May 19, 2005
Nassau Guardian: A Dangerous Trend in Journalism
The newspaper, a national embarrassment, misleads the public
The "Bozos" of Bahamas journalism have struck again. Already the brunt of jokes concerning horrible grammar and frequent mis-spelling, the seemingly unedited rag has brought a new low to Bahamian journalism by printing completely erroneous information.
Now, that's a "dangerous trend."
But the real danger lies in the fact that the paper has become little more than a mouthpiece for the mob and a sales organ for the Colina Insurance group.
A few weeks ago, after a highly respected Bahamas website criticised a loose talking MP for his overtly racist remarks, the Guardian launched a foolish attack on the site saying they were leading a "dangerous trend". While it is true that BahamasB2B is leading the fight against corruption in the Bahamas, nothing could be more dangerous than the lies and falsehoods being printed in the Nassau Guardian.
Like this gem.
Just the other day, the newspaper, which my cat really likes (it makes a great litter box liner), carried this unbelievably misleading headline:
"Extension granted for U.S. passports"
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Ironically, the next day, The Bahama Journal, usually a pretty good newspaper but obviously confused as a result of the Guardian article, printed this headline:
"US Passport Policy Deadline Uncertain"
Both headlines are wrong. There is no uncertainty regarding the deadline, nor has any extension been granted regarding the implementation of the new rules.
If you want the truth, read BahamasB2B.com News where they printed this headline:
"U.S. Grants Extension To Hear Passport Concerns "
That's what really happened. The United States has merely extended the time for individuals to submit comments and concerns regarding the implementation of the new rules, known as the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), designed to secure and expedite international travel.
In other words, the comment period was extended, not the date of implementation. The Journal gets it right in their article when they printed, "Although the United States Government was inclined to extend the period for public comments on a new travel advisory, an official at the United States Embassy said that does not mean that an eventual extension of the January 1, 2006 implementation date will be granted."
The Nassau Guardian is setting a dangerous trend in journalism with their thoughtless, careless headlines. Perhaps they should teach their illiterate editor how to read so he can scan the headlines before they go to press.
Posted by admin at May 19, 2005 10:17 AM