P.S.U. Clarifies Media Position
Dean Flowers
The Public Service Union of Belize has joined the B.N.T.U.’s criticism of some media houses, saying the union will avoid engaging with those which continue to run anti-union advertisements. They say the government sponsored ads are designed to “deceive and misinform the Belizean Public.” Vice President Dean Flowers discussed the P.S.U.’s position with New Five’s Paul Lopez.
Dean Flowers, Vice President, P.S.U.
“The ads, which I must add are state sponsored and state created, attempt to portray the unions as being anti-Belize. The unions are certainly not anti- Belize. We are pro-Belize, and we are for Belize. And we will always be that way in the best interest of Belize. What we are anti an administration that refuses to address and economic crisis that was caused by poor governance and corrupt practices over the last thirty years. It is our view that the narrative being promoted out there is one of hatred. It is one of division. It is certainly not one calling for unity and for calmer heads to prevail. That is what we are calling out. That is what we are calling on the media to cooperate not only with us, but more so to bear in mind that a large population is vulnerable.”
Paul Lopez
“Will you name names, the media houses that the unions intend to avoid?”
Dean Flowers
“Absolutely not Paul, I think those media houses with whom the joint unions, and more importantly the P.S.U. has engaged over the years, knows who they are. We do not engage with political media houses. Our concern of course that some of the permanent media houses, there are period of times when we may want to question their Independence. But, at the end of the day, as long as they are operating within certain standards and guidelines, we look past political bias. It has nothing to do with politics. I am left to wonder if it is that the current administration sees us as a political threat or a viable third party why they have taken the route they have taken to attack the Unions via political ads. This is a new low.”
Paul Lopez
“It is a strong stance, but will it come back to haunt the unions in the cases where the joint unions may need to make an issue public through the said media house?”
Dean Flowers
“The Public Service Union reserves the right to make comments or make appearance on any issue on any platform, that is our right. So that is what we are saying. And nowhere in our release did we use the term that we are boycotting any media house for that matter. We are asking the houses to set guidelines and standards, as it relates to add that is put out in the public.”
Paul Lopez
“From the release, you use the phrase “hate for profit”. Your release is accusing the free press of a serious act, against some fifteen thousand Belizeans, public servants, teachers.”
Dean Flowers
“The media houses are private entities, autonomous entity, private driven entities. The media houses are not the one producing these narratives. The media houses are not ones producing these ads. They are being used. And they need it for business. They are being exploited by government to push these hateful, anti-union ads.”
As always, News Five and other Channel Five programs such as Open Your Eyes will continue to invite diverse viewpoints and to provide balanced coverage of both the joint unions and the Government of Belize’s positions on the issues. Our news production and sales departments are, and have always been, separate corporate functions.
