MEMBER of Parliament Joylan Silvera has been taken to task by Jamaica Observer online readers over his criticism of the media’s coverage of the long-concluded Vybz Kartel trial. Addressing Parliament on Wednesday, Silvera claimed that the media’s broadcast of the Governor General’s Throne Speech in April was mishandled by the interjection of coverage of the sentencing of Kartel and his companions on a murder charge. However, Observer readers contend that the trial of the entertainer made far more interesting news that the GG’s speech. Here are some edited comments:

D.A Mckenzie

At least somewhere in Jamaica justice was being done.

DML

Get over yourself. If the Government was more relevant to the people and the GG’s Throne Speech was more than just hot air and empty promises, then it might have got full coverage.

The fact that the media switched to the Kartel case does not mean we are defined by Kartel or support Kartel, it just means that he is much more interesting than you lot.

Dorrett Brown

@DML: Good one, DML. They don’t realise that the attention of the Jamaican people isn’t focused on them as they used to be, because we don’t see them as being that relevant anymore.

Suett

@DML: Lol! Same suh.

ahfiwijamaica

Remember sir, this is PNP country…. ah you run tings, what yu complaining about?

NejeeperKNG

“The media, in their wisdom, determined that the sentencing of popular music artiste Vybz Kartel was more newsworthy than the governor-general, who represents the Queen, our Head of State.” What’s wrong with that? It is called democracy and that’s a wonderful thing because the PNP must not be allowed to turn Jamaica into a dictatorship regime. What is the Queen and the so-called governor general doing to advance Jamaica? You and your colleagues should emancipate yourselves from the colonial mentality and give Jamaica a chance to flourish.

nunny

Please, Mr MP, we are so over the Kartel case we are now focusing on the crime, the failing economy led by your governing party and the buggery of our young men.

guest

It says a lot about them when it’s now June and this is the only topic this MP could find relevant to address.

Shirley Holness

With all the immediate needs and concerns we are facing here (crime, devalued dollar, very high taxes, child endangerment, homelessnes, etc) this was the only meaningful contribution that this individual could utter. I hope it is not with this “scale” that the country’s future is going to be weighed or measured.

crucial585

We are an independent nation which means we don’t have to listen when the GG speaks.

peejay

@crucial585: Thank you. They come out of the wood work like worms when they “think” they have been neglected.

fieldgar

I agree; and I don’t know why they’re now publishing this nonsense by you.

higla

If the Government was doing something to help the people, instead of spending time trying to find ways to take money away from them, then there might be reason not to cut into the GG’s speech. Do you think Jamaicans sit around listening to the Throne Speech, which is not relevant to most people?

dejam

Get a life, Jolyan! …focus on your governing party and the buggery of our young men.

wisdom40

Argument well taken. The media, at times, leave a lot to be desired… and how will we return to good values and attitudes, as the media do not seem interested in fostering this type of culture but more of the ogre stuff.

Blessed

Oh please! The governor general, the queen, the prime minister, and you, can all go roll over a cliff in a barrel… As far as I am concerned, what the GG was saying could have stayed… The sentencing of a dangerous murderer is better news to me than listening to the GG making big speeches, and promises. We have been listening to Throne Speeches for years, and where has it gotten us……kmt…Whatever your name is? I don’t even remember…Please shut up.

jeh kan

The people of Jamaica made that call as we chose to watch it. This politician needs to respect that we have a choice and we exercised that right.

Ryan

“The airing of the Throne Speech was interrupted to celebrate the life of a man convicted of murder, who is loved and identified by the population of Jamaica as ‘world boss'”… You know what’s wrong with this statement, Silvera? Kartel wasn’t just any man… he was dancehall’s BIGGEST star, that’s why the coverage was so big! “Just any man” won’t get that same coverage. It was more about just the murder charge. It was about how dancehall will be affected, the analysis of why such a talented man, who had such a big impact on a lot of people, could get involved like this, etc.

rakabessa

Is this Government (PNP) anti-media? Look how many other things there are to criticise and he chooses to criticise the media who are trying to appease the public by giving them the news that they want to hear, especially since Jamaica is so corrupt. People just wanted to see if the judicial system was working. They see and hear so many bad things going on in the country like PNP vice-president in the St James chapter being implicated in all kinds of scamming activities and then gunned down; Tacky, High School firebombed; teachers throat slashed; male jogger raped; new charges being proposed to the road traffic act, eg $15,000 for blowing horn excessively, sliding dollar, high murder rate, goods gone sky high, we could go on and on. Is this the kind of news Mr Silvera wants people to hear on a regular basis?