CORPORATE executives from a wide cross section of Jamaica were united yesterday in encouraging press freedom, while making a strong plea for Jamaicans to display more maturity in dealing with political issues.

The executives took note, in particular, of reported death threats against the lives of journalists Cliff Hughes and Emily Crooks after Hughes’ Nationwide News Network reported the results of opinion polls showing the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) with a “constituency by constituency” lead over the ruling People’s National Party (PNP).

“The death threats started immediately after Donald Buchanan (PNP General Secretary) went on the platform in Lacovia and then after that the threats became more specific,” Hughes complained at a luncheon hosted by Observer chairman, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, at the company’s Beechwood Avenue headquarters in Kingston.

“We got a threat that they were going to firebomb the office and then the decision was made to starve Nationwide of advertising,” Hughes said, adding that the PNP ads had since been placed with the station.

The alleged threats against Nationwide comes weeks after an Observer news vehicle was attacked during a PNP rally in Annotto Bay, St Mary. During the rally, an angry comrade repeatedly beat the windscreen of the vehicle while accusing the newspaper company of being a ‘labourite paper’.

“The truth of the matter is that the problems we are having now is because of illiteracy and ignorance,” said financial analyst Dennis Chung. “Politicians don’t just act alone, they need people to act.”

Hughes, elaborating on the decision by the PNP to cease advertising on his radio programme, suggested that it was not a homogeneous decision inside the PNP.

“There are just certain hardcore elements in (the PNP) who have taken that position, while there are others who do not share that view,” said Hughes.

Stewart lashed out at the advertisement boycott of Nationwide, declaring: “I think it is despicable that (a political party) takes offence to that level where they will use political, party or government machinery to try and starve a business. Some of the politicians want a PR machine; when somebody gets caught or tripped up for doing something wrong, they want to use their circle of interest to say that you are biased.”

Chairman of the Media Association of Jamaica (MAJ), Dr David McBean who is also CEO of the CVM Group, said that it was about time the nation became more sensible in dealing with political disagreements.

“I think we need to be at a level of maturity where if I support a party, I should be free to – in my house – put up a sign that says I support this particular party member and go about my business,” said McBean. “We have to set that tone.”

Meanwhile, American Steve Twomey, president of Reliant Enterprise Communication, said that he was disappointed at the level of support that Nationwide received from the media after reporting the threats.

“One of the things that struck me when I read about Nationwide was that there wasn’t an immediate reaction by all press (interests) to stand behind, not necessarily Nationwide, but the whole concept of freedom of speech, whether it’s in your yard or somewhere else,” said Twomey.

The American noted that even in socialist-driven Venezuela, the media had a stronger voice after a television station perceived to be anti-government was banned by that state.

“Even in Venezuela, when Mr (Hugo) Chavez shut down the TV station, the press came together,” said Twomey. “Sometimes you can’t stop it, but when people show a solidarity it makes it so much more difficult.”

“What has happened in Venezuela is an eye-opener,” said Stewart. “We are going to make sure that it doesn’t get to the stage here where a government feels it’s empowered to throw us down and we can’t handle it, for the basic reason that we disagree with them.”

Paymaster CEO Audrey Marks chastised those who kept silent when they should have been speaking out against things that were going wrong. She asked whether the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) had been too silent and suggested that the organisation had not been forthright enough, given that politicians depended on the private sector for party funding.