'Mind your own business and look at rot in Jamaica' - Bajan official blasts Jamaica

[Xavier]

Do you agree or disagree...

'Mind your own business and look at rot in Jamaica' - Bajan minister blasts Gleaner for 'political undertones'

Source: Gleaner
A BARBADOS government minister has launched a scathing attack on a Sunday Gleaner editorial, telling the newspaper to take its nose out of Bajan affairs and concentrate on the "rot going on in Jamaica".

The fiery reaction stemmed from the editorial, published this past Sunday, on the controversial arrest and charge of three employees of The Nation newspaper in Barbados for publishing a story and photograph of two 14-year-olds having sex at school.

Bajan Minister of Industry and International Business Donville Inniss described the editorial as shameful.

Said Inniss, it is "one of the nastiest pieces of editorial work which I have seen in any media house in the Caribbean".

In relation to the arrest and charge of the journalists, the editorial stated: "We hope there are no political undertones to this matter, and that it does not imply an attempt to rein in The Nation's feisty independence."

The editorial added: "That would be sad and a reversal of that country's historic tolerance of, and government respect for, free and independent media."

However, in response to The Gleaner, Inniss said: "So I say to the editor of the Jamaica Gleaner, mind your own business and look at the rot going on in Jamaica. Barbados is in good hands.

Read the rest of the story here:

[Pepper]

I would have to see the original article and the editorial. Did they really post a picture of teens having sex?

[Gen]

can't find the original story BUT

it looks like the bajan paper published a screen shot of 2 kids having sex in classroom (grabbed from fassbook) along with a story

and bajan officials then subsequently arrested the editor and journalists, confiscated passports and let them out on bail (am guessing they should not have published the picture or names since they are minors, as well as pornographic images of minor on electronic devices ???)

jam paper ran an editorial criticizing bajan officials for restricting freedom of press etc due to political motivation

bajan minister then tell us to guh mine our business and how dare we accuse them of having political motives for the arrest

[Gen]

EDITORIAL - Barbadian press blunder

Published: Sunday | November 17, 2013 2 Comments

We are not in support of the gratuitous publication of pornography by general-interest newspapers and are vehement in our opposition to the sexual, or any other form of, exploitation of children.


Indeed, our position is common to the press of the English-speaking Caribbean, and in particular to those newspapers with which The Gleaner has fraternal relations. The Nation newspaper in Barbados is among them.
Last week, The Nation's publisher Vivian-Anne Gittens; its editor-in-chef, Roy Morris; and its news editor, Sanka Price, were arrested in Bridgetown, supposedly for publishing "an indecent photograph" of two 14-year-olds having sex in a classroom. If they are found guilty, the trio could serve up to five years in jail.


The journalists were charged under Barbados' Protection of Children Act which, like its Jamaican counterpart, seeks to prevent physical, social and psychological abuse of minors. While the State is the guarantor of these rights, there is a legal burden on adults to help in the policing of potential exploitation. This newspaper endorses such laws. We, however, have serious reservation about the application of the law in relation to The Nation newspaper and its staff. Like in Jamaica, there is a growing concern about the state of societal values and attitudes, and especially the behaviour of youth, including schoolchildren. Sexual activity among students is among the issues being debated.


Genuine Public Interest
In that context, children having sex in their classrooms or elsewhere on school campuses is a matter of genuine public interest and, therefore, within the purview of a Barbadian newspaper - as would be the case in Jamaica. That The Nation published a photograph of an incident, with the faces of the minors engaged in the sexual act blurred and unrecognisable, does not suggest an act of prurience that would scandalise public morals, or be deemed the exploitation of children.


While these matters will now be tested in the courts, we are surprised that Barbadian prosecutors would expend energy, public resources and valuable time in pursuing The Nation rather than more immediate and pertinent issues. We hope that there are no political undertones to this matter, and that it does not imply an attempt to rein in The Nation's feisty independence. That would be sad and a reversal of that country's historic tolerance of, and government respect for, free and independent media. Indeed, Barbados was among the first countries in this region to craft a new defamation law that lessens the potential threats to a free press going about its job of informing people and holding before citizens a mirror of the society in which they live. Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and his Democratic Labour Party should assure the Barbadian people, and by extension Barbados' Caribbean neighbours, including this newspaper, that there is no threat to press freedom in that country.


Mr Stuart will, of course, insist that the prosecutors are independent and free to carry out their jobs without direction or interference from the political executive. In that case, we hope that they quickly return to good sense.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20131117/cleisure/cleisure1.html

[Pepper]

can't find the original story BUT

it looks like the bajan paper published a screen shot of 2 kids having sex in classroom (grabbed from fassbook) along with a story

and bajan officials then subsequently arrested the editor and journalists, confiscated passports and let them out on bail (am guessing they should not have published the picture or names since they are minors, as well as pornographic images of minor on electronic devices ???)

jam paper ran an editorial criticizing bajan officials for restricting freedom of press etc due to political motivation

bajan minister then tell us to guh mine our business and how dare we accuse them of having political motives for the arrest

Thanks for the summary and the editorial.

Suh the gleaner think freedom of the press overstates the law of the land? Can't say I agree with them on that. And I really wonder what the heck the editor of The Nation was thinking.

[Gen]

looks like the pic was blurrred out but I am guessing is not the story itself, but publishing the blur out pics get them in trouble ??

[Pepper]

looks like the pic was blurrred out but I am guessing is not the story itself, but publishing the blur out pics get them in trouble ??

I didn't see the pic, but couldn't they have written an article on teens and tweens sexual habits and their posts on social networks without posting a photo...even if it was blurred. What is the point of publishing such a photo?

[blugiant]

sintinn sick wen newpaypah publish two 14 ear ole avinn sex. dat bajan papers sellinn child pornography

[Pepper]

sintinn sick wen newpaypah publish two 14 ear ole avinn sex. dat bajan papers sellinn child pornography

What is this not...I agree wid sumting blu post.

[Xavier]

Do you think the shot at Jamaica "rotting" is justified? Th Gleaner wrote the article but all of Jamaica gets the blame. Was this minister just waiting for a chance to take a shot a Jamaica?