The Opposition has raised alarm over the blocking of journalists who turned up at the Norman Manley International Airport today to cover the arrival of more Jamaicans who had been stranded overseas.
More than 200 nationals returned on flights from Fort Lauderdale, New York and Canada under the government’s controlled re-entry programme amid restrictions on incoming passenger traffic.
But an airport official told reporters to leave saying only the state-owned media, Jamaica Information Service (JIS), would be allowed to provide coverage.
“Please leave, just leave, if you are not from JIS you cannot be here,” said the airport official as reporters converged at the exit near the transportation hall.
He then asked a police sergeant to escort the media workers from the area.
In a statement to the media Wednesday evening, Opposition spokesman on information, Julian Robinson said this was an unacceptable and an unnecessary blot on Jamaica’s excellent ranking on the global press freedom index.
“Barring the press suggests that the government has something to hide. The challenges of this pandemic affect all our people and the arrival of Jamaicans back to their own country is something we all would want to celebrate,” Robinson said.
Last week there was no restriction when the first batch of Jamaicans returned from the United Kingdom.
Several of them have complained that at the airport, they were hungry, denied bathroom use and forced to wait for more than two hours for processing.
Meanwhile, in a series of tweets today, Minister of Foreign Affairs Kamina Johnson-Smith sought to explain why the JIS was allowed.
“JIS was allowed to take some footage to show that there was nothing to hide,” she said.
Johnson Smith also said people have a right to their privacy.
“Why would you want to witness passengers’ health checks before transportation?” she asked, saying she was sure that those who wish to tell their story will reach out and be on social media.
“I will stand by those who prefer not to, as it is they who seek protection,” she said.
In the meantime, it was bittersweet for Leonard Burnett, one of the arriving passengers who arrived today.
Burnett said he was happy to be home, but a bit saddened that he will not see his family for another two weeks while he is in mandatory state quarantine.
Freedom of the press is part of the constitution. This is so in most democratic society. In a communist regime this freedom is taken away. The minister of foreign affairs should know the constitution as it’s these laws which guide government and citizens behaviour. It is the press that citizen acquires and depends on for information on what is happening in their country and around the world. To take this right away would seems as if the government is moving towards a communist state. Whilst the foreign secretary relies on privacy grounds for interfering with the freedom of the press, they could have taken these returning residents in a private area or put screens in place. However, because these people are not hiding from nothing, this also would not be necessary.
When persons are deported back to the country, why are their privacy not also protected? Remember, they might have committed crimes abroad and paid the penalty by being incaserated and deported, but why should jamaica then penalised them again especially if they did not commit crime in jamaica? Don’t these people deserve right to their privacy?
Relying on state owned media can be seen as bias. If this is allowed to continue it will be extremely bad for the country and what is reported.
The official who asked the police to remove the media which were not from the JIM request should have been ignored. The reason being, the officer should have know that those media were there legally on the authority of the Jamaican Consituation and under the clause of freedom of the press.
Officials cannot change laws as it suites them, the constitution of any given country’s is the highest laws possible and the Foreign secretary should have known this.
This is such great news. The Media too blood clath nuff, mek them move dem rass clath, what questions dem have so for the people dem. rass people dem not even see them family good yet but media want be like toilet paper up in a di people dem blood clath batty hole. let the people dem go quarantine then after them talk. mi tell u media worldwide u see no wonder some a dem get clath dung.
The words of another dumb labourite. You are incapable of forming a coherent sentence and quickly deflect from critical issues, to use colourful language to express yourself. Go get at least a primary school education before revisiting a site like this to embarrass yourself.
Jamaicans too dark for the identities of the returning residents to be made public. Remember how they threatened Patient zero’s father? Leave the BBC ppl dem, like none a unuh buy them plane ticket fi come a ask dem question
@11.14 am
Psycho, sociopath did you miss your Meds today? In your sick mind you think you are degrading the press for wanting to cover stories that they think is relevant and therefore newsworthy . You are cursing the media, but what you don’t seems to understand is that, even this site is considered ‘Media’ If you do not value the importance of the press i dont know about you, you surpass yourself today. Please seek councelling, that anger is eating away your soul.
@2.56 am
Do you know, as crass and disgusting this man is, he is reasonable educated, you will see this comes out in some of his post when he’s rational. This person needs help badly because it seems his mental health is deteorating which would make him quite dangerous to the general public. Look what he’s ranting about? Have a nice day.