Media urged to ‘stand uncompromised and independent’

CTO Chairman and St. Kitts and Nevis’ Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Sen the Hon. Richard Skerritt. (Willett’s Photo)

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, NOVEMBER 23RD 2011 (CUOPM) – A call for the media in St. Kitts and Nevis and the Caribbean to help in tourism awareness and refrain from hearsay, opinion and innuendo has come from St. Kitts and Nevis’ Minister of Tourism and International Transport and Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organsiation (CTO), Sen. the Hon. Richard Skerritt.

“Tourism awareness needs the help of the media who are supposed to stand uncompromised and independent.

The complex and paradoxical story of tourism must be told accurately while shouting loudly, but factually, whenever societal freedoms and rights are threatened,” Minister Skerritt told the 11th Annual St. Kitts Tourism Awards Banquet at the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park.

He told over 500 invited guests including Prime Minister the Right Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, keynote Speaker, Mr. Josef Forstmayr, President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, hoteliers and tourism executives that human rights are supposed to be defined constitutionally and protected by parliaments and courts of justice.

“Unfortunately human rights in our region seem too often to be defined by anyone who can become the most persistent and persuasive caller to any of our numerous radio stations, or by those who create the most voluminous contributions to the social media,” said Minister Skerritt, adding: “Sadly, as a result, hearsay, opinion and innuendo are far too easily converted into media propagated news.”