by Linda Straker
- Farrier has over 20 years’ media experience
- Farrier has interviewed other prime ministers and other regional heads of government but never had to deal with questions in advance request
- 12th MWAG Media Awards ceremony held Sunday night
Calistra Farrier, 1st Vice President of the Media Workers Association of Grenada (MWAG) has appealed to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration to rethink what appears to be a new policy that requires journalists seeking to interview the prime minister, to submit questions in advance.
“I requested an interview with the Prime Minister of the country Dickon Mitchell quite some time now, 3 or 4 months. I got a message recently saying, unless you give us the questions in advance you will not be allowed to interview the Prime Minister,” she said on Sunday night while delivering closing remarks at the 12th Media Awards ceremony of the association.
“Now young journalists may think that it is quite ok to give your questions in advance to people, but it is not okay to give your questions in advance. I want to appeal to the young journalists, don’t let anybody say to you that in exchange for an interview, you must tell me what you want to ask in advance,” she said.
Farrier suggested that broad areas of discussion can be provided but not direct questions. “You can provide broad areas; if you want to talk about governance or you want to talk about this or that but you do not give your questions to anyone because you might as well as, get the press secretary for instance to do the interview and send you a tape.”
“It makes no sense and I consider that a serious attack on press freedom and I will say now that I am denied an interview with the prime minister. I would have had about 5 or 6 with him before, never had to face that situation,” she said, reminding the audience that she has interviewed other prime ministers and heads of government in the region but never had to deal with such a request.
“I want to make an appeal to the Prime Minister now, if you have set that policy that you need to reverse it, and if someone under him who does not understand their role has decided to do that, they may not want to create that type of difficulty for the prime minister, and accept that we won’t give you our questions,” she said.
Farrier, who has over 20 years’ experience in the media said that she feels as if traditional media is getting sidelined for the current social media trend. “I feel like there is this attempt right now to sideline the media, that social media has become the new means of disseminating and speaking to the people. That is unacceptable, the media is an important part of democracy, it is a critical part of democracy,” she said.
“Without a strong media, a media that is recognised and respected, the country is going to have problems, so those who are seeking to undermine the media and its place in this democratic nation need to take a little look and see what is going on,” she said.