While former talk show host Michael Pintard sought to defend certain comments he made on the Love 97 programme “Issues of The Day” recently, Jones Communications CEO Wendall Jones yesterday insisted that there was a disconnect in what Mr. Pintard had said and he had violated a basic tenet of journalism.
Mr. Pintard told reporters he “parted ways” with Jones Communications Ltd., the parent company of radio Love 97 and The Bahama Journal, because the leadership of the organisation was pressuring him to apologise for comments that came into question.
Mr. Pintard told reporters that the pressure had been mounted due to “business considerations and political considerations”.
At issue is the statement he made calling Prime Minister Perry Christie a liar for saying he supported the death penalty when he spoke recently at the funeral of slain prison officer Dion Bowles. Mr. Pintard had insisted that Mr. Christie had spoken an untruth because his government has read no death warrants since coming to power in 2002.
Asked to cite the specific business and political considerations of which he spoke, Mr. Pintard said, “I think the press ought to raise those questions. I can only offer the theories that other persons have offered to me – If it’s not journalism that’s at stake, then there must be other considerations.”
Confronted with Mr. Pintard’s claim that he was let go for business and political considerations, Mr. Jones responded: “That’s ludicrous.”
Mr. Jones insisted that Mr. Pintard had been fired because he violated a fundamental tenet of journalism, specifically truthfulness and honesty, by refusing to apologise when he could not justify the claim that Mr. Christie had lied.
“If he is too haughty to apologise for that flagrant violation of a journalistic principle, then he has no business on the air,” Mr. Jones said.
He also insisted that no business or political persons had called him on this matter.
“He cannot justify the (statement calling Mr. Christie a liar), and he refused to apologise,” Mr. Jones said.
At a press conference held yesterday, a few yards away from the Cabinet Office, Mr. Pintard said he wanted to set the record straight.
“I cannot be handcuffed or muzzled; it makes no sense,” he said. “The press ought to be free. We ought to explore these issues and political considerations and financial considerations should not govern how the press or journalists function.”
On Monday, January 30, Mr. Pintard said during an episode of “Issues of the Day,” that the prime minister told “a bold-faced lie” when he said he supports the death penalty.
Yesterday, Mr. Pintard said that while he would never seek to characterize Mr. Christie, whom he termed “my prime minister,” as a “dishonest person,” he stood by his remarks made on the show.
Attorney General Alfred Sears has said that the Bahamas government cannot address the death penalty question until the Privy Council rules on a challenge mounted by Bahamian prisoners and lawyers to the constitutionality of the mandatory death sentence. The Privy Council heard the challenge in December, but has not yet announced a ruling.
Mr. Pintard’s position is that the prime minister has not shown by any action he has taken that he supports the death penalty. According to Mr. Jones, “the government’s hands are tied” by the constitutional challenge.
Mr. Jones’ position is that as the government cannot move on the death penalty until the Privy Council has ruled, there is a “disconnect” in Mr. Pintard’s reasoning since he cannot prove that Mr. Christie lied, because the government can make no move one way or the other until after the ruling.
Mr. Pintard told journalists that he had heard rumors that legal action would be sought against him by the prime minister, but that he did not believe those rumors.
“However, let me be clear and say that if legal action was taken, I would mount a campaign-to defend myself,” he said.
Asked if he was seeking legal action against any of the parties involved, Mr. Pintard replied, “All options are open to me at this time. I have made no firm decision at this point.”
By: Quincy Parker, The Bahama Journal
