PM’s statement on freedom of the press and resumed relations with Channel Five

dean barrow

The suspension of relations with Channel Five by the government was discussed between Prime Minister Dean Barrow and this station’s CEO, Amalia Mai on Thursday. A way forward was agreed to and the ban is to be officially lifted following the first meeting of Cabinet in the New Year. And while we wait for normal relations to resume, the Prime minister took time to respond to the issue of freedom of the press. It was the issue central to a press release sent out by the United States Embassy on Monday. The P.M. indicated that the freedom of the press is paramount.

Dean Barrow

“We’ve always believed in freedom of the press. Personally, you know that I practice what I preached. I am available and have been until this thing happen Jose to you and to all members of the media. My cell phone number is with you, I answer your texts, I answer your calls, I answer your questions. And that is why we were very careful even when we reached this impasse with Channel Five to calibrate our actions. There was never, as I indicated, any intention to lock Channel Five out of press conferences. There was never any intention to try to lock Channel Five out of public spaces controlled by the government. All we said was that individual ministers would not do individual interviews and that government; public officers would not do individual interviews. But in terms of generalized press conferences, in terms of my coming down from the house meetings and Channel Five being part of the media crowd that’s there waiting on me, I was not ever going to refuse to speak to Channel Five. We had the SICA summit, Channel Five was there giving full coverage. So while the government did want to make a point, you need to, when you look at the facts recollect that government would not be extreme, government would not act in such a way that we could fairly be accused of trying to curtail freedom of the press. We could always say that we have a right not to engage with a particular media organization, but we certainly will never have a right to lock any media organization out of as I said public spaces, out of government property, out of areas under the control of government.”

When the ban is lifted all government employees will be allowed to interact with this station.