Keep that door open

Lance Neita, Contributor

From my last count, Jamaica has some 32 media houses, including all radio and television stations, newspapers, and periodicals. This may be inaccurate, and I invite any one better able to provide the exact figure. While the national houses for the most part operate out of Kingston, every parish has a community-based television or radio service covering local events. Additionally, several magazines are published on a local, regional or international basis.

For a small country, that's good. We love to talk. Our cellular telephone population is said to be among the largest in the world.

We enjoy a free press, but it's a freedom we cannot afford to take for granted.

Freedom of the press is described as freedom of communication and expression through media channels. This freedom implies absence of interference, political or otherwise, but also entails responsibilities in terms of accuracy, balance, ethical behaviour, and objectivity.

Jamaicans vigorously exercise their right to enjoy open expression. We have even invented a few choice words of our own to establish proprietorship of our language.

And our talk show hosts are kept busy morning, noon, and night, from the "first time on your show" to the host's impatient "OK, I have got to go now, call me tomorrow."

Talk shows

We enjoy our talk shows. Some persons wait for hours to get on the line. One caller disclosed her secret to me, "Just dial all the numbers but one, and as soon as him hang up you press the last digit."

Famed commentator and writer John Maxwell originated Jamaica's first radio talk show, 'Public Eye', in 1974. Around that time, too, we were treated to the dry, tongue-in-cheek humour of a Roman Catholic priest, the beloved Rabbi Bernard Hooker, who sometimes acted as host.

One of the best lines attributed to the Rabbi may actually have been a spoof from a comedy stage show.

"Rabbi," the lady caller is reported to have said, "what is the best birth control system ah can use?"

"I recommend a glass of orange juice," came the reply.

"Before or after, Rabbi?"

"Neither," he said. "Instead."

In 2010, the political knives were unsheathed when our parliamen-tarians threatened to keep out the media from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) meetings. Everald Warmington excited the press once more. As chairman of the committee he acts on behalf of both sides of the House. The Press Association of Jamaica has reacted with commendable restraint. Subsequent attempts at a show of contrition or denial demonstrates that we do not need boorishness nor imprudent behaviour at that level to make a point.

Warning to Warmington

Mr Warmington must be careful that he does not end up on Saturday Night Live. We can give him credit for his outspokenness, but not for improper language. He does not display the panache or smartness of a Winston Churchill who was once called upon by the Speaker to withdraw the word 'lie' from a statement in the British House of Parliament. Churchill immediately substituted "a terminological in-exactitude".

Never mind the wrang-ling, Jamaica's press is alive and well. There has been an explosion of media houses over the past decade and a widening of outreach reporting by our radio stations that has brought to the fore rural quality journalists like Melville Harris, reporting from St Elizabeth, and Johnallson Ferarie, calling in from St Ann.

Over in Black River, a news programme, Positive Vibrations, reports on the positives rather than the negatives in the society. Host Rayon Dyer has gone one step further to form a Positive Vibrations Foundation which seeks to align the support of the media behind social and economic needs.

The rationale for press freedom is the preservation of the public's right to know. It is in the best interests of the public and the Government for the people to know how their CDF money is being spent.

Napoleon Bonaparte once said he would rather face a thousand bayonets than an angry press.

Mr Warmington, keep that door open.

Comments may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com or lanceneita@hotmail.com.