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CCNTV6
  • 1 year ago

The million dollar question has been answered; the Prime Minister was absent from the SoE media briefing as he was in Tobago mourning his brother's passing and hosting a cocktail reception.

Transcript
00:00Although not responding directly to questions about his absence from a media
00:05briefing on Monday to detail the state of emergency, Prime Minister Dr. Keith
00:09Rowley announced the passing of his brother Alphius. Given the nature of the
00:14media briefing, many including the opposition leader questioned why the PM
00:19himself was not there to address the nation. Dr. Rowley, who is in Tobago, said
00:24on social media, quote, my sincerest thanks to those of you who have taken
00:28time to express your condolences to me and my family on the passing yesterday,
00:34Sunday, of my dear brother Alphius. Your kind thoughts and good wishes of support
00:40are appreciated, end quote. Meanwhile, the office of the Prime Minister is taking
00:45offense to what it describes as a misleading newspaper narrative and the
00:50use of memes in reporting. The OPM says an Express article suggested the PM was
00:56avoiding his duties. When questioned about the PM's absence at the SOE news
01:01briefing, Acting Attorney General Stuart Young said he and the National Security
01:05were best poised to address the country on the matter. The OPM said the newspaper
01:11deviated from journalistic integrity and they advised, quote, headlines and
01:16visuals should serve the purpose of informing the public accurately, not
01:20sensationalizing issues of national importance, end quote. The Prime
01:25Minister's office urged media to exercise greater care and responsibility
01:29in writing their headlines and using imagery. It says, quote, the choice of a
01:35disparaging meme as a primary image for such a report undermines the
01:39professionalism expected from reputable media outlets and risks trivializing a
01:45critical moment in time for the country, end quote. The unsigned statement
01:50encouraged media practitioners to continue upholding the highest
01:53standards of accuracy and fairness, recognizing the weight of their role and
01:57their responsibility in shaping public discourse. The Prime Minister's brother,
02:02TV6 later learned, passed on Sunday that night and hours before the President
02:08assented to the emergency powers declaration and hours before the public
02:12found out, the Prime Minister was pictured with former THA secretaries
02:16Marceline Melville-Jack and Nadine Stewart-Phillips at the office of the
02:21Prime Minister's cocktail reception in Tobago.
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