The brouhaha over the flight of journalists to loftier perches has generated fierce debate. Journalists, who have taken a sacred oath to protect the public trust, have apparently slid between the satin sheets of governance. This has actually presented me with a unique opportunity to teach all of those out there who have been bleating "Media fuh sale!" a few things about the world of the media worker.
Andy Johnson, Clevon Raphael, Francis Joseph and Ken Ali bade farewell to their respective newsrooms and their very long careers to embark on new chapters in their lives. The timing of their departures and their announced destinations are perhaps the greatest source of consternation. There seemed no offence caused when Maxie Cuffie left a newsroom to take a job with the Attorney General in a PNM administration, then moving on to his current position heading the Government Information Service (a job which, unfortunately, he seems not to have been told is promised to another. Such is the nature of working for the government.)
There is a well established tradition of journalists escaping newsrooms for PR jobs in the public and private sectors. Cuffie was not obligated to explain to a single member of the public what his motivations were and neither are these former journalists who have been singled out for derision. For all those who would rubbish their names, did you ever stop to wonder if the companies they left tried to keep them? The inference here is that these journalists would have been ductile pawns of government ministers keen on having their good news propaganda find space on the news pages or talk shows.
I have worked with some of these individuals and I can say without fear of contradiction that they always operated in an unbiased and impartial manner. This however raises another issue. It is obvious that many people believe that journalists have relinquished their political franchise. It is an embarrassing mark of our immaturity as a developing society that it is considered sacrilege that a journalist should harbour political opinions or, even worse, cultivate political affiliations.
In the US and the UK there are publications which are unabashedly conservative or liberal. If Fox news was more Republican the news presenters would have gun racks behind them. The counterpoint MSNBC talk shows drip with saccharin liberal ideology. They are recognised for what they are and members of the public process their information accordingly. What is different here is that while we do not have news organisations which come down on one side or the other, it is inevitable that you will have reporters embedded in organisations with their own political preferences. In fact, we also have a history of journalists leaving the media for politics.
Harry Partap and Gideon Hanoomansingh joined the UNC, Neil Parsanlal, a former Guardian reporter, joined the PNM. Did anyone ask questions as to whether they imposed their political imprint in print? Journalists live in this country as well and, as such, not only will they have views but a desire to take as active a role in politics as any other citizen.
Over the years I have been able to glean from the writings of certain journalists where their allegiance lies. Oddly enough what you get in an entire newspaper is a dichotomy of very subtle political activism which, taken as a whole, results in an infinitely balanced publication. Let us not forget the straight, factual reporting that is a standard in our news industry. Now its no newsflash that many of those who say money isn't everything are usually those who have it. I began my career as a television journalist in 1991 with a salary of $2,500. When opportunity beckoned to go across to TV6 as a producer, I left TTT with my last paycheck standing at $4,500 a month. This, ladies and gentlemen, was after ten years of having worked in television.
For the first five years of my career I arrived at work for 8 am and rarely got home before 9 pm. In those days it was not unusual for me to do up to five stories a day. You tell any foreign journalist that and you would have to reach for the smelling salts. At TV6 I became the producer and presenter of the morning show, and was paid a grand total of $5,000 a month. I always had strong commitment to the profession, notwithstanding the indignities it offers in spades. There is one thing which I always knew: there was no way in hell I could make this my life. Simply put, salaries in the media are abysmal. This has many implications for the way the media work, but I will get to that in a bit. Reporters earn typically between $5,000 and $7,000. There are URP foremen in this country making more money than journalists. This I suppose is fine when you are young and your only commitments are Zen and prophylactics.
On public holidays when you are having a ball at the beach or some other fun activity, we are in a newsroom trying to create news out of nothing. When you are at home with family enjoying Christmas morning with the pastelle, ham and stories of remember when, reporters are at the scene of a road fatality trying to get information out of an abusive police officer. When you are drunk off your a-- J'Ouvert morning and rubbing your greasy self on a clean reporter, pulling at the microphone, yep you are havin' a ball. That reporter has a full day (which started at 2 am) of work ahead covering Carnival. The only thing I ever considered worse than covering Parliament was covering Carnival and fighting off a thousand belligerent drunkards, all of whom have something important to say. It usually begins with, "Allyuh check meh hyar!" All of this reporters do, in many cases with absolutely no overtime payment.
The insidious march of introspection begins to take hold in your mid thirties. That is when you realise it's time to get out. The departure of experienced journalists leaves a serious vacuum and that is why you will hear reporters say illegible for eligible and "de snake sting de boy." Only in a world of sub-educated reporters will a boy ever be "stung" by a snake.
Some media managers are only too happy to take these children off the streets and put a pen or microphone in their hands because they are only prepared to pay milk money. What you end up with is an ill-prepared reporter with an expected career span of five years; no time to learn anything in this business. Bottom line is some of these money-making media houses refuse to pay for quality and they simply do not care what kind of journalist they put in front of you. Any job in the media I ever left, it was with the assurance that I could be replaced by a chimp with level 2 block manipulation training. So best of luck to you gentlemen, this is a new opportunity to have the kind of life everyone aspires to and that the media robbed you of.
THOUGHTS
? There is a well established tradition of journalists escaping newsrooms for PR jobs in the public and private sectors.
? We also have a history of journalists leaving the media for politics.
? Departure of experienced journalists leaves a serious vacuum.
