THE BIG PROBLEM

Monday was a busy day for the media. There was the opening of the law term as well as the first sitting of the tribunal. CNC 3 did well, in terms of carrying through with the story. Shelly effectively tried to flesh out the acting Chief Justice's speech with the help of Mr. Lalla. But she committed the ultimate sin, well, the sin ultimately committed by lazy producers here in Trinidad and Tobago, she opened the lines for calls and before long, someone was on the phone making allegations against the acting Chief Justice. Something about Justice Roger Hamel-Smith having a huge case somewhere outside of Trinidad, a fraud case if Media Watch understood the caller right.

Well, well, clearly caught off guard, Shelly quickly said it was the first time she was hearing of it and she would investigate. Laugh out loud. Let's hope the acting Chief Justice never hears of what happened and sends a lawyer's letter your way. Always screen the calls, a delay perhaps, and in the absence of this, cut out 'opening the lines'. It's a technique often employed by lazy producers who can't think of how else to fill the remaining time.