Editorial –
It has been too hectic and even difficult to recall the many years, difficult years, publishing The Montserrat Reporter (TMR) particularly after one quite knowledgeable person wrote to congratulate and remind that, “to do a good and honest job at publishing a newspaper, would cost you friends.”
It was just around the time when a particular reality was setting in, (1997-98) that it wasn’t only friends, but the financing could become extremely difficult and that it wasn’t so much friends, but to do a good job, meant having those would like to see the publication vanish.
We dug up an Editorial from 2000, captioned, “Responsible Press Policies Apply the Same Rules to All”. We will present some excerpts from it. The reason for this is because, year after year, there came people who simply even when they understood the usefulness of this publication, somehow allowed that selfishness that continues to plague this mini ‘devastated’ island and population to lead them to wickedly pretend, misrepresent and misunderstand the real benefits of its existence. Then there are others who simply marginalise the independent press, along with others who close their eyes to a killer and what we will kindly describe in part as a ‘growing ignorance’. In Montserrat, the only independent media are People’s Television and TMR; the other medium is the Government owned ZJB Radio which of course is completely controlled by them.
Before we get into the excerpts, we need to remind that no matter how many newspapers are sold, that CANNOT finance the production and existence of a newspaper – NONE. Neither in Montserrat nor anywhere else in the world. And we should add here that per capita nearly as many papers are sold as when the population was at 13,000. Then we must add that since 1996 it has been available online. But let us just say that the figures are stunning to run the government operated media service, especially instead of providing the means of assisting the many years of suffering television service, they begin to pretend they can begin one.
Here goes from 2000.
“It is fascinating even to ponder the person who will from time to time shamelessly explain, “I do not read the newspaper.” Equally surprising are those least expected who would say, “we do not miss an issue.”
“It almost doesn’t matter what the reasons are in either of these cases, but it is certain that in the one case, there is the expression of a type of ignorance, a lack of motivation and/or downright willfulness with what seems to be increasingly seen as a Montserrat curse.
Many of these people really want to be able to practice “freedom of speech,” but for someone else it should be denied. They are the ones who will stifle the free press theory in many subtle ways and deny people the opportunity to have as many media outlets as possible through which to educate, transmit and share ideas, opinions and information. This is what a newspaper offers.”
The internet has changed how that is done and we have kept up that pace. But notice that when the talk of ICT gets in the air, it is simply incredible that TMR and PTV are only invited to press conferences to find out what is happening in that field of expertise.
But, so much for a glimpse of an unbearable situation, which fits right in with the problems of the economic woes of Montserrat. Here is an institution that the only attention or given is for its extinction, but it is time for the owners and the beneficiaries of this institution to understand who the losers will be, the entire people and the country in the end.
We promise to continue this dialogue and show a threat that this island is facing as independent media continues to face efforts aimed at starving them out of existence. A threat, which can disappear, only if those who are working on its demise understand that theirs are also. We have long known the reasons for our economic woes. It is all born out of the same idea. Yes, the whole country will be the loser, but understand there will be those who believe they are winners, when only time will tell, as the lessons are all around us locally and globally.he country in the end.
We promise to continue this dialogue and show a threat that this island is facing as independent media continues to face efforts aimed at starving them out of existence. A threat, which can disappear, only if those who are working on its demise understand that theirs are also. We have long known the reasons for our economic woes. It is all born out of the same idea. Yes, the whole country will be the loser, but understand there will be those who believe they are winners, when only time will tell, as the lessons are all around us locally and globally.
