Bring balance to the media

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Dear Editor,

I listened to Mr Wilmot Perkins on radio for a very long time. He was a true icon who brought home to every ordinary Jamaican what "critical thinking" was all about. For decades he educated the Jamaican people of the need to question our leaders and to debunk nonsensical views and opinions portrayed as fact. He believed in people and fought day in and day out for the rights of the Jamaican people. What I truly loved about him, though, was his fearlessness and determination to reveal just how corrupt and power-hungry some of our political leaders are.

Listening to Jamaican radio now is a disgrace. I can't find one radio talk show host today who could even come close to Mr Perkins. This is even worse now with the simple fact that most of the current affairs radio hosts are aligned in some way or the other to the government in office. If not, they certainly sound that way. I worry now that most of the news media are in the grip of the ruling party like many other institutions, just as much as civil society and academia. The country needs balance urgently and I strongly believe that the fourth estate now has a responsibility to bring us that balance. If we don't, we run the risk of putting the country firmly on course to a one-party state.

Bring balance to the media and get some young, fresh, intelligent talk show hosts who can think critically and not tip-toe around the ruling party as most are now doing.

Pauline Craig

Washington DC

USA

pauline.craig@rocketmail.com