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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=smalltxt vAlign=top><SPAN id=_ctl1_ctlTopic_ctlPanelBar_ctlTopicsRepeater__c tl1_lblFullMessage>Et tu, cartoonist and press freedom!
published: Tuesday | February 13, 2007 <DIV class=KonaBody YsFrO="true">
Devon Dick
Last week Tuesday, The Gleaner's editorial cartoonist depicted the President of the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) as backstabbing press freedom because of 'cartoon contempt'. This was an unkind cut.
My understanding of the cartoon is that the cartoonist felt that to criticise him was to launch an attack on press freedom. Some persons have claimed that the cartoonist must be free to make cartoons as he deems fit and that he has a licence to go overboard. However, the cartoonist does not believe he can be criticised or that press freedom should be extended to the PAJ president. This, paradoxically, would be more an attack on press freedom when making criticism is restricted only to cartoonist.
The position of the cartoonist reminds me of that well-known play in which Caesar was shocked that Brutus was one of his backstabbers and exclaimed "Et tu, Brutus."
Strange also that the same persons who are saying that there is an appropriate behaviour for Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller are claiming that there are no standards for a cartoonist and anything goes. Every society has appropriate standards for prime ministers and cartoonists. In some countries, a cartoonist must be sensitive to portrayals of the prophet Mohammed.
There is no absolute press freedom. Each society places restrictions either by law or convention. In America, the press cannot carry photos of body bags coming from Iraq. In the United Kingdom, the monarch's children are off limits for the press.
Off limits
In Jamaica, there appears to be an unwritten rule that media owners and fellow journalists, excepting the PAJ president, are not subjected to the cartoons' pen. In addition, the private sector leaders are off limits. Everybody knows that big private sector interests use the press for PR purposes. There are stories about private sector leaders that will not see the light of day. And some politicians who are darlings of the press will be safe.
Every editor acts as a censor. Every letter sent to the editor will not be published. Some views will not be aired. And that is the nature of the beast.
The press protests too much every time someone criticises it. Too often, it is automatically seen as an attack on press freedom. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has a programme which airs criticism of its operation, and they respond to those criticisms. Sometimes they agree that the corporation was not fair and balanced in its reporting. The press here can take a leaf out of the BBC's book.
Is this déjà vu?
Last week Friday, a television station carried a newscast about West Indian cricketer Marlon Samuels and labelled it 'Match-fixing saga'. However, not even the Indian police has made that allegation. It could instead be described as the 'unauthorised leak' or 'Indian Trap' or 'sabotage'. Samuels must be treated as innocent until proven guilty. We made the same mistake in the way the media treated Onandi Lowe with the drug allegation. Is this déjà vu? Press freedom demands some responsible and appropriate journalism on the Marlon Samuels issue. There can be no licence for anyone to engage in inappropriate behaviour. <HR>Rev Devon Dick is pastor of Boulevard Baptist Church and author of 'Rebellion to Riot: the Church in Nation Building'. </DIV></SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
published: Tuesday | February 13, 2007 <DIV class=KonaBody YsFrO="true">
Devon Dick
Last week Tuesday, The Gleaner's editorial cartoonist depicted the President of the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) as backstabbing press freedom because of 'cartoon contempt'. This was an unkind cut.
My understanding of the cartoon is that the cartoonist felt that to criticise him was to launch an attack on press freedom. Some persons have claimed that the cartoonist must be free to make cartoons as he deems fit and that he has a licence to go overboard. However, the cartoonist does not believe he can be criticised or that press freedom should be extended to the PAJ president. This, paradoxically, would be more an attack on press freedom when making criticism is restricted only to cartoonist.
The position of the cartoonist reminds me of that well-known play in which Caesar was shocked that Brutus was one of his backstabbers and exclaimed "Et tu, Brutus."
Strange also that the same persons who are saying that there is an appropriate behaviour for Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller are claiming that there are no standards for a cartoonist and anything goes. Every society has appropriate standards for prime ministers and cartoonists. In some countries, a cartoonist must be sensitive to portrayals of the prophet Mohammed.
There is no absolute press freedom. Each society places restrictions either by law or convention. In America, the press cannot carry photos of body bags coming from Iraq. In the United Kingdom, the monarch's children are off limits for the press.
Off limits
In Jamaica, there appears to be an unwritten rule that media owners and fellow journalists, excepting the PAJ president, are not subjected to the cartoons' pen. In addition, the private sector leaders are off limits. Everybody knows that big private sector interests use the press for PR purposes. There are stories about private sector leaders that will not see the light of day. And some politicians who are darlings of the press will be safe.
Every editor acts as a censor. Every letter sent to the editor will not be published. Some views will not be aired. And that is the nature of the beast.
The press protests too much every time someone criticises it. Too often, it is automatically seen as an attack on press freedom. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has a programme which airs criticism of its operation, and they respond to those criticisms. Sometimes they agree that the corporation was not fair and balanced in its reporting. The press here can take a leaf out of the BBC's book.
Is this déjà vu?
Last week Friday, a television station carried a newscast about West Indian cricketer Marlon Samuels and labelled it 'Match-fixing saga'. However, not even the Indian police has made that allegation. It could instead be described as the 'unauthorised leak' or 'Indian Trap' or 'sabotage'. Samuels must be treated as innocent until proven guilty. We made the same mistake in the way the media treated Onandi Lowe with the drug allegation. Is this déjà vu? Press freedom demands some responsible and appropriate journalism on the Marlon Samuels issue. There can be no licence for anyone to engage in inappropriate behaviour. <HR>Rev Devon Dick is pastor of Boulevard Baptist Church and author of 'Rebellion to Riot: the Church in Nation Building'. </DIV></SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Ken Chaplin</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Only a tyrant would knock that cartoon<P class=StoryText align=justify><P class=StoryText align=justify>Jamaica has two excellent editorial cartoonists, Clovis Brown of the Jamaica Observer and Las May of the Daily Gleaner . Sometimes their satire is way ahead of many readers who do not really understand the nuances in cartoons. This was shown up in the debate on Las May's cartoon on February 1, depicting Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller in an unfavourable light. The debate demonstrated the need for the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ), which represents professional journalists, to hold seminars for the public, including some editors, reporters, columnists, academics who write for the press and a clutch of politicians, especially government ministers.<P class=StoryText align=justify>CVMTV is to be commended for interviewing Dr Robert Russell, executive director of Cartoonists Rights Network International (CRNI), who illuminated the dark areas of the debate. He said the kind of heads of state who criticise this sort of cartoon that is humorous, makes fun of you and brings you down to the level of every man, and who really get riled up about these things, do not form a very impressive list of people. "I don't know if Mrs Simpson Miller would like to be associated with the Robert Mugabes of this world," he said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>He said his network has logged only leaders tagged as dictators or tyrants who lose their sense of humour when their governance is being questioned. Prime Minister Simpson Miller has not been assessed by the CRNI to be in this category and would be wise in choosing her battles. He thought that she should be proud to have this cartoon in her collection for her retiring years. He saw the drawing not merely as competition in the category of extremely offensive cartoons as others elsewhere.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Citing the cartoon as innocent, Dr Russell said the message it carried is just to let the head of government know that people are concerned about her actions. In fact, the cartoonist chose a fairly humorous way to do this. As regards the scanty attire in which Mrs Simpson Miller was depicted, Dr Russell said that if cartoonists were to draw individuals in their actual form the whole point of the work would be lost. Jamaicans know Mrs Simpson Miller as a woman of dignity who could never be detracted from by a cartoon. "It is the role of the cartoonist to spark debate, criticise and provoke thought," Dr Russell explained.<P class=StoryText align=justify>It seems to me that the prime minister has nothing to worry about. Certainly, the cartoon by itself is not likely to make her lose the coming general election. What is worrying is that the president of the Press Association of Jamaica, Desmond Richards, should have commented adversely on the cartoon without first calling a meeting of the executive committee to discuss a matter of such fundamental importance to the profession. But many such issues impinging on freedom of the press have gone unnoticed by the association over the last few years.<P class=StoryText align=justify>
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