The presumptuous impudence of a Mischief Maker
Response to Labour Spokesman letter writer

By Stanford Conway
Editor-in-Chief-SKNVibes.com

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AS the Editor-in-Chief of SKNVibes, I thought it unwarrantable to respond to the letter - “Why are certain reporters at SKNVibes coming across as trying very hard to report one-sided stories?” - published by The Labour Spokesman in its 29th Issue dated Friday, December 5, 2008. However, because of our responsibility to readership and in keeping with journalism ethics, I intend to clear the air on the issues in which the writer is trying to sully the name of one of our more proficient reporters, in particular, and the media house, as a whole.

The first issue relates to Ryan Haas’ article which the writer claims that he only reported on the “contentious issues that residents raised” at a town hall meeting hosted by Dr. the Hon. Earl Asim Martin at the Frigate Bay Resort on the evening of Wednesday, April 16, 2008. 

The author of the letter wrote, “Why didn’t he report all of the positive actions that the MP had taken to resolve issues from installing street lights at highlighted areas to committing to a noise abatement law? This week the noise abatement law was discussed in Parliament and adjourned for a later sitting for further discussion before final approval. Why hasn’t Haas reported the connection?”

Firstly, what does mango has to do with the price of bread? It is a fact that Haas did not include the installation of street lights in his article, but was it of such importance when it is a government’s duty to provide basic necessities for the people it was elected to serve?

The writer must have been blinded by his arrogance and hatred for foreigners, who have made the twin-island Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis their home and are contributing towards the economy, or, maybe, he/she cannot read. If the writer’s intention were not premised on these two factors, then he/she must have ulterior motives.  ~~Adz:Right~~

In Haas’ article – “Proposed Frigate Bay development irks residents” – posted on Friday, April 18, 2008, he did mention positive actions taken to resolve issues, including “the naming of streets in the area, animals from the southeast peninsula grazing in Frigate Bay, high property taxes and the passing of legislation to regulate noise levels in the area”.

Contrary to the writer’s allegation, Haas also mentioned the MP’s name in the article; therefore, there is no need for an apology as requested by the letter writer. As quoted, Haas said, “Dr. Asim Martin, the Minister responsible for Public Works, Utilities, Transport and Posts, served as moderator for the event, and assured residents that their concerns would be noted and taken under consideration by the proper officials before the next town hall meeting.”

The writer also questioned the reason for Haas not reporting on the connection between the noise abatement law discussed in Parliament and the concern raised by residents in Frigate Bay on this matter. 

Be it known [Mr./Miss/Mrs. writer] that SKNVibes did publish a release from the Prime Minister’s Press Secretary on the seven Bills debated in Parliament on Tuesday, December 2, 2008, which included the Noise Abatement Bill 2008. However, this particular Bill had its second reading and no one at SKNVibes has the gift of clairvoyance. Therefore, we cannot say if the Bill will be passed or not at its next reading, and we are eagerly awaiting either that result or whenever the Hon. Minister arranges another town hall meeting as he promised the residents of  Frigate Bay.

In furtherance to this issue, Ryan Haas is not the only reporter employed by this media house. Consequently, any reporter can be assigned to report on any issue or event, and will include the background information previously provided by his/her colleague(s). Therefore, it is not imperative or incumbent upon Haas to follow-up on this issue as well as to make a connection!

The writer claimed that instead of Haas apologising to Minister Martin, “one of his colleagues verbally accosted the complainant”. This is what professional media practitioners call second hand information. However, my investigation revealed that a certain media practitioner did approach one of my Editors on the issue. His complaint concerned Haas not mentioning Minister Martin as the Parliamentary Representative for the East Basseterre Constituency. Oh, how foolish can some of us be! Is the MP in question not the Minister responsible for Public Works, Utilities, Transport and Posts in the Federal Government? Are his responsibilities limited only to his constituents?

The final issue highlighted by the mischief maker is what he/she claimed to be Ryan Haas’ portrayal of a one-sided report on the objections lodged by politicians over the Voters’ Registration List.

The Objection Hearings were held at the former Electoral Office situated at East Square Street on Thursday, November 27, 2008. At the Hearings, the People’s Action Movement (PAM) was questioning approximately 16 names on the 3000-plus name list for Constituency Number One.

Haas, in the company of our photographer, arrived in the vicinity of the venue shortly before 9:00 a.m., the time which the Hearings were scheduled to start but got on the way approximately one hour after. In his search for information, he saw Glenroy Blanchette, PAM’s representative for Constituency Number One, in the company of a number of men. He was however told by Blanchette that his questions could be answered by William Liburd, one of the main compliers of PAM’s objection list. To this end, Haas gained the information on which his article was written.

He did state in the article, headlined “Politicians lodge objections over Voters Registration List”, that “SKNVibes unsuccessfully attempted to find a Labour Party representative prior to the hearing to determine if they had any objections to the voter registration list”.

Seemingly perturbed by this inclusion, the author of the letter said, “I saw him in the square, walk over to the PAM contingency who included William Liburd, Glenroy Blanchette, and Junie Hodge and they all appeared to be having quite a jolly discussion. I also saw when Labour’s representative for the hearings, Dawud Byron, walked right passed him and even had a conversation with William Liburd as he passed by, and Haas had the gall in his story, to say that SKNVibes failed to reach a representative of the Labour Party to give comments on the hearings.”

Could the author kindly provide this media house with information where it can locate a document informing the general public that Dawud Byron was the Labour Party’s representative for the Hearings?

As earlier mentioned, the impudent mischief maker must have ulterior motives for his/her accusations; for Ryan Haas knows Dawud Byron to be the Acting Managing Director Editor of The Labour Spokesman and not the Labour Party’s representative for that Hearings.  

Obviously, the letter writer is in possession of privileged information, and since he/she knows Ryan Haas and knew he was seeking news, why did he/she not alert him to the presence of the Labour Party’s representative? Additionally, Byron’s photo, which was posted with the article, was intended to symbolise that only certain media practitioners were allowed to the Hearings, which we now know was a misperception.

SKNVibes is a locally-owned independent media house. However, like many organisations and associations in St. Kitts and Nevis, there are supporters of various political parties in its employ…and that is their democratic right. But no reporter is allowed to produce an article that portrays their affiliation to or preference of a political party.

This media house does not discriminate! It is serving its role as the people’s watchdog. We try at all times to maintain accuracy in the gathering of information and with balance for dissemination to the general public.

I would therefore take this opportunity to inform readership that SKNVibes has a section that deals with complaints.