Wired868 Wired868 for smart sport news and opinion
The Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) has expressed its desire that Crime Watch survives, after being axed by CNC3 yesterday, and urged the show, which is hosted and produced by Ian Alleyne, to address its “frequent breaches of journalistic conventions.”
Crime Watch was pulled off air after Alleyne refused to allow CNC3 authority to vet its content after an episode on construction contracts at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba opened the company up to legal action.
MATT, via press release, claimed the controversial show served a “significant public interest” despite noting that: “[Crime Watch] on one hand bordered on exploitation of vulnerabilities while on the other hand it offered visibility and voice to citizens who were otherwise unable to access formal and timely redress through law enforcement and the judiciary.”
“While some viewed Crime Watch as sensational reality TV, the show also served a significant public interest. Many viewers relied on it as a window into communities that are relentlessly besieged by inadequate social services and a wide range of crimes, most of which are ignored by the traditional media…
“Notwithstanding these worthwhile functions, however, Mr Alleyne and media owners failed to inject basic journalistic safeguards into a promising local programme that sustained its popularity over many years and many trials. The frequent breaches of journalistic conventions of which the show has been guilty constitute ultimately a loss of credibility by media brands.
“MATT hopes that should there be a fourth incarnation of Crime Watch, its best elements that serve the public interest could be reinforced and its weaknesses addressed by consistent and meaningful investment in journalistic best practice.”
The release did not question CNC3’s role in the issue other to note that:
(Courtesy CNC3)
“CNC3 became the third successive media house to sever business relations with the Crime Watch programme and its host/producer, Ian Alleyne.
“The breakdown of this relationship illustrates again that without serious commitment to sound journalistic principles and conventions by media owners and individual producers, investigative programming and reporting content inevitably succumb under ethical, legal and public scrutiny.”
MATT rejected any suggestion that its president Francesca Hawkins, a freelance weekend news anchor at CNC3, was in any compromised on this matter or that any media house—including CNC3—tried to exert any pressure over the association.
(Full MATT statement)
Yesterday CNC3 became the third successive media house to sever business relations with the Crime Watch programme and its host/producer, Ian Alleyne.
The breakdown of this relationship illustrates again that without serious commitment to sound journalistic principles and conventions by media owners and individual producers, investigative programming and reporting content inevitably succumb under ethical, legal and public scrutiny.
While some viewed Crime Watch as sensational reality TV, the show also served a significant public interest. Many viewers relied on it as a window into communities that are relentlessly besieged by inadequate social services and a wide range of crimes, most of which are ignored by the traditional media.
The programme on one hand bordered on exploitation of vulnerabilities while on the other hand it offered visibility and voice to citizens who were otherwise unable to access formal and timely redress through law enforcement and the judiciary.
Mr Alleyne’s reports and range of interviews filmed on location—including in many outlying areas—contrasted sharply with the output of so-called crime reporting by better resourced newsrooms.
Notwithstanding these worthwhile functions, however, Mr Alleyne and media owners failed to inject basic journalistic safeguards into a promising local programme that sustained its popularity over many years and many trials. The frequent breaches of journalistic conventions of which the show has been guilty constitute ultimately a loss of credibility by media brands.
MATT hopes that should there be a fourth incarnation of Crime Watch, its best elements that serve the public interest could be reinforced and its weaknesses addressed by consistent and meaningful investment in journalistic best practice.
On a related note, MATT rejects any and all accusations that it is compromised in this matter because its president, Ms Francesca Hawkins, is a freelance weekend news anchor at CNC3. The MATT executive comprises seven active members from various media houses.
MATT takes this opportunity to state that whatever the shortcomings of the media industry, at no time during the term of this executive has any media house or owner exerted or attempted to exert influence over any executive member of MATT.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT2arX_alqs
“[…] His death is a profound loss not only to his family but also to the profession he elevated and Read more
“[…] National budgets are critical moments for shaping a country’s future. Instead of addressing the actual content of the budget, Read more
“When politics is involved in business, they don’t thrive. In most of these companies… there is a significant inflow of Read more
“[…] It takes a lot of hard work, late nights, missing out on family time, some friends become enemies, a Read more
“[…] The police, they’re going after the young kids on the streets…the big fish don’t come to do deals directly. Read more
One of the panel discussions at the recent Bocas Lit Fest focused on the fate of newspaper columnists in today’s Read more
I don’t get how he calls himself a journalist, with such poor elocution skills. He fails to pronounce “th,” “t & d,” when it appears at the end of words. “Three – tree,” “things – tings,” “rest – res,” “assured – assure,” “that – dat,” “they – day,” “truth – trute,” “the – de.” I understand the need to represent all, as a journalist, however, a little polish on elocution wouldn’t hurt, especially when aiming at a cross section, rather than a specific target group.
When last have you listened to the radio? Maybe some of them refer to themselves as talk show hosts but still our oral and written language skills have deteriorated. He is merely a symptom.
I miss the days of Hazel Ward’s. It seems like the more we progress, the more backward we allow ourselves to become. Journalists of yesteryear are in a very different class, to journalists now. Pity.
I bounced up Mr. Dominic Kallipersad at the mall yesterday. I just had to meet him and tell him what an awesome journalist he was and congratulate him on his retirement and wish him well. He was also one of the best spoken presenters. A byegone era yes!
They cared about journalism. For them it wasn’t just a paycheck. They took the job of informing/educating/showcasing our talent to the public, seriously. For Ian Alleyne, it may have started out with good intentions, but, his inflated ego got the way.
As with the majority of associatons , condone the shit of a member until public outcry or profits go south all the while knowing it was wrong from inception…..as for ian just the state of that desk on his show said a lot about his mind set .
I am not a fan but thousands of people he helped are avid supporters.
He was an ass! Your basic, opportunistic, exploitative ass! And by ass, I mean the entire category of the species, up to, and including, a horse’s ass!
Stop being diplomatic Pat. Tell us what you REALLY think! Hahaha
I’m sorry. I owe Mr. Alleyne an apology. “He was an ass” is quite unfair to him, and also incorrect. De man eh dead yet! I should have made my meaning clear:
He IS still an ass, and will be until the day he dies.
Hahahaha
Although I’ve never seen more than a few minutes of any of his programmes, I find it hard not to agree…except for the tense. WAS an ass, etc?
Have to say, though, that I would agree fully if you’re referring to his decision to run for the UNC in the by-election. Now that was a piece of, well, let’s just say folly.
Lol. Pat I’m going out on a limb here but I’m guessing you don’t like Mr. Alleyne very much do you?
Yuh feel so, eh? ???
He was an exploiter of victims of crime and injustice, as well as a tabloid gossip peddler posing as a TV crime fighter.
For me, Ian Alleyne was as fake as $5 Oakleys and had a disturbing fetish for dead bodies that he ought not be sharing with the public.
If you cut out the dead bodies, then–go brave. But suffice to say that I will never be part of his demographic. And he looks to being just fine without me too… Win, win.
Yet, he was a voice for the voiceless. And, for that, I wish he finds a home.
As to the breaches of convention and the possibility of libel, a deeper look is required. That fine balance may have required a media/legal specialist but not the media owners to guide and control excesses. He should have had some kind of insurance for that…lol
It smacks of something not nice.
An element of trust is always necessary in this thing. You have to trust that the person meant to review your work is non-partisan.
If you don’t believe that, it can’t work. But every media house would need some level of security.
I agree
Yeah. Although MATT’s role is more to help media workers than to reply to every media issue. That can be a distraction.
CNC3 within their rights to take action against a show on its platform that opens company up to legal action.
It would probably make the association more effective than meeting once a month though
I don’t know if they have weekly meetings to be honest Vernal. I think they are only obligated to meet once a month. Not sure if they use stuff like video chat to make things easier.
Even a weekly meeting won’t help if you meet on Friday and the incident happened on Monday though.
LOL @ weekly meetings for a voluntary organization
Oh so it’s not like they have weekly meetings or something?
Well, remember that MATT is a voluntary body. That means when something happens, everyone has to check each other’s schedules outside of work commitments to have their say and reach a consensus.
They were only a few hours after the traditional print press. Lol.
Mih head hurtin mih!
MATT’s motto should be “Always a Day LATTe and a Dollar ShorTT”.
So pointless.
You can’t be bought. Already sold out
Nice that they have finally found their voice lol