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BLP and DLP Governments Use Media Practitioners for Propaganda

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Submitted by Paula Sealy
Carol Roberts
Corey Layne
David Ellis
Roy Morris
Sanka Price
Vic Fernandes

The current administration has invested in the media and media personnel has invested in the Mottley administration. Some media practitioners were forced out of CBC and landed at Starcom. But some of the others are riding the fatted calf for all it is worth. (David Thompson spoke of the fatted calf being shared among the DLP members after the elections in 2008. Fourteen years later we are still there.)

They may be professionals but how many of their statements in the print media, behind a microphone or in front of a TV camera were motivated by a political agenda or professional integrity.

The Market Vendor aka Vic Fernandes has been used to influence the public with comedy and encourage John Public to rail against individuals and groups with views against the government of the day. Don’t forget when the vendor lambasted the DLP government.

Corey Layne was said to be an objective moderator on the airwaves. Any person who is a critical thinker must question that thinking by now.

We must be more aware of what is being put out by the media, who is the source and why news items are considered newsworthy or not.

Pay attention to where these people have turned up…

1. David Ellis, Starcom (Station Manager, Retired) – COVID-19 Public Advisor (Sep. 2021-present)

2. Sanka Price, Starcom/NATION (News Editor) – CEO, Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (2020.06.15-present)

3. Roy Morris, Barbados Today (Editor-In-Chief) – Press Secretary to the Prime Minister

4. Vic Fernandes, Capital Media (Chairman)

  • Chairman, Grantley Adams International Airport (2018-2021)
  • Chairman, Barbados National Oil Company Limited (2021.07.01-present)
  • Member, National Cruise Development
  • Commission (2018.08.16-2019.02.15)


5. Carol Roberts-Reifer, Starcom (Radio Personality)

  • CEO, National Cultural Foundation (2018-present)
  • Deputy Chairperson, Board of Management, Christ Church Foundation School (2018-present)


6. Corey Layne, Starcom (Radio Personality) – BLP Candidate, City of Bridgetown, 2022

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215 responses to “BLP and DLP Governments Use Media Practitioners for Propaganda”

  1. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    😃
    I see it takes three of us to ‘cancel’ one of you…
    https://youtu.be/Qw9oX-kZ_9k

  2. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    Attitude and Gratitude
    Less tude Vs. more tude
    Less attitude bitches
    Gratitude practice for ya

  3. Crusoe Avatar
    Crusoe

    555 State Express,

    Winning margin is irrelevant, as Theo states.

    Rights are rights, even if it only impacts one person.

    Legal principle is the issue.

  4. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet


    “Winning margin is irrelevant, as Theo states.

    Rights are rights, even if it only impacts one person.

    Legal principle is the issue.”

    I know spiritual laws
    I am a strong advocate for human rights equal rights truth and rights
    I have little patience for bitches bitching arguing and nagging on and and as bitches do

    The BU talking shop is a forum for anonymous people worldwide
    talking the talk but not walking the walk
    For the record I am indifferent / give a shit / don’t give a shit

    Best of Luck with your Legal Case as Petitioner in a Court of Law
    In Crusoe Vs Barbados
    You will have to prove standing loci / damages / to have a leg to stand in little island
    Costs to be determined

  5. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    “DLP promises end to sewage tax.” (NATIONNEWS)

    Much like the BLM movement wants to defund the police so that crime us spread, the DLP wants to financially bleed wastewater management so that shit spreads back up the South Coast. Neutral observers like Tron are increasingly getting the bad feeling that our DLP grandees are getting excited by the smell of shit.

    It’s just a historical fact that everything Barrow and his syndicate have touched since 1966 has ended in tears, decay and garbage.

  6. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    The liberal Manifesto is out! Watch our Supreme Leader!

  7. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    my Prediction is
    Under 31 Over 1

    Saturday Night Soundclash
    Never Stop Fighting

    Ten Dangerous Matches 6

  8. angela cox Avatar
    angela cox

    Confirmation loading:

    Received from a source:
    “Rumour has it that the BLP is planning to cut ALL PENSIONS by 10 percent to help satisfy mounting debt repayment 😭🙏 Remember she said she got serious things to do after the

  9. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    An Official Rumour has it that Angela Cox is pregnant with Hal Austin’s child
    (I just made it up)

  10. angela cox Avatar
    angela cox

    Well she has taxed everyone to death
    Now a second attempt at the taxpayers pockets to
    kill them off in rapid speed
    How come that all the big time consultants pocket books are in safe zones
    Untouchables

  11. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    There should be a Fat Tax introduced into Barbados on a sliding scale based on the percentage overweight

  12. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    @ angela cox January 8, 2022 1:20 PM

    I would like to remind you and ALL OTHERS of my prediction of March 2020: wage cuts and pension cuts. At that time Donna wanted to stone me, the moderator didn’t even want to publish my comment.

    The fact is that I was only thinking three steps ahead at the time Like our Supreme Leader.

    For the rest, it is just an unsubstantiated rumour. I could just as well claim that the DLP wanted to legalise money laundering or elect the criminal from Texas in the orange jumpsuit as president.

  13. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    I still want to stone you. She just increased them by 5% a few years ago.

  14. Paula Sealy Avatar
    Paula Sealy

    FYI
    What I submitted began:
    Both BLP and DLP administrations have used CBC for their own propaganda.

    The current administration has invested in the media and media personnel has invested in the Mottley administration. Some media practitioners were forced out of CBC and landed at Starcom. But some of the others are riding the fatted calf for all it is worth. (David Thompson spoke of the fatted calf being shared among the DLP members after the elections in 2008. Fourteen years later we are still there.)

  15. Paula Sealy Avatar
    Paula Sealy

    I believe we must be more aware of what is being put out by the media, who is the source and why news items are considered newsworthy or not.

    Koolaid is koolaid. It could be red or yellow. But that does not make it fruit punch or orange juice. Read any lable and see. It is a version of the real thing. It may quench the thirst at a cheaper cost but it is not the real McCoy.

    The local news today is like koolaid. It lacks pith. It is watered down. The media people need to print and air the news that matters to all classes instead of herding sheep for the BLP and DLP.

    Some of us can see through that koolaid. But not enough of us.

  16. Paula Sealy Avatar
    Paula Sealy

    I don’t spend a cent of the taxpayers’ money but someone here gave me zero marks. That’s cool. Now try marking the politicians who misspend it.

  17. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Don’t worry, Paula! We did not all give you zero.

    Continue to do your thing!

  18. David Avatar
    David

    Electoral laws come up short

    By Garth Patterson

    The raging controversy regarding the likely disenfranchisement of thousands of otherwise qualified electors due to the COVID-19 virus has highlighted a patent constitutional defect in the existing electoral laws.
    The Electoral & Boundaries Commission (EBC) recently confirmed that Barbadians who have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and are in isolation or in quarantine will not be allowed to vote. The Emergency Management Order and the directives made pursuant to it contain restrictions on the freedom of movement of persons who have contracted or are suspected of contracting the disease.
    It is illegal to break home isolation or quarantine without the express authority of the Chief Medical Officer and, since no exception has been carved out for persons exercising their right to vote, and no alternative arrangements exist for voting from home, it means that COVID-positive electors will have no opportunity to vote.
    Section 42(2)(b) of the Constitution provides that any law providing for the election of members of the House of Assembly shall in particular “contain provisions designed to ensure that as far as practicable any person qualified to vote at an election of members of the House of Assembly, has a reasonable opportunity of voting.”
    Who is entitled to vote
    The Representation of the People Act (ROPA) and the rules and regulations made under it, govern the conduct of General Elections in Barbados. Section 6 declares that every qualified elector “is entitled to vote”. And section 39 of the ROPA provides that “all persons voting as electors at an election shall do so in person at the polling station allotted to them”.
    With the exception of provision for overseas voting by diplomats and their family members, there are no alternative arrangements in place for voting by persons who are unable to attend a polling station.
    This has never presented a major issue in the past; but then again, the voting public in Barbados has never before been confronted with a oncein- a-century global pandemic during a General Election. This presents unique challenges for the Government generally and ROPA in particular.
    In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and an existing state of emergency, and with the real prospect of thousands of voters being disenfranchised, the existing provisions of the ROPA are proving to be clearly inadequate to fulfil its constitutional mandate to ensure that all qualified voters have a reasonable opportunity of voting.
    The experience in other countries, such as the United States, where in 2020 mid-term elections were held during the pandemic, shows that, with appropriate arrangements in place, the pandemic itself is not an insurmountable obstacle to the conduct of fair elections and should not represent an impediment to the due exercise by all qualified voters of their sacred right to vote.
    In the US, in-person voting at polling stations was augmented by mail-in voting, allowing voters the opportunity to vote from home, if they so desired. The outdated ROPA makes no such provision and inflexibly restricts voting to polling stations only.
    But the Government owes the voting public a duty of the strictest fidelity to the democratic process. Every qualified voter, therefore, has a reasonable, legitimate expectation that it would only conduct the General Election in a manner that respects and upholds his sacrosanct right to vote; and that appropriate provision would be made in the electoral laws to ensure that, even under pandemic conditions, that democratic right was protected.
    The Government’s failure to shepherd the necessary amendments before calling a General Election therefore leaves the ROPA itself vulnerable to constitutional challenge on the basis that it is inconsistent with, or contravenes, section 42 of the Constitution, since, with the advent of the pandemic, the existing provisions of the ROPA won’t ensure that every qualified voter has a reasonable opportunity of voting.
    It was not designed to accommodate a General Election during a pandemic – where potentially thousands of infected voters have been confined to home isolation or quarantine and will be unable to attend a polling station
    legally or safely and, consequently, will be denied any opportunity to vote.
    A successful legal challenge to the ROPA on the basis of its inconsistency with or contravention of the Constitution could result in the whole election process being abruptly stopped in its tracks, since the courts have jurisdiction to prevent an election from being conducted under a law that is unconstitutional.
    Any such challenge will, in my view, likely succeed, unless the Government can demonstrate that it was impracticable to amend the ROPA to make provision for alternative voting arrangements, such as mail-in voting or online or Internet voting. However, given the prevalence of these alternative systems in many other countries, notably Canada, the US, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and several EU countries, the Government would face an uphill battle in advancing that argument.
    In an October 2020 article published on Pew Research Centre’s website, the authors said that “[o]ut of 166 countries for which data is available, 40 used postal ballots in their most recent national election, according to country experts surveyed before the COVID-19 outbreak by the Electoral Integrity Project. Postal ballots were used most widely in Europe and North America and are also common in some countries in the Asia-Pacific region, such as India, Indonesia, South Korea and Sri Lanka.” It also stated that voting by Internet is used in four countries: Armenia, Canada, Estonia, and Switzerland. Doubtless, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, these alternative systems of voting are even more prevalent today.
    Predicament
    Parliament, having been dissolved, and the election writs already issued, the Government finds itself mired in an unenviable predicament, with limited options to ensure that all Barbadians, whether COVIDpositive or not, will get to vote. To avoid disenfranchising potentially thousands of qualified voters, the Government is faced with a difficult Hobson’s choice: either (i) suspend the COVID-19 directives on election day and allow thousands of COVIDpositive voters to vote in person at polling stations, likely exacerbating an already out-of-control spread of the virus; or (ii) suspend the elections for 30 days (this is the statutory maximum), summon both Houses of the just-dissolved Parliament (permissible in the event of an emergency), enact amendments to the ROPA to facilitate alternative forms of voting, and then put in place the infrastructure and systems for the alternative voting – all before February 18, 2022.
    Given the timing, logistics and the constitutional hurdles that will have to be vaulted, the second option is, in reality, no choice at all. That leaves the unpalatable option of allowing COVID-positive voters to vote at polling stations.
    However, even if the President adjourns the elections to February, considering the grave public health implications and the enormous logistical, resourcing, and infrastructural challenges that it will face in securing safe in-person voting by infected voters, the Government is probably in no position, at this late stage, to accommodate them. And even if it could, from a public health perspective would that be the reasonable and responsible thing to do?
    As a practical matter, therefore, the die is cast; the electoral process is well in train and, like the behemoth Omicron variant itself, is a constitutionally unstoppable force. With the projected exponential increase in daily confirmed positive cases and, barring some miracle (or the intervention of the courts), the undemocratic disenfranchisement of an inestimable number of otherwise qualified voters seems an inevitable certainty.
    Barbadians deserve better than that.

    Garth Patterson is a senior counsel.

    Source: Nation

  19. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    Capitalism causes the Hills and Valleys of very rich and very poor around the world and also within nations.
    If you watch TV you can see there are many poor in the richest country in the world and USA is less Dallas and Dynasty but more redneck and hillbilly and people are ugly despite the impression given by Hollywood.
    China is a leveler for poor nations while USA and UK killed muslims by the millions and is deemed biggest threat due to priorities of limited world resources changing from fuel to rare earth resources.
    Mia has chosen the right side in this issue and made a solid stand.

  20. angela cox Avatar
    angela cox

    What is Mia stand
    I am reminded of the Bible story Jacob and Esau
    Which questions the state of an individual mind to.win by any means necessary

    .. . .. . .

  21. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    “What is Mia stand”

    Mia’s stand is to be friends with China

    and ignore what the West say about China

    As your position is on the wrong side it strengthens confirms the point I made

  22. angela cox Avatar
    angela cox

    Mia owes the West more favours than she owes China
    That would be her delimia trying to serve two masters at one time
    Which brings the matter of the Chinese loan for road repairs
    A deal which lacks full transparency and accountability to the people one which should detail time period for repayment and if or what govt offered China as a form of repayment to secure the loan
    The voice of Jacob and the hands of Esau

  23. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    God is in all and there is no good people and bad people division that is in any part of God’s name that can be used to win any battle, as God is about non-violence and love, so stop tripping. There was a Black Man hating on China to kick off DLP campaign how stupid is that.

    Anyone who fights me over Barbados election issues is clearly wasting their time as it has nothing to do with me and is not my problem or concern.

    Journey Towards Highway [Oakville CLASS #1] Kriyayoga LIVE in Canada (14-08-2018)

    Easy Squeeze (Make No Riot)

    Groovy Situation, Keith Rowe, Groovy Dub, The Upsetters
    292 views 2 years ago
    00:00 Groovy Situation, Keith Rowe,
    03:24 Groovy Dub, The Upsetters,

    Black Ark Production


  24. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    Not a praying man, but thankful for a next day above ground.

    Hoping you are having a great day. Resist the urge to right.

    Have a great day Barbados.

  25. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    GP3 is a great read this morning.

    The constitutional scholars EA has disappeared.

    Read PW, nothing new. All he said has been on the blog before today.

    Read MR, cannot remember what it was all about …onset of dementia.

  26. David Avatar
    David

    It is standard policy for columnists who are members of political parties to withdraw during the leadin to a general election.

  27. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ Theo
    Are we to really believe that the concerns raised by Patterson, were not known to the PM, who called the election?

  28. Walter Blackman Avatar
    Walter Blackman

    Lorenzo January 8, 2022 7:46 AM

    “Now the trini on brasstacks calling for balance and being allowed to campaign by the moderators on the same programme led by Mr Blackman and Dr Hinds both of whom seemed to be with 5he dems.”

    Lorenzo,
    I entertain all of my callers on “Down to Brass Tacks”.

    The “Trini Lady” is very intelligent and routinely raises and discusses issues of national importance. For example, with respect to the Astrazeneca vaccine procurement scandal, Barbados needed 300,000 doses of vaccine at a total cost of around US$900,000. Instead, a scheme was conceptualized and cloaked in absolute secrecy to pass US$40.8 million (US24 million from Barbadian taxpayers, and US$16.8 from St. Lucian and Bahamian taxpayers) through the hands of Mark Maloney via an offshore fund . We only found out about this scandalous scheme because Mark Maloney got robbed and he had to submit “incriminating” documents to a court in the USA.
    Every Barbadian should make sure they understand this issue.

    The Trini Lady has demonstrated, through her contributions to the programme, that she understands this issue. Do you? Have you demonstrated such an understanding anytime? Anywhere?

    Rather than focusing your attention on personalities and wasting people’s time with foolishness, why not raise an issue of national importance for us to consider and discuss?

    Finally, I have the right to join or support any political party of my choice. You cannot take that right from me, so as the song says, “you better steer yuhself.”

  29. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ Walter Blackman
    A sincere welcome back to the airwaves. I think that there are many on BU, who maybe unaware ,that you had already established yourself , as a great moderator donkey years ago.
    All the best to you and yours in 2022.

  30. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    @WB
    Happy New Year.
    It is always good to see you.
    You may have that right, but (God forbid) if you catch covid-19 before election day, then you might find there is no right to vote

  31. Walter Blackman Avatar
    Walter Blackman

    William, thanks. I wish you and yours the very best in 2022 also. Based on the info available to you at this time, will we have competitive cricket in Atlanta this year? Too early to tell?

  32. David Avatar
    David

    A caller can be a supporter of a political party and have positions worth sharing. Many do not have the comprehension skills it seems to hear the message.

  33. Walter Blackman Avatar
    Walter Blackman

    TheOGazertsJanuary 9, 2022 12:05 PM

    @WB
    Happy New Year.
    It is always good to see you.
    You may have that right, but (God forbid) if you catch covid-19 before election day, then you might find there is no right to vote

    TheOGazerts,
    Thanks and Happy New Year to you and yours also.
    I read the article by Garth Patterson which the blogmaster put up. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, there is now a disconnect between an individual’s constitutional right to vote, and the government’s right to protect the public’s health by imposing measures through the legislation of emergency powers. All persons.in isolation (because of testing positive for COVID) at the time of elections will become victims of that disconnect. They will be disenfranchised. What a pity.
    I am sorry that the PM, in her haste to call elections, did not have the foresight to make provision for mail-in ballots during this “pandemic election”. That provision would have prevented this issue from surfacing. That said, I agree with Garth’s practical assessment of the situation: The die has already been cast. Positive COVID cases will not vote.

  34. angela cox Avatar
    angela cox

    The PM stands as a qualified professional lawyer
    If she did not know of the impact of her decision on voters right
    Then questions ought to be asked of her qualifications to be a lawyer
    Everything Mia does are alligned to political gamesmanship with intent to divide a country
    Wickedness in high places

  35. Lorenzo Avatar
    Lorenzo

    Mr Blackman like you stated you have a right to join any political psrty of your chpice so do i.Your ladt programme was a clear casre of you sllowimg known dems to canvass on the programme which as the Statsman and Tall boy told you was clear biasness on your part.You allowed the trini dem, Alvin, Straker,s and other known dems to speak virtually unchallenged and then rried to sidetrack blp supporters.You are sounded a lot like Ms Holder on CBC a few yesrs back.It will not help the dems or your profile as a moderator.You need to reel and come again as i know you can do a lot better as you did in the past.I gone.

  36. David Avatar
    David

    Walter and Kristina are the blogmaster’s favourites.

    For the record.

  37. David Avatar
    David

    Walter should we hold the EBC accountable as well?

  38. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @ all uh wunna.

    The Prime Minister of Barbados has the power and influence to postpone the Elections.

    Have you heard her pompasetting on the ” World stage “. Wanna fuget her ” watch me “. ” we got this ”

    Wunna onstan wuh a sow is ? 30 to 0.

  39. Walter Blackman Avatar
    Walter Blackman

    DavidJanuary 9, 2022 12:11 PM

    “A caller can be a supporter of a political party and have positions worth sharing. Many do not have the comprehension skills it seems to hear the message.”

    David,
    In my humble opinion, a lack of comprehension skills is not the underlying problem. Many persons are “singing for their supper.” Additionally, like all countries in the world, we have our fair share of hypocrites and deceivers.

  40. David Avatar
    David

    Some Walter, not everyone displaying ignorance are hitched to a political party.

  41. Walter Blackman Avatar
    Walter Blackman

    LorenzoJanuary 9, 2022 12:40 PM

    “I gone.”

    Lorenzo,
    A brilliant decision on your part.

  42. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    @David, on the other blog there is chatter of petty manifestos and as seen above the real issue is always about PERFORMANCE not unfulfilled promises.

    Unfortunately atrocious performance is displayed BIGLY by ALL the political operatives… so they all like to waste time on what they plan to do!

    The covid vote issue detailed by Patterson was EVIDENT (to everyone) since last year and there was no political PERFORMANCE done to address it… NONE.

    Thus when he says “Barbadians deserve better” we should be ANGRY.

    Phillips of Solutions brought an absurd, ineffectual case against the govt re the Republican Act, however, neither he nor the Pastor or Eastmond or any of the seasoned Dems seem to accept that they have an effective, valid legal case against this disenfranchisement of thousands of Bajans.

    As Paterson said “the die is cast; the electoral process is well in train […] With the projected exponential increase in daily confirmed positive cases and, barring some miracle (or the intervention of the courts), the undemocratic disenfranchisement of an inestimable number of otherwise qualified voters seems an inevitable certainty.”

    I remain shocked that NO opposition pol saw a legal fight as a powerful act on behalf of ALL Bajans. That’s a clearly stark difference between PERFORMANCE and not just BS promises!

  43. David Avatar
    David

    @Dee Word

    Yes.

    Barbadians have a problem prioritizing issues for many reasons. In large part because of ignorance, difference to politicians and entitlement from years f soft living etc.

  44. Walter Blackman Avatar
    Walter Blackman

    DavidJanuary 9, 2022 12:43 PM

    Walter should we hold the EBC accountable as well?

    David,
    Maybe in theory.

    However. from a practical standpoint, I heard the Chairman of the EBC a day or two ago hinting that for this election, there is nothing that the EBC can do. Its hands are tied. According to him, any changes made to the current election regulations can only take effect from the next elections.

  45. David Avatar
    David

    @Walter

    Joke.

    Leslie Haynes is a trusted confidant who operates from deep in Mottley’s chambers.

  46. Walter Blackman Avatar
    Walter Blackman

    David, my instinctive reaction to the EBC chairman’s comments was similar to yours. I believe that our national agencies and institutions should be more flexible and adaptable when faced with changing circumstances.

  47. David Avatar
    David

    It is unfortunate that at important election such as this one given the current state of things, we have to be distracted with these kinds of issues.

  48. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    I was told from a very young age that all citizens have a RIGHT and RESPONSIBILITY to vote in the General elections.

    All who want to vote should be allowed to do so vaccinated, infected with covid or not.

  49. David Avatar
    David

    @ Hants

    The official rebuttal is that sick people who are hospitalized, prisoners etc do not vote.

  50. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @ David who wrote ” sick people who are hospitalized, prisoners etc do not vote.”

    True when things are ” normal “.

    However Covid has made thousands sick and that is why the elections should be posponed.

    buh doan mine me. Wunna maguffees know mo betta than me.

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