PAJ condemns treatment of media worker at St Thomas municipal meeting, calls for accountability

The Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) is demanding accountability after Radio Jamaica News correspondent Henry Shirley was excluded from a St Thomas Municipal Corporation committee meeting on October 7, an act the organisation of journalists labels a direct blow to public transparency.

In a release today, the PAJ said it is “particularly troubled by the ultra-aggressive conduct of the Jamaica Labour Party’s John Lee [who is the Councillor for the Yallahs Division] during the exchange and the decision by committee chairman and Deputy Mayor, the JLP’s Michael McLeod, to order Mr Shirley to leave.”

A 10-minute recording of the exchange was captured by the journalist, with the PAJ describing Lee’s conduct as “well below the standard of civility and professionalism expected of an elected representative”.

While recognising that committee chairpersons must maintain order and that legitimate concerns about confidentiality and privacy deserve consideration, PAJ president Tyrone Reid argued that objections must be addressed through “lawful, proportionate procedures, not by resorting to conduct that intimidates journalists or arbitrarily restricts access to public proceedings”.

“Disagreement with media coverage cannot justify hostility towards a journalist performing his professional duties,” he added.

Following a media ban imposed by the Hanover Municipal Corporation in 2017, then Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie ordered its immediate reversal, insisting that media access should be restricted only at meetings of the Human Resources and Poor Relief committees.

The PAJ also called for urgent clarification from the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development on the rules governing media access to municipal council and committee meetings.

“We also call on the Ministry to issue clear written guidance to all municipal corporations and on the St Thomas Municipal Corporation to explain the legal and procedural basis for Mr Shirley’s removal.”

The issue came to the fore when a National Water Commission (NWC) representative objected to being recorded. The PAJ also wants the corporation to clarify the specific concerns that prompted its representative’s objection.

“Public institutions exist to serve the people. Their proceedings must not be shielded from scrutiny merely because an official is uncomfortable with the presence of the press. We expect the Ministry and the corporation to investigate this incident, address any conduct found to be inappropriate and take steps to prevent a recurrence,” the PAJ said.

“Press freedom is not a privilege granted at the discretion of public officials. It is an essential safeguard of democratic accountability.”

The PAJ said it was releasing the audio recording in the interest of transparency and accountability “so that the public can hear the exchange and make its own assessment of whether the conduct of the elected representatives and public officials involved meets the standards expected of those entrusted with public office. Where a recording exists, the public should not be left to rely solely on competing accounts. Let the evidence speak for itself,” Reid said.

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