CONGRATS TO KEITH SMITH

It's been a while, but it's nice to be able to give kudos where they are due.

"The Media Association offers its heartiest congratulations to Keith Smith on the occasion of his being honoured with a national award. Keith Smith has become a national institution who is treasured for his wit and his down-to earth wisdom. Over the years, he has conducted in his newspaper column a seemingly offhand but shrewd and searching examination of the different threads that make up the fabric of everyday life in Trinidad and Tobago.

"It is to be noted, however, that Smith has always been scornful of the pretensions of novice journalists who hankered to offer their opinions on events in the news. He has always insisted that that was a privilege that had to be earned, and the price to be paid was years of soldiering in the trenches of reporting.

"This is the second time in two years that a veteran journalist has been recognised in this way, and Matt hopes that this is a sign that the contribution of professional journalists in leading and shaping public opinion is being increasingly understood and appreciated."

And here's a look at the story in the Express of September 1st.

Well a few months back it seemed as if the prime minister was the one shaping public opinion and that MATT was on the defensive, but that's another discussion.