I’M still trying to figure out why the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) executive rushed so quickly into print, in chastising Nationwide Radio for its handling of the Digicel private plane affair involving the former prime minister, P J Patterson.

At the same time, I don’t believe the foolishness that the executive members who met to discuss the coverage were following political dictates. For that reason, I found the discussion last Wednesday by Cliff Hughes and Fae Ellington on the This Morning show a bit troubling.

I think I sensed Cliff’s anger over the spanking his station got from the PAJ. But I don’t believe he should

have said “Your slip is showing, Comrade Ellington”, suggesting that she was motivated by partisan politics. We have to be able to discuss issues and developments affecting each other, without introducing tribal politics.

For sure, the PAJ acted in undue haste when it publicly knocked Nationwide for allegedly not airing a balanced story. Even if the executive believed that was the case, it should have called in the station and given it a hearing before going public. Just to be on the safe side. Because you never know.

I also don’t know what to make of President Byron Buckley’s admission of his own error in not mentioning other newscasts that reported on the affair, and also for putting the wrong headline on the press release. That also suggested undue haste.

With Patterson contemplating legal action, and we don’t know yet what Digicel plans to do, the PAJ has served up ammunition against Nationwide. I am pretty sure that was not the intention but that is no consolation to Cliff and his team. And to think that the Association should be on the side of the media!

It is obviously difficult to determine if Nationwide breached journalistic tenets, as suggested by the PAJ. This is a case where the station ran with their sources. We all live or die by our sources. The Observer got similar information but, out of an abundance of caution, ran with the statements issued by the prime minister, Patterson and Digicel, as the basis of their story. Clearly, Nationwide decided it could go with its sources. We will know in due course if that was a correct decision.

What others think

Here are two of the responses I received about the affair:

. “I hope no one has such a low mind as to think the “false information surrounding the search of an aircraft in which former prime minister, P J Patterson and private sector executives had been travelling last Thursday (and which) was fed to the media” was done so that “In light of the leak, the Government (would have to) say(s) it will tighten information flow from the island’s air and sea ports. “After all, that would be

a restriction of the flow

of information.”

– Andy Taitt, Barbados andytaitt@caribsurf.com

. Good Job! Commendations are in order to the executive of the PAJ on this strongly worded reprimand. While we must at all times be vigilant and spare no effort in highlighting instances of violation of

our rights as journalists, we must also hold ourselves accountable when we violate the rights of others. As watchdogs for the public we must not forget to guard

our gates as well. Paulette

A Williams, Kingstown pee_let2000@yahoo.com.

Send comments to The Spike at desal@cwjamaica.com

Desmond Allen, aka The Spike, a 35-year veteran of journalism, is a former president of the Press Association of Jamaica and founding general secretary of the regional Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM).