The Tribune

GOVERNMENT should NOT have a say in how the media approaches news, according to the majority of voters in the online Tribune poll.

A massive 95.8 per cent took exception to Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald's recent statement that he would explain to journalists "what we expect of the media."

Commenting on the poll, "mynameis" had harsh words for the government: "I suppose part of the expectation is more government-friendly reporting, less criticism, and no challenging queries while we all pretend that those in power are God's gift to us, imbued with all wisdom, knowledge and understanding, full of pure intentions and incapable of making mistakes. I suggest that if the Government has any expectations of the media those expectations should be kept to themselves."

"jasoncooper456" was mostly in agreement, but called for unbiased journalism: "We expect the media to deliver UNBIASED news which seems to be nearly impossible, each news source seems to have an obvious party which they support. The government should have little to no say on how the news should be approached. Many things can happen once government controls the media. They can change certain details to their liking, they can withhold information vital for the public to know, they can spread propaganda against an opposing party, they can spread lies about a dire situation just to appeal to the public when we have a right to know, and it can go on and on. Journalism is about seeking the truth behind closed curtains, bringing it to the public to see and let them decide how they want to interpret it."

Don't forget to visit tribune242.com to cast your vote in the latest opinion poll.