Dear Editor,
It is with some regret that I am forced to pen this letter. On Wednesday 25th February, 2015,
The NCN 6 O’Clock News carried a story read by reporter Ms Shunza Samuels titled ‘Joseph Harmon dodges questions about his non-appearance at the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry.’
Firstly, Editor, it is common courtesy and it also makes for good journalistic ethics to inform not just public officials, but anyone one you’re interviewing, that they’re being recorded; a courtesy that the National Communications Network (NCN) is obviously not familiar with. The reporter who sought comments from PNCR Executive Member and APNU General Secretary Mr Joseph Harmon via telephone, committed a devious and deceitful act by not telling him he was being recorded. It should be noted too that Joseph Harmon is also an attorney at law, so one would have thought that any reporter would be extremely cautious when interviewing and quoting same, to avoid legal ramifications. Adding insult to injury, when I contacted the NCN newsroom about said report, News Editor Paul Moore pretended he was unaware of what I was talking about and referred me to another editor.
Editor, these are the kinds of malicious, vindictive and twisted acts by members of the state media that could cause them to be sidelined when it comes to providing coverage for political opposition parties. I thank you for providing space in your column and in this political season I urge those seemingly untrained reporters at NCN to resist any further temptation to practise deceitful, devious and hostile reporting.
Yours faithfully,
Malika Natasha Ramsey
PNCR and APNU
Communications Officer
