Gov't condemns PNP General Secretary's comment as "attack on press freedom"

 

Information Minister Robert Morgan is condemning comments by PNP General Secretary Dr. Dayton Campbell referring to Nationwide News Network as "an incubator for the JLP".

 

Dr. Campbell was speaking at the PNP's East Central St. Andrew Constituency conference on Sunday September 3.

 

Addressing Wednesday morning's post-Cabinet press briefing, Minister Morgan described Dr. Campbell's remarks as an attack on press freedom.

 

He said this and similar comments could negatively affect the international community's perception of Jamaican journalists and the country's global press freedom ranking.

 

"We have done well over the past decade in consistently improving our press freedom ranking and we will continue to do that. But we're afraid that these incidents have now caused the international community to look at Jamaica in a different way as a country that may not fully respect the freedom of the press. We want to assure them that that is not so. The people of Jamaica, the government of Jamaica, respects and wishes to protect the freedom of the press," Minister Morgan declared. 

 

The Press Association of Jamaica has also denounced Dr. Campbell's statement, saying it is not just irresponsible but also dangerous as it has the potential to place Nationwide journalists at risk of attacks from political activists and party supporters.