#BTSpeakingOut – The Fourth Estate mandate

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY. 

by Roderick P Harris

As we once again march off into a dispensation where Barbadians will be governed in Parliament by an unhindered government, the role of the Fourth Estate will take on greater importance.

I am very much aware having worked in and around the media in North America that there is often an unholy relationship between ruling government parties and media houses.

Governments can enrich or channel significant wealth into the coffers of media owners and managers, as long as they play the game and perpetuate the agenda of the party in power. This often holds true for advertisers and interest groups who with a phone call can have bona fides stories buried for forever.

While overseas I was aware of politicians who would call media owners and threaten them, curse them or promise them business opportunities if their editorial content presented them in a positive light or stifled truths that might embarrass the parties in power.

Another tactic was to inundate media houses with frivolous lawsuits that had little to no chance of succeeding but because they were aware that owners were weak or looking for monetary advantage, they were confident that their tactics would work and societal truths would be kept away from the public.

In an atmosphere where any government has overwhelming power media owners must rise to the occasion and show that they are not pariahs, opportunists, or simply without souls. They and their charges must be willing to uphold the finest traditions of journalism where truths, honesty and integrity come first, and are not sacrificed on the altar of financial opportunism.

We the people are not stupid and many of us can always tell when a publication has become compromised.

We see it in the type and quality of stories printed, those stories in the public domain that are withheld, and the direction of editorials, especially those that refuse to deal with glaring missteps by the parties in power.

Owners and managers should always be aware that readers are turned off by weak, tame, one-sided journalism and will look elsewhere for news content. Advertisers notice the switch with keen observation. In this digital age, it is even easier to detect the drift and thus to seek publicity elsewhere.

I would hope that as Barbadians start to conduct their lives in a one-party state for at least the next five years, that the Fourth Estate is not caught loitering on any politician’s backdoor or pandering to their dictates.