SOUR GRAPES? 3

Here's another comment on what seems like sour grapes from TV6, this time from Trini Media.

"When you cannot reach the grapes, then the next thing to do is describe the grapes as sour. It appears that this is included somewhere in TV6's core values. Firstly, they announce to their viewers that they couldn't get the grapes, by stating in a news item after the prime minister's visit to The Big Story on CNC3, that the company tried several times to get the prime minister and failed. Now, another news story, "the grapes are sour".

"Indeed those who managed to get the grapes and eat them, must be sour too. So CNC3, as TV6 would have us believe, is also sour -- a lackey of the Government. There are so many things wrong with this picture, that I don't know where to begin other than to simply ask, has CNN ever run a news story calling the BBC sour and a lackey of the Government for getting an exclusive with President Obama? Has NBC ever found CNN or President Obama sour for the same reasons?

"Last time I checked, the prime minister, like any other leader in the world, has the right and privilege to choose which station he wants to give an exclusive to. President Obama has the same right -- didn't he choose to have a media conference at the Hilton for ONLY the media travelling with him? I didn't hear TV6 criticising President Obama for favouring anyone or calling any of the media houses at the media conference lackeys of the US Government.

"I think that somewhere between the ambitions of Fabian Pierre and the shame of Dominic Kalipersad, TV6 felt the only way to deal with the facts -- that CNC3 pulled off something TV6 didn't or couldn't -- was to play the role of victim. Well here's a lesson in real journalism: the only way you win viewers and earn respect is by your news product. You think CNC3 beat you, get up and do something better. Get a bigger scoop and stop wasting time, space and energy crying victimisation.

"Saying the prime minister is practising favouritism, does not make it so. Saying CNC3 is a lackey of the Government, does not make it so. Saying the grapes are sour, does not make them so. You want credibility, then stop crying and do something better. Since when journalism was defined as criticising another station that scooped you? Is that in the public interest? In fact, has it not occurred to anyone making these stupid decisions, that your loyal viewers don't even have time to watch CNC3 because they are glued to TV6, and by announcing all of this to them, you actually create such interest that they, "Just Switch"? Where's the simple logic?

"Finally, who can forget that TV6 lost their best personnel in the Natalie Williams era? Where are Rosemarie and Roger Sant, Shelly Dass, Sampson Nanton and Eric Mackie? Does it occur to anyone that they are among the last of all the TV6 walkouts that are still today actively involved in television news (Charlene Ramdhanie of C News is the only other)? Where are they? CNC3! TV6 on the other hand, has a newsroom full of neophytes, with not one of them, apart from Sharon Hamilton-Cudjoe, having more than three or four years' experience in television journalism.

"So don't cry if the prime minister and anyone else chooses experience over immaturity. TV6 may be around longer than the others, but when you compare TV6's newsroom to CNC3's, TV6 has a lot of catching-up to do."