“The media does play a vital role in our democracy, and if we cannot depend on journalistic ethics, the nation’s in trouble.”
Dave Brat
I Just read an article for one of our supposedly legitimate media outlets in Dominica, “The New Chronicle reporting on the Al Jazeera expose and I wept. Every person who knows anything about democracy knows the important role that the media plays in a democracy.
The media we are taught is the fourth pillar of democracy, it is supposed to keep leaders in check, not to enable them.
The role of the media as advised by Anaj Kumar, “is vital in generating a democratic culture that extends beyond the political system and becomes engrained in the public consciousness over time. Media is supplying the political information that voters base their decisions on. They identify problems in our society and serve as a medium for deliberation. They also serve as watchdogs that we rely on for uncovering errors and wrongdoings by those who have power. Media is vital in generating a democratic culture that extends beyond the political system and becomes engrained in the public consciousness over time. The role of media in a democracy is as crucial as that of the politicians and should never be underestimated.” And he is right.
But tyrants and dictators have a different role for unscrupulous media that can be bought. We have seen this trend happening in Dominica since the rise to power of our dictator and buyer of souls and minds Roosevelt Skerrit. Most of Dominica’s media have put themselves in the service of the dictator and not the service of democracy. They perpetuate his narratives no matter how false and detrimental to the country those narratives are. What a disservice to the country and people of Dominica?
The new Chronicle just published their reporting on the Al Jazeera documentary with a headline “Deception and Hypocrisy Exposed” crucifying the leader and the opposition and the United Workers Party past and present, accusing them of also being involved in sale of diplomatic passports. The same stories that were sold to them by the King of the CBI program and the biggest Dominican beneficiary of the program. Sam still owes that state of Dominica $6.B that he got on a loan basis from the CBI program which he refused to pay, and which apparently the labor party wrote off for him. No questions will ever be asked about that.
Also not one mention about the scathing report that Al Jazeera gave in this same documentary where 95% of the expose’ involved Roosevelt and his gang of hyenas. Something is not right in this picture. This cannot be balanced reporting expected of a credible newspaper. It cannot be that they want to present all the information and an objective way to allow the people to come to an informed and reasonable conclusion. Is the New Chronicle another tool of Roosevelt? That would be sad for Dominica!
According to an article written in “Resurgent Dictatorship” it warns that modern authoritarians are adopting increasingly sophisticated methods to influence public opinions and to shape political narratives. Among them are restricting independent media outlets, policing the internet, relying on state owned or other friendly media assets, they help them to keep dissenting views out of the news and manipulate political discourse. Is this what The New Chronicle is helping Dominica’s tyrant to do?
Interestingly, we see exactly what is being discussed in this article happening in Dominica. Roosevelt has not stopped at Dominica’s borders. He has extended his propaganda campaign regionally and internationally, by investing extensive time, resources, in an effort to remove the spotlight on himself, the culprit, the hungry hyena and put it on Linton, and to avoid external criticism, manipulate the discourse, and deceive people into accepting their malicious and ruthless counternarratives. Textbook Joseph Gobels style. “Accuse the other of that which you are guilty of”
The New Chronicle was once a respected and credible media house in Dominica, at one time it was the only one that Dominicans could rely on for information, but what they have become? What would Frank Baron say to what his precious “New Chronicle” has become?