Dear Editor,
This is an open letter to the British High Commissioner, David Fitton:
The Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) writes to express our extreme disappointment at the failure to include any opportunity for the press to ask questions of British Prime Minister David Cameron during his visit to Jamaica.
We regard Prime Minister Cameron's visit as one of great importance, involving as it does the visit of the head of government of a country whose ties with Jamaica are so long-standing, and are of such historical and contemporary significance.
We are well aware that it is the norm for such visits to include a joint press briefing with the host and visiting heads of government and indeed have observed Prime Minister Cameron's participation in several such briefings.
It is against that background that we are registering the greatest possible disappointment and surprise on being informed by the Office of the Prime Minister that the British Prime Minister requested that there be no questions from the press.
We are confident that Prime Minister Cameron understands the healthy state of democracy in Jamaica and that an indispensable aspect of democracy is allowing the press access to political leaders. Indeed, he has given reporters in several other countries opportunities to engage in just this way.
We have already written to Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to point out our extreme dissatisfaction with this state of affairs and we are now respectfully requesting that your office brings this to the urgent attention of the office of the British Prime Minister, and facilitate a variation in his itinerary to include a press briefing.
We await your response.
Dionne Jackson Miller
President
Press Association of Jamaica
pressassociationjamaica@gmail.com
Why exclude the press?
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This is an open letter to the British High Commissioner, David Fitton:
The Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) writes to express our extreme disappointment at the failure to include any opportunity for the press to ask questions of British Prime Minister David Cameron during his visit to Jamaica.
We regard Prime Minister Cameron's visit as one of great importance, involving as it does the visit of the head of government of a country whose ties with Jamaica are so long-standing, and are of such historical and contemporary significance.
We are well aware that it is the norm for such visits to include a joint press briefing with the host and visiting heads of government and indeed have observed Prime Minister Cameron's participation in several such briefings.
It is against that background that we are registering the greatest possible disappointment and surprise on being informed by the Office of the Prime Minister that the British Prime Minister requested that there be no questions from the press.
We are confident that Prime Minister Cameron understands the healthy state of democracy in Jamaica and that an indispensable aspect of democracy is allowing the press access to political leaders. Indeed, he has given reporters in several other countries opportunities to engage in just this way.
We have already written to Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to point out our extreme dissatisfaction with this state of affairs and we are now respectfully requesting that your office brings this to the urgent attention of the office of the British Prime Minister, and facilitate a variation in his itinerary to include a press briefing.
We await your response.
Dionne Jackson Miller
President
Press Association of Jamaica
pressassociationjamaica@gmail.com
Why exclude the press?
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