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Is STARCOM Network And Nation Newspaper Abusing Their Dominant Market Position?

My problem with Starcom and the Nation Newspaper is that their coverage lack balance.  I focus on them because no one reads the Advocate, CBC has always been CBC, we look to the Nation and VOB for some unbiased, good journalism. I have problems with the quality of the Nation and Starcom’s coverage of issues. …

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Submitted by OLD SCHOOL

My problem with Starcom and the Nation Newspaper is that their coverage lack balance.  I focus on them because no one reads the Advocate, CBC has always been CBC, we look to the Nation and VOB for some unbiased, good journalism.

I have problems with the quality of the Nation and Starcom’s coverage of issues.  In my opinion, their columnists and articles in general provide very little context to the issues they opine on, and  very few facts are introduced into the discussions.

For example, Sanka Price provides a solution to the cost of living by removing some taxes as done in Guyana.  Does Guyana provide the same level of social services as Bim? He makes no reference to the cost of such a solution and seems totally oblivious to any trade offs involved.

Albert Brandford flags the level of NIS investment in government but gives no sense of what it used to be in previous years.  A semi-decent journalist would feel the need to provide that context if he wants to make a persuasive argument.

The Nation prints that the government of Barbados has a new policy which denies  non-nationals access to health care in Barbados.  They know full well that is a sensitive issue.  They also know full well  that  non nationals have access but not free of cost.  I think it makes a big difference.  The nation and Starcom seem content to give the impression that if a non-national turns up at the QEH or a polyclinic they will be turned away.  They also know full well that it has always been the law of Bim that only permanent residents and citizens are entitled to free health care.  But do they care, they print what they want anyway.  I am uncomfortable with persons living and working here paying taxes and not being able to access free health care, but I have no time for misleading journalism.

I cannot help feeling that the Nation and Starcom are abusing their dominance of the media space to push and agenda and try to make Barbados look bad. It seems to me that they cannot handle the freedom to criticise.

They feared Arthur because of what he did to them when in office.

79 responses to “Is STARCOM Network And Nation Newspaper Abusing Their Dominant Market Position?”

  1. anthony Avatar
    anthony

    given us something other to watch than cbc at the very least. Most of time i think it the caribhome shopping/teleclasified channel.

  2. Josquin Desprez Avatar
    Josquin Desprez

    Old School

    “Bwoy I am beginning to wonder what Starcom would do with a TV station. But I support their right to have one”.

    Probably the same thing the DLP is doing with CBC, something you seem not to have a problem with.

    There is balance. You have Albert Brandford on one page criticizing the DLP, conversely, on the other page you have Peter Wickham defending them.

    I agree that politics should be kept from this discussion. However, my problem is that, based on the structure and content of your comments, you are using “intellectual innuendo” to be political bias, and essentially perpetrating what you have asked not to be done. Or is it coincidental that those columnists you mentioned have a certain political bias. What about Matthew Farley’s column? What about Tony Deyal, Richard Hoad, or even B.C Pires?

    We can post comments on the blog left right and center, the bottom line is, people have the power to initiate change. If all and sundry are not happy about the Nation’s style of reporting, then fortify your talk with action. Boycott the Nation. From the front page to the back page of the Advocate highlights stories surrounding this DLP administration, even if they have to use several pages on one topic. At the Advocate there is no balanced reporting. I do not like what they stand for and I do not buy it. When all is said and done, all of you will talk and criticise, but will find some convenient excuse to buy a Nation newspaper.

  3. OLD SCHOOL Avatar
    OLD SCHOOL

    Its not that I don’t have a prob with CBC. But in Bim for the last 30 odd years CBC has been abused by every government. CBCs major local programming is the evening news which is about ten mins of local news, and it typically lets you know the main issues in BIM that day and what the govt ministers are yapping about.

    The advocate to me has limited reach and hence their impact is not that great.

    Starcom and the Nation are the media of the average man. In Bim right now a paper is the NATION and a news radio is VOB. They have reach and impact and play the largest role in shaping public opinion, thats why I have focused on them.

    If you read what I am saying carefully I am not accusing them of being anti DLP, I am saying that in general their stories and columists lack balance and often fail to get to the substance of the issues. In this recessionary environment they have simply jumped on the band wagon and seek to bitch about everything rather than seriously analyze the issues, hence they seem anti the govt.

    I am critical of what I see as their attempt to create news and sensationalize things, not so much any anti DLP motives. I see the PMs silence story as a classic example of the modern media trying to create a story from little or nothing.

    Maybe I am way off base but to me if you are a serious media outfit, if you slam the govt for failing to deliver on the cost of living while they campaigned on it, you should mention that the environment has shifted dramatically since they mounted their campaign in 2007.

    If I say I am going to beat the bowling and I come in to bat at 184 for 7 with 15 overs to go, should I go out there and swing my bat? Should I be criticised for playing a somethat more restrained innings? To me context is critical and I have little use for arguments without context.

    If you are going to make a stink about movment of labor and not bring any context about the differing levels of social services offered by different countries and differing levels of movement to different countries then you are insulting my intelligence and I get most offended. To me that type of coverage would lack balance and substance.

    I cannot take you as a serious columnist or media outfit if you opine loudly and vociferously on movement of labor and lambast country A for not not be fully accommodative if you do not consider the impact on country A if persons who move to country A will seek to acces their medical care there because more and better services are offered, and persons who move from country A to countries B, C, D,E, F and G will want to come back to country A for medical care because more and better servcies are available.
    That might be a fine arrangement but you if you fail to explore it, then to me your coverage lacks balance and substance.

    I pick up a paper or listen to the radio to be educated not brain washed or jump on any band wagon. I went school too long and often to accept the rubbish dished out by the Nation and Starcom. I think the country deserves and they could deliver much better.

    By the way I findPires funny and provocative and I find Farley’s column fairly useless and self serving. Wickham can be interesting but to me is from that UWI group including Dr. Joesph for whom its integration at any cost.

  4. OLD SCHOOL Avatar
    OLD SCHOOL

    Hoad is wonderful, Mascoll’s is petty and self serving.

  5. OLD SCHOOL Avatar
    OLD SCHOOL

    Again I am sorry, I think if you are going to come to the country with an issue come with context and substance.

  6. OLD SCHOOL Avatar
    OLD SCHOOL

    what is the average daily circulation of teh Advocate and the Nation?

  7. OLD SCHOOL Avatar
    OLD SCHOOL

    If you are saying to me that what we have is columnist balancing columnist, then columnists should be required to delare their affiliation.

    As far as I aware Mascoll writes as a “trained economist”, Wickham writes as a Political Scientist, Dr. Joseph writes as the same, Albert Brandford writes as an independent investigative journalist, Matthew Farley as an educator and social commentator, Ezra Alleyene writes as a legal scholar, Peter Simmons as a diplomatic expert and so. I don’t know who is who.

    I don’t want columnists of unknown persuasions balancing each other, I want context from all of them.

  8. David Avatar
    David

    @OLD SCHOOL

    You are making some good points.

    Who wants partisan commentators to be managed as they were on a balancing scale?

    All these so-called intelligent commentators who masquerade as independent commentators do is expose their ignorance.

    Their biases are always evident in their writings.

  9. OLD SCHOOL Avatar
    OLD SCHOOL

    To me columinsts are columnists because they bring high levels of knowledege and expertise. Am I asking too much?

    My simplistic sense is that a major part of our current challenges stem from the fact that during the growth years of say 1997 to 2007, many private indiviuduals, companies and the govt went out to the baller leaving themselves vulnerable to the proverbial rainy day. Instead of rainy days we got hit but a full hurricane and to me they all seem to expect miracles and life to continue as in the growth years. The incumbent administration and its many failings is now a convenient whipping boy/girl, leaving some of the fundamental issues unturned.

    I would like to hear the expert columists on thses isues, I am only a layman.

  10. Prodigal Son Avatar
    Prodigal Son

    Old School wrote,
    I am critical of what I see as their attempt to create news and sensationalize things, not so much any anti DLP motives. I see the PMs silence story as a classic example of the modern media trying to create a story from little or nothing.

    Now I see your bias, from the rum shop to the cocktail receptions, people are talking about the silence of the PM on issues of the country and you trivialise it as the media trying to create a story. If this is what the people are saying, why would a responsible media outlet not report on it.

    Are you satisfied just to see a PM speaking at celebrations or at Illaro Court entertaining visitors on the taxpayers dime when some of the same taxpayers are finding it hard to make ends meet? And by the way, how many of these wine and dine parties do they hold a year, every month?? In this economic climate???

    Talking about bringing context to the debate on the Dems fooling the public that they could bring down the cost of living, the media bought this story and sold it to the people and helped the Dems to win the election. So dont complain now about the media. The Dems had to know that a recession was on the way, it was being reported in the US media so dont come with excuses for these Dems that the world changed so drastically after 2007.

    Your call for fair and balance shows that you are only now concerned now the Dems are being plummeted.

    I just do not understand your beef with the Nation and Starcom when they continue to hold the same line as always and you blatantly excuse CBC and the Advocate. Do not excuse the fact that no one reads the Advocate or watches CBC. And why, because of naked DLP bias. They are still reading the Nation and listening to VOB, explain that one! You have to hold the whole media to the same standards!

    I could not believe my eyes (either Wed or Thurs night) that CBC could for the first news item which went on for over 7 minutes was about people bleaching their skins! Now tell me what the hell was the educational content of thatstory or of interest to the country???

    Passing strange (wont you say) that you find any columnist’s column who has a BLP leaning useless!

    My thing is that I read both papers, watch the first 10 minutes of DLPTV news and I have enough sense to read between the headlines and draw my own conclusions as to what is spin and what is truth!

    I can do that by my own self!

  11. Josquin Desprez Avatar
    Josquin Desprez

    Well, well, well,

    “All these so-called intelligent commentators who masquerade as independent commentators do is exposing their ignorance.

    Their biases are always evident in their writings.”

    I hope you have included yourself.

  12. OLD SCHOOL Avatar
    OLD SCHOOL

    I actually found the bleaching story potentially interesting. if large numbers of African people are resorting to skin whitening I would find that a major story. Maybe only political stories are educational to you. My criticism of that CBC story would be that it failed to give me any sense of how widespread the phenomenon actually is.

    I lived through a period when public exprerssion of black pride was a new and ermerging thing, so if skin bleaching is now widespread I would that an intersting story and want to understand why persons want a lighter appearance.

    I must admit I don’t spend much time in rum shops, but in the many public spaces that I inhabit, discussion about the PM’s silence is invariably in response to a news story about it.

    If you would take the time to read the posts you would have picked up that I have no idea who is a BLP or DLP columinst and i want all columinsts to add some substance and context to their stories.

    Prodigal, you know with all the discussion about non-nationals and movement of labor no one has seen it fit to give some numbers about the numbers of skilled national certificates issued by different countries in Caricom. I would focus on Starcom and the Nation on this issue because they are the ones running lots of stories on this issue.

    Now if the DLP had gone ahead with freedom of information maybe I could easily access that for myself. Even a strong BEE like you would appreciate that.

  13. Kracker Jack Avatar
    Kracker Jack

    @ David | April 25, 2011 at 11:57 AM |

    Correct. When was it ever not so?

    They do have an eye on the market David, but they are not looking at the things that concern you and the BU family.
    What is the social responsibility of other dominant players in the country? Lime? Courts? BHL? COW?

    Why was it so easy to get rid of the Gospel 97.5?
    I would bet that it brought in the least amount of advertising revenue and this was the major factor, and not the inability to
    secure another frequency from the authorities, as some would have us believe.

    Every decision at Starcom and the Nation is made with the bottom line in mind. The mere fact that they are able to boast of being the dominant players in the market, seems to suggest that the majority of Bajans are supportive of this business model. Why change a formula that continues to work year after year?

    I am not a fan of Starcom and have not bought a Nation newspaper in more years than I can remember but, besides the internet, where else in Barbados can one go to be informed.

    Even Barbados Today is now flattering to deceive.

  14. Prodigal Son Avatar
    Prodigal Son

    Old School

    I can admit that I support the BLP but I am always quick to criticise them when they do crap. Will you admit your bias? I beg to differ with you on the bleaching story, it was not a top story as far as I am concerned especially bearing in mind that the constitutionally elected opposition does not get not even one minute on DLPTV. It was like one of those weird, wacky stories Jeannie Moos does on CNN.

    Do you see now how people will view media matters? This is a clear case of where I see the bleach story as nonsense, you see it as interesting. I would never bleach my skin and that’s where I draw the line on its relevancy. See the point! Maybe this is how the Nation and VOB operates? Who knows?

    My point is one has to read, inwardly digest and differentiate what’s relevant and discard what is not. We can agitate but we will not change the Nation or VOB much less the Advocate or DLPTV.

    Re Caricom certificates, Barbados does not offer too many either, I have had the experience of someone waiting now for over five months on one and the person is very well qualified but the Barbados people seem to want the person to blow a gasket with them. Or are their actions reciprocal?

  15. David Avatar
    David

    @Kracker Jack

    Sadly you are correct.

    Even managing BU we do appreciate how forces try to manipulate the agenda.

    One of the things we like about managing BU is the alacrity with which a BU family member will kick us in the butt at the slightest notion of foolishness.

    Unfortunately a passive Bajan public has been inclined to buy the nation or listen to Starcom despite the occasional chuspe.

  16. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    “the nation is a blp nest and starcom as well, they are on an agenda to destabilize and bring down the current administration”

    Well they helped to bring down the BLP, so what is so special about the DLP that they too can’t suffer a similar fate?

  17. OLD SCHOOL Avatar
    OLD SCHOOL

    prodigal, the point of is how can you seriously discuss the issue without reference to those numbers.

  18. Prodigal Son Avatar
    Prodigal Son

    Enuff,
    My sentiments exactly!

  19. OLD SCHOOL Avatar
    OLD SCHOOL

    Prodigal if you took the time to read my posts you would see that I am arguing that the simplistic media would be gunning for whoever was the incumbemt government rather than dealing with the real issues facing the country.

    I am struggling to see how the fact that I would not bleach my skin would render signficant numbers of bajans doing so not newsworthy.

  20. OLD SCHOOL Avatar
    OLD SCHOOL

    I really don’t care if the BLPites want my neck. I stand by my view. In my view, the whole thing about the PM,s silience is nothing more than Starcom and the Nation wanting the spectacle surrounding a cabinet reshuffle and the who is in and who is out, who is up and who is down drama that will follow. That is their kind of journalism. Its the kind of thing where you can revel in speculation and rumor rather than doing some real journalism.

    For me that is bare bread and circuses not getting to real issues.

  21. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Real journalism is right here on BU. It can only get better.

    Imagine not a single mainstream newspaper has given a detailed CV of Glyne Bannister and his company.

    No company should be doing business with the GOB without the Taxpayers knowing how the company is owned and structured.

    Does not matter which party is in power. The Taxpayer has a right to know.

  22. David Avatar
    David

    @OLD SCHOOL

    Disagree with you on the issue of Stuart’s stewardship to date. BU has provided context for a critique of PM’s Stuart leadership style on another blog.

    The truth is although the discussion to date is based on the anecdotal the leadership of Stuart cannot be defined for the people. A leader gets the job done despite whatever challenges are present. Hopefully the Nation newspaper will see the benefit of a poll. Talk about selling newspapers!

  23. OLD SCHOOL Avatar
    OLD SCHOOL

    Could not agree with yu more. if yu going to drop hints and suggest that there is something funny about this company as the Nation, then use your substantial resources to give us some details, do some digging, tell us who they are.

  24. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    @ OLD SCHOOL
    I have a serious problem with hypocrisy.
    The same Nation and VoB were unrelenting in their attack on the previous government during the 12 or so months leading up to the 2008 elections. An ‘expose’ on the then government became the norm in every Friday Nation. Many of these ‘exposes’ were based on the same ‘speculation and rumour’ you now accuse the OCM subsidiaries of employing to destabilise this government.
    The high level of journalism you are demanding could have very well nullified the DLP’s election campaign, which many believe was won at the now famous Haggatt Hall $75k cheque meeting.
    If the media were interested in journalism then–i.e. fact-based and balanced information gathering and dissemination–rather than use the story to paint one party as corrupt and villainous, the issue of campaign finance and whether there was anything illegal or unique about a politician depositing money in his/her account ought to have been addressed.
    Moreover, BOLTs and MOUs ( topical once again and attracting similar sentiments) would have been fully ventilated for the benefit of the public; instead of left untouched to be used as weapons against the BLP.
    Earlier I asked about the impact FOI could have on the media and no one answered, so I shall advance one. It would force the media to do more journalism and less sensationalism to survive, as the public would no longer have to rely on their reports to know for example who received government contracts and whether they were transparent or not.
    Though I still firmly believe that FOI in a small society such as ours can be abused and misused for malicious purposes, if DLP supporters are so concerned about OCM’s adverse impact on their popularity then negate their ability to do so by urging your party to intriduce FOI and integrity legislation.

  25. OLD SCHOOL Avatar
    OLD SCHOOL

    well well, I am now a DLP, everything must descend into the pits of a partisan political debate.

  26. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    @ OLD SCHOOL
    I guess you assumed I labeled you a Dem for my use of the word ‘your’ in the last penultimate line. My apologies, I should have said ‘they party..’ (which is also grammatically correct) as I had no intention of calling you a Dem, but who the cap fit…….
    By the way if you are a Dem what’s the big deal? Did you not earlier call for columnists in the traditional media to declare their hand? Well this blog also serves a justificatory function and shapes public discourse; as such you, with such strong opinions, should also declare your political stripes.

  27. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    *penultimate, and ‘their’ not they

  28. Negroman Avatar
    Negroman

    The Nation Newspaper & Starcom Network are anti-Barbados & definitely anti-Black
    Every negative activity that occurs in Barbados is given prominence in The Nation with front page coverage. The occasional murder,the occasional violent act and such like are often given prominence in The Nation Newspaper.Likewise all the negative talk regarding the government performance is highlighted in The Nation Newspaper.For example, the Shanique Myrie affairs was highlighted and worked to the maximum by Starcom & Nation Newspaer with the usual slant against Barbados & its government.
    The Oistins Fish Festival attracted thousands of Black Barbadians and a handful of Whites & the other ethnic groups in Barbados.Lo & behold The Nation Newspaper could only find a picture of two (2) white children playing & participating at that Festival.There were thousands of Black Barbadian children but it seems none of our Black children were good enough or beautiful enough to grace the front page of The Nation Newspaper,but two white children were able to achieve that privilege.
    Highlighting non-Black people and giving them prominence in The Nation Newspaper seems to be the agenda of that company.I have notice over a period of time that at almost all social events taking place in Barbados,non-Black persons attending those events are usually highlighted with a high degree of prominence.
    Starcom Network & The Nation Newspaper are a disservice to Barbados.Both of them are presenting a negative & bad image of Barbados with they daily bias & ridiculously negative reporting of events occurring in Barbados
    NB The Nation has a columnist BC Pires ridiculing & insulting Barbadians & Barbados in his weekly columns.

  29. Prodigal Son Avatar
    Prodigal Son

    David Ellis must have read this blog as he is in defence mode today, stoutly defending the Stuart interview which was long winded puctuated by too many aahs for a man who calims to be such a wordsmith! Not impressed at all, my spouse went to sleep!

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