Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell responds to disgruntled media

…It appears they misunderstand what is taking place.

This comment was made by Prime Minister and Minister of Information Dickon Mitchell on Friday in response to a question posed by THE NEW TODAY with regard to a boycott staged by some members of the media to a Press Conference organised by government to unveil the first major Cabinet reshuffle in the 18-month old administration.

Some journalists, led by their umbrella body, the Media Workers Association of Grenada (MWAG), did not participate in the government event held at Parliament Building at Mt Wheldale. 

MWAG complained about “press exclusion” from the ceremony held at the Office of the Governor General on Thursday 4th ,in which the reassigned ministers accepted their instruments of appointment from Governor General Dame Cecile La Grenade.

The association issued a statement in which it claimed that the Dickon Mitchell-led NDC administration had displayed disdain towards the local media and Grenadians on a whole by not allowing them to witness the event.  

“The Government of Grenada has once again shown its total contempt for the local media, and by extension the people of the country, by completely barring reporters and photographers from the swearing-in of new Cabinet Ministers today January 4th, 2024,” said MWAG.

Speaking at the press conference on Friday, the Grenadian leader said he was made aware of the MWAG statement.

“All I can say, it appears they misunderstand what is taking place. We are here this morning. Prior to being here, we announced that there would be a press conference…which is a public announcement pertaining to the ministerial realignment or reappointment of ministers which is effective as of today’s date…. and that’s all we’ve done.”

The Prime Minister who is the Member of Parliament for the Constituency of St. David’s said he is willing to disperse information to everyone at the same time and not give any media house “a scoop.”

“We are happy to be here, be happy to share that information with everyone at the same time, not just the media members, the public as well. And all of the ministers are here and we are all obviously quite happy to take questions and to engage with the media. So from our perspective, we have not engaged in any boycott of the media or any blackout of the media,” he said.

PM Mitchell declared that the procedure involved in ministers receiving their instruments of appointment happens at the Governor General’s residence – a place he has no control over.

“The internal processes which pertains for example to the taking of the oath or the signing of the oath is done at the Governor General’s residence… I have no control over the Governor General’s residence.”

According to Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, the Governor General’s own schedule has to be taken into consideration during the process.

“…As we speak, she’s actually out of the island and so we had to ensure that our ministers could in fact take the oath in accordance with the Governor General’s schedule.

“If we wish to have appointments made effective today so the oaths were taken by the ministers yesterday (Thursday), made effective as of today’s date partly principally to accommodate the travel schedule of the Governor General.”

“Obviously we are here this morning to meet with the media and to inform the nation of the changes that have occurred so I said I just think it’s probably a misunderstanding on their part.” 

The Prime Minister also made reference to the April 2023 swearing-in ceremony when the Finance and Infrastructure Development were switched between himself and Minister Dennis Cornwall.

“The media wasn’t invited to see me taking oath before the Governor General as Minister for Infrastructure nor Minister Cornwall for Finance because essentially this is just a simple document that you swear to and you sign,” he remarked.

According to PM Dickon Mitchell, when an election has taken place and the members of Cabinet are being given their instruments of appointment for the first time that is time when the event is public.

 “Of course when you have a change in government in elections there’s a big exciting time, so generally when the Cabinet is being sworn in for the first time it will be in a public setting but once that passes … changes with the ministerial portfolios are almost routine things so I would not have thought that the media was interested in seeing me or any of the ministers here taking oath when they were already ministers for the most part.”

“(The event at Parliament Building) we wanted to have all of the ministers here at the same time and invite all of the media house to be present at the same time so we can have the announcement made at the same time,” he said.

The Prime Minister stressed that after the initial swearing in ceremony for Cabinet Ministers after an election, the event evolves into an “almost” routine occurrence. 

Newly appointed Health Minister Hon. Philip Telesford reiterating the sentiments of the Prime Minister stated that it would have been a challenge for the media to cover the January 4th, 2023 swearing in ceremony since it occurred at different times.

“I think it is important to note that there was no major ceremony or such yesterday. We all went in at varying times so it’s not like we all went in together and we all sat there together and signed to take the oath like that. And just thinking about it, it might have been even a challenge for the media to be there throughout the entire day, awaiting for people to come to sign at varying times…,” he said.

Former head of the Government Information Service (GIS) Joyce Thomas noted in a brief statement that the swearing in of new ministers was not a media event and only the GIS was prescribed those duties.

“I write to you as a former head of the Government Information Service to let you know that during my tenure with the GIS for 16 plus years and spanning more than one government swearing in of minister was NEVER a media event. 

The GIS covered the event and shared the release and photos. I checked with the most senior officer who worked during my time and he confirmed that it was never a media event.”