ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – A senior official of the Media Workers Association of Grenada (MWAG) has called on the government to rethink its policy regarding interviews being sought with Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell.
“I requested an interview with the Prime Minister of the country, Dickon Mitchell, quite sometime now, three or four months; I got a message recently saying, unless you give us the questions in advance, you will not be allowed to interview the Prime Minister,” Calistra Farrier, MWAG’s first vice president told the association’s 12th annual media awards on Sunday night.
The television journalist told the audience that based on such a policy, “then I will not be interviewing the Prime Minister.”
“Now, young journalists may think that it is quite okay to give your questions in advance to people, but it is not okay to give your questions in advance. I want to appeal to the young journalists: don’t let anybody tell you that in exchange for an interview, you must tell me what you want to ask in advance,” said Farrier.
She suggested that broad discussion areas can be provided but not direct questions.
“You can provide broad areas if you want to talk about governance or you want to talk about this or that, but you do not give your questions to anyone because you might as well as get the press secretary, for instance, to do the interview and send you a tape.
“It makes no sense, and I consider that a serious attack on press freedom, and I will say now that I am denied an interview with the prime minister, I would have had about five or six with him before, never had to face that situation,” she said while reminded the audience that she has interviewed other prime ministers and regional leaders but never had to deal with such a request.
“I want to appeal to the Prime Minister now if you have set that policy that you need to reverse it, and if someone under him who does not understand their role has decided to do that, they may not want to create that type of difficulty for the prime minister and accept that we won’t give you our questions,” she said.
Farrier, who has more than 20 years of experience in the media, said that she feels as if traditional media is getting sidelined by the current social media trend.
“I feel like there is this attempt right now to sideline the media, that social media has become the new means of disseminating and speaking to the people. That is unacceptable; the media is an important part of democracy; it is a critical part of democracy,” she said.
“Without a strong media that is recognized and respected, the country is going to have problems, so those seeking to undermine the media and its place in this democratic nation need to take a little look and see what is going on,” she added.
Farrier later told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that she spoke with the Prime Minister’s press secretary, Neila Ettienne, who stated while February 20th has been set aside for the interview with Prime Minister Mitchell, “we await your questions so that the Prime Minister can prepare.
“In the absence of the question, we will not be able to facilitate,” the press secretary said, urging the journalist to send the questions “as soon as possible.”
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