Independence of the press?

As of Friday, September 3, 2021

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I thought the press was supposed to be fair and impartial. If so, the behaviour of one media group in particular in the lead up to this election is positively shameful.

It started with one of the principals of the commercial concern which owns the media group, openly touring Washington, DC, with a particular party leader, chaperoning him to some glossy but really meaningless “fluff” meetings in an apparent PR exercise and reputation makeover attempt.

Now, in the decisive weeks before the citizens of this country are to cast their vote, the coverage by this media group is becoming more and more skewed and lopsided to favour that same party. And don’t even get me started on the talking heads who they employ, who we are supposedly meant to look to for their “unbiased opinion” and “critical analysis”.

It is blatantly obvious that this media group is backing a horse. I wonder, what do they believe might be in it for them? Because this kind of biased perspective by the media is not in the interest of the public at large. It is what they call a “special interest”.

But then, that is what tends to happen when big business owns the press: it goes from being a tool for furthering the public’s right to know, and turns into a weapon for swaying mass opinion so an elite few can gain an advantage.

Very sad.

RICARDO JOHNSON

Nassau,

September 2, 2021.