated their political allegiances. He accused a former newspaper editor of being “a closet PNM” now serving as public relations adviser to Attorney-General Glenda Morean.