STEUPSSS....THIN SKIN POWERS THAT I DO NOT HAVE trinidadexpress/news/No-room-for-the-media-at-West-swearing-in-282010761.html No room for the media at West swearing-in By Joel Julien joel.julien@trinidadexpress Story Created: Nov 8, 2014 at 3:22 AM ECT Story Updated: Nov 8, 2014 at 3:22 AM ECT Media workers assigned to cover the swearing-in of David West as the director of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) were escorted off the premises of the Office of the President in St Ann’s yesterday as there was no room to accommodate them. At least that was the explanation offered by the information officer to the President, Theron Boodan. After an hour spent waiting outside the gate, the media contingent was eventually allowed on the premises of the Office of the President to interview West. The swearing-in ceremony, however, was closed off to the media. On Thursday, the Express received a news release from the Office of the President stating that West, an attorney, was appointed by President Anthony Carmona to become the PCA’s director. In September, Gillian Lucky resigned as the PCA’s director. “His Excellency will swear-in Mr David West tomorrow (Friday November 7, 2014) at 11 a.m. The swearing-in ceremony takes place a the Office of the President, Circular Road, St Ann’s,” Thursday’s release stated. The Express assigned a photographer and a reporter to cover the event. Around 10.30 a.m., members of the media were allowed into the lobby of the Office of the President to await the start of the ceremony. The media members, however, were eventually told that they were not invited to the ceremony and instead were escorted off the compound. Attempts were made by staff at the Office of the President to locate Boodan, who issued the release. Boodan could not be found. Members of the media waited outside the gate of the Office of the President until Boodan could be found to rectify the situation. Around 11.20 a.m., an unnamed security officer exited the compound of the Office of the President to give an update. “We will get back to you just a little later to determine how we will handle the media,” he said. Boodan: It was just a news release Eventually, Boodan was located and came outside to speak to the waiting media contingent. “We really did not cater for you all. The e-mail was not an invitation you know, it was just a press release,” he said. “There is not enough room to accommodate everybody inside right now, there are members of Mr West’s family in the room and so on. What is going to happen is that once Mr West consents to talk to the media, and you know that is a regular thing, we will make arrangements. By that time the lobby will be cleared and we will make arrangements for you all to come inside and do the interview. Once he says okay there is no problem, we will invite you all inside to do the interview,” he said. Boodan said there was “no room” to accommodate the media. Fifteen members of the media were present. Asked if this would affect how future swearing-in ceremonies are handled, Boodan replied, “We would make arrangements, at this particular (time) we did not make arrangements for the media because the media was not really invited to cover the event. A press release was just sent out informing you of the event.” Boodan was asked what would be his response to those who may make the inference that the media slight was a backlash to an Express story yesterday in which queries were raised about the President’s receipt of a housing allowance while occupying State housing. “I cannot think for them. I have no comment on that, I do not know what they would think or what they would say, but you all know for a fact that for quite some time now we have been sending out press releases of swearing-in ceremonies,” Boodan said. Asked if Carmona expressed any concern to him about the Express story, Boodan said, “No, we have not talked about it or anything like that.” The media were eventually allowed onto the premises of the Office of the President, but only allowed as far as the lobby area.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 12:02:10 +0000
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