KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC- The Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) has criticized the head coach of the Reggae Boyz, Winfried Schaefer, over his handling of a cameraman while conducting an interview with the team’s manager at the Norman Manley International Airport on Sunday.
PAJ has written to the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) complaining that Schaefer unplugged the cable of the TV J cameraman while the interview was in progress.
The PAJ said it received reports and has video footage to confirm the incident which reportedly occurred after Schaefer declined an interview with the cameraman.
The PAJ , Jamaica’s media watchdog known for speaking out in support of the press, has blasted the interference with the work of a media professional as “unjustifiable and quite frankly, totally out of order”.
The PAJ wants the JFF to address the matter and to spell-out to the federation’s coaches what constitutes acceptable behaviour with the press.
“Interfering with a media worker’s equipment in any way, especially during an ongoing interview, is way over the line,” the PAJ said.
“The PAJ would, however, like to point out that we have never before seen this type of behaviour from any JFF coach, and therefore we trust this is an anomaly, which we will not see repeated.”
