Most people (used reservedly given the Advocate’s circulation numbers) have read the self-serving apologia in the editorial section of the Advocate directed at the Bajan blogosphere, in defense of what many agree is a toothless Fourth Estate of Barbados. A Fourth Estate that blandly and blindly follows the beat of the drum of whichever political party it is affiliated to, ignores glaring incidents of injustice in the Courts of Barbados and refuses to take members of government to task, even if the evidence jumps up and bites them on the gluteus maximus.
A few examples :-
- Barbados is taken to court in Canada in a civil lawsuit with costs running (on both sides) to almost BDS$16 million. This lawsuit involves the future of over 1% of Barbados’ total landmass, the purchase of influence of the Fifth Estate (blogs) at BDS1,300.00 per week, the establishment of a blog in Miami, Florida, the collection of shredded documents in Barbados and their shipment to Canada to be reconstituted, the surveillance of the former wife of Owen Arthur, the surveillance of the family and person of former Attorney General Mia Mottley in Florida, the staking out of the Barbados consular mission in Miami Florida and the proposal to follow and stalk employees of that mission, contributing to the upkeep and election aspirations of Minister Denis Lowe (including importing Canadian experts to assist with his election), the use of false names and documents, the jail sentence of one of the parties who is now a fugitive from justice. Barbados wins the case in Canada and all is REVEALED. The case is fully and completely reported BU (Go to Search Box and use ‘Peter Allard’), with full document back-up. Yet, neither the Nation or the Advocate has even attempted to report on the matter. For them, it is as though it has never existed and the BDS16 million it cost is nothing – to the extent, we have to ask if one blog was paid BDS1,300 per week by Peter Allard, how much were others paid? The only other explanation is dereliction of duty as members of the Fourth Estate. Sub judice cannot be used as an excuse here.
- Barbados has a new Chief Justice commencing 1st January 2011. BU announced it prior to the Nation, who was then poked and made its announcement some two days later. To date the old girl at Fontebelle is pissed because it did not get first crack, has made no reference to Chief Justice Designate Gibson. Neither of these two Fourth Estate organisations got the news first and, had it not been for BU, they still would not have the news because…, after all the pontificating about responsible journalism, they have forgotten that the first requirement of responsible journalism is to report the news. It is NOT, as they do, to pretend news does not exist, unless told that it does exist by their political masters.
- Do you remember when BU was first to raise questions about 3S SRL, the company which was mysteriously given one of the largest government road contracts in Barbados? The Fourth Estate refused* to cover the story for months because they were scooped. Should it not be about reporting the news?
- What about how the local Fourth Estate covered the Immigration Debate? Remember the anti-Barbados articles which were regurgitated by the Nation newspaper taken from the Guyana press? Remember how Barbadians were prevented from venting on the VOB call-in programs? We can cite so many cases of the Fourth Estate allowing itself to be manipulated.
In its editorial the Advocate focuses on the comments of Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin, as if they are in some way the Gospel according to Mathew and Luke. The Advocate ignores that Dottin’s job is currently alleged to be on the line and under fire and, instead of doing a bit of investigative journalism to find out if that is true and if Dottin’s remarks about the blogs might be because of the alleged attacks against his administration that may have contributed to the rumoured problems and possible resignation/dismissal he now faces, the Advocate, true to form, has written an editorial of such amazing and self-serving BS, that it makes one realize that the society it reflects is Barbados of 1910, not Barbados 2010. It was instructive to listen to a visiting criminologist in the local media this week. He commented on the importance of community policing. Of note was his advice to the top brass of any constabulary to sing from the same hymn sheet.
Well, Mr Editor (or what passes for an editor at the Advocate) your comments and Commissioner Darwin Dottin’s conflict to how the press and social commentators of the FREE world is currently being conducted. What you would seek to do is to limit freedom of expression of Bajans on our rights as citizens of a free country and world, to that which you think, under direction of your political masters, is appropriate. You Anthony Bryan can BUZZ-OFF. You do not have the pulse of the people or any real interest about what is important in this land to the people of this land. You are a political pimp and a disgrace to one of the most important Estates of the Realm.
As a post script please tell Barbadians why you recently refused to give coverage in your newspaper about the arrest of your lawyer son Alvin David Bryan? The fact that he repaid the monies he was accused of stealing what does that say? That he is not a tief? Why is it that since the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) has come to office it has coincided with an about turn in your political allegiance? What comes to mind is whether your master has now given you the go ahead to attack the Bajan blogosphere because the heat is now being turned up. Yours is a newspaper not worthy and does a grave injustice to our society.
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.