The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

PRESS Secretary Clint Watson is adamant that his team wants to not only protect the privacy and confidentiality of people visiting the Office of the Prime Minister, but ensure the building’s security is maintained while allowing the press corps to do their jobs in a dignified manner.

Members of the press were denied direct access to Cabinet ministers at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) on Tuesday after law enforcement officers limited media entry into the area.

Mr Watson insisted yesterday that this was not a direct contradiction of the position he took as host of Beyond the Headlines in 2019.

At the time, he took exception to a change in procedure at Cabinet, which was regularly held at the Churchill Building downtown.

In 2019, reporters had gathered in their usual position at the front of the building, but met barricades, pushing them further back from where ministers arrived. At the time, the Secretary to the Cabinet spoke to reporters explaining the barricades were in place to prevent cars from driving on the sidewalk. The barricades were later removed.

The OPM said on Tuesday in a statement that moving forward reporters would be accommodated in the press room for interviews.

 Mr Watson said members of the press assembling at the entrance of the OPM created logistical issues. This, he said, was communicated by not only the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, who handle the security detail of OPM, but grounds people.

 “I’m kinda happy that the clips that started circulating about me as the former host of Beyond the Headlines went (viral) because it identifies my passion about ensuring that media have access to government officials,” Mr Watson said yesterday during the OPM’s weekly press briefing.

 “It’s not a contradiction. It in fact enforces what we are trying to do by ensuring that media are accommodated every step of the way, in every possible way that we can and that indeed is why I took this job to ensure that you have access and hopefully we understand that and we appreciate what it is that we are seeking to achieve in partnership.

 “But I think the bigger picture must always be that we have to always think about everyone impacted and in this building that means thinking about those who visit - the customers that come here, the Bahamians that come to visit, the investors that come for meetings to ensure that their privacy is protected from media and a whole street of cameras outside on a Tuesday, which will now become a regular and a norm.”

 Mr Watson continued: “So, we’re seeking to ensure that everyone at the end of the day is satisfied with the arrangement and hopefully we’ll have the support of my colleagues in ensuring that this happens.

 “We’re going to try and work it. If it doesn’t work, we’ll tweak it and find a way for it to work. I believe Cabinet ministers will cooperate if that is a concern. Will they come to the media room? I believe they will.

 “The Cabinet ministers have not run away from media. They’ve not.

 “If they can provide you with information they always seek to do so and our press team stands ready and able to ensure that those persons that are needed for interviews are brought here before they go to the Cabinet room.

“We stand committed to that and our Cabinet ministers stand committed to assisting us in that regard and so we ask for you, the media, to come on board and work with us as well to ensure that this is a smooth transition and believe at the end of the day it’ll be a more comfortable one for all of you as well and I think a more dignified approach to ensuring that you can get stories that you need on a regular basis.”