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Exercising your right to choose
published: Friday | July 20, 2007
Heather Robinson
Every day of our lives we are called upon to make choices. Some of us choose to go to work, while there are others who have no desire to work. Some of us choose not to eat breakfast, while there are others of us who eat stewed chicken, boiled yam and banana, and fried plantain. Some of us choose to drive on the Portmore toll road, while some think it is cheaper to drive on Mandela Highway. And some of us listen to only one radio station, while there are others who listen to music from a compact disc, and yes, some of us choose to read both major daily newspapers, while the majority of Jamaicans read neither.
We are now almost five weeks away from the general elections, and some of us will first decide that we will vote, and then we decide for whom we will cast that X. But during this time there are some persons who believe that they have the right to decide for some voters where to place their X.
Media houses will tell you that during an election campaign they expect to see a significant increase in their advertising income as political parties try to use the media to persuade voters to choose their political party. The Jamaica Labour Party was the first to start campaigning through paid advertisements on the electronic media. Last week the People's National Party (PNP) commenced its electronic and print media campaign. A political party is no different from an individual or business when it decides to place advertisements.
Exercising this choice is not always based on economic considerations. Thought has to be given to listenership and readership. Is it worthwhile to place advertisements on a radio station that the majority of Jamaicans cannot find on their radio dials, or should one stick to the tested and tried?
Why complain?
If you are a journalist who believes in this basic right of human beings, institutions and businesses to choose, why should you complain if you are not chosen as a proper media house to place advertisements? Every listener to radio has been provided with over a dozen choices by the Government through its programme of granting broadcasting licences, i.e., the liberalisation of the electronic media. In days of old we had two choices. Now there are so many that sometimes persons are confused and do not know what or to whom to listen.
This right to choose who to listen to is exercised every day by Jamaicans. And if it is that I choose not to listen to you, then so be it. That is my right. Is there really any point in complaining that "a decision was made to starve 'Nationwide' of advertising" (Observer, July 18), while at the same time admitting that the advertisements "had since been placed with the station". Is it coincidental that the chairman of that newspaper found it necessary to describe the PNP's advertisement boycott of 'Nationwide' as "despicable", when some years ago he exercised his right to boycott a radio station? What is at issue here? Is it that some persons and businesses have more rights than others?
Media houses cannot expect that they have the right to report the news with particular slants, and then expect that there will be no reaction either through letters to the editors, telephone calls to talk shows, or simply through the placing of advertisements.
With the simple touch of a button, we can choose not to listen either by finding another station or simply by switching off. And there is no editor who can force us to spend the 25 cents. So next time you feel the need to complain, remember I have the right to choose not to listen or read.
Heather Robinson is a life underwriter and former Member of Parliament.
published: Friday | July 20, 2007
Heather Robinson
Every day of our lives we are called upon to make choices. Some of us choose to go to work, while there are others who have no desire to work. Some of us choose not to eat breakfast, while there are others of us who eat stewed chicken, boiled yam and banana, and fried plantain. Some of us choose to drive on the Portmore toll road, while some think it is cheaper to drive on Mandela Highway. And some of us listen to only one radio station, while there are others who listen to music from a compact disc, and yes, some of us choose to read both major daily newspapers, while the majority of Jamaicans read neither.
We are now almost five weeks away from the general elections, and some of us will first decide that we will vote, and then we decide for whom we will cast that X. But during this time there are some persons who believe that they have the right to decide for some voters where to place their X.
Media houses will tell you that during an election campaign they expect to see a significant increase in their advertising income as political parties try to use the media to persuade voters to choose their political party. The Jamaica Labour Party was the first to start campaigning through paid advertisements on the electronic media. Last week the People's National Party (PNP) commenced its electronic and print media campaign. A political party is no different from an individual or business when it decides to place advertisements.
Exercising this choice is not always based on economic considerations. Thought has to be given to listenership and readership. Is it worthwhile to place advertisements on a radio station that the majority of Jamaicans cannot find on their radio dials, or should one stick to the tested and tried?
Why complain?
If you are a journalist who believes in this basic right of human beings, institutions and businesses to choose, why should you complain if you are not chosen as a proper media house to place advertisements? Every listener to radio has been provided with over a dozen choices by the Government through its programme of granting broadcasting licences, i.e., the liberalisation of the electronic media. In days of old we had two choices. Now there are so many that sometimes persons are confused and do not know what or to whom to listen.
This right to choose who to listen to is exercised every day by Jamaicans. And if it is that I choose not to listen to you, then so be it. That is my right. Is there really any point in complaining that "a decision was made to starve 'Nationwide' of advertising" (Observer, July 18), while at the same time admitting that the advertisements "had since been placed with the station". Is it coincidental that the chairman of that newspaper found it necessary to describe the PNP's advertisement boycott of 'Nationwide' as "despicable", when some years ago he exercised his right to boycott a radio station? What is at issue here? Is it that some persons and businesses have more rights than others?
Media houses cannot expect that they have the right to report the news with particular slants, and then expect that there will be no reaction either through letters to the editors, telephone calls to talk shows, or simply through the placing of advertisements.
With the simple touch of a button, we can choose not to listen either by finding another station or simply by switching off. And there is no editor who can force us to spend the 25 cents. So next time you feel the need to complain, remember I have the right to choose not to listen or read.
Heather Robinson is a life underwriter and former Member of Parliament.