Dear Editor,

The recent release from the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) condemning the disclosure of political parties’ objections to debate moderators leaves one to wonder: Has the association lost sight of what truly matters?

The PAJ has directed most of its outrage not at the political interference itself but at the fact that the objections were made public. Surely, the greater threat to press freedom is not that Jamaicans know of these objections but that such objections are being made at all. Are we to conclude that journalists can be barred from performing their duties simply because one party or another considers them inconvenient? If so, the debates are already compromised, before a single question is asked.

Transparency, not secrecy, must be the foundation of our democracy. For too long the selection of moderators has been treated as an internal negotiation, hidden from the very public the debates are supposed to serve. The people of Jamaica deserve to know how these decisions are made, who is being objected to, and on what basis. Only then can confidence be restored in the impartiality of the process.

I propose the following three reforms:

1) Open criteria for moderators — The Jamaica Debates Commission must publish clear, public criteria for the selection of moderators and panellists. Jamaicans should know whether independence, experience, or professional standing are the guiding principles.

2) Limited party influence — Political parties should no longer have a veto over individual journalists. Their role should be confined to agreeing on the overall format and structure of debates, not hand-picking the referees.

3) Public disclosure as standard practice — The names of proposed moderators and any objections raised should be made public in advance. Let the people decide whether such objections are grounded in fairness or in naked partisanship.

The PAJ should have seized this moment to champion openness. Instead, it has, in my opinion, inadvertently argued for silence and secrecy. But in a democracy sunlight is always the best disinfectant. The credibility of our national debates depends not on what is hidden, but on what is exposed to the light of day.

Javon Moatt

javonmoatt@gmail.com