Speak easy

This week's hot potato has been the proposed Media Council Act 2010, drawing criticism from far and wide, to date US-based Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press; International Press Institute; CPU (Commonwealth Press Union) Media Trust; the UK's Press Complaints Commission and the Canadian-based Centre for Law and Democracy give it a resounding thumbs down. 


So why all the controversy?? Well, the bill currently being considered by Cabinet will allow the creation of a statutory Media Council to police the media here. Although it has been described as an 'independent' body, most of its members would be appointed on the recommendation of the Premier. The Council would have the power to censure or block the media from printing anything that is the subject of a complaint. Democracy anyone? My favourite response has to be Lucy Dalglish, executive director of the US-based Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press: "Excuse me, but is this a joke?" 


So who is the media here? We have a daily paper, The Royal Gazette, the twice weekly Bermuda Sun, then the broadcast media outlets are ZBM, VSB, HOTT FM, Magic FM , along with a number of online news site including bernews.com, bermuda.com, bermudawired.com. Although the bill only refers to the print and broadcast media, oh and strangely the online content from The Royal Gazette but not Bermuda Sun. The RG has had a tricky relationship with the Government of Bermuda, leading to the Premier to controversially severing contact between his Communications team and the paper in May 2009. 


But all this debate seems to be missing one vital consideration... social media. It's not like it's a foreign concept here, Bermuda has a higher than average per capita usage of Facebook and use of Twitter is also increasing and yeah no matter what's said in the newspaper, or on TV and radio news, SoMe let the people say what they want anyway and say it they do. The Royal Gazette and Bermuda Sun have active Facebook fan pages with most news posts drawing tens of comments from the public. IM and SMS is also BIG here, in fact some Bermudians even text and drive (not recommended).


Bermuda has a population of around 67,000 so unsurprisingly the community is vocal as the majority of issues directly effect each individual or someone they know. There is no local/national news distinction. So you don't even need to look as far as SoMe, word of mouth has never been so strong as it is here. People debate the news over the garden fence or in the street as on every trip into town you are guaranteed to bump into someone to chew the fat with. 


Then there's blogs of course that let the average (wo)man spit it and be heard a hell of a lot further afield. Oh look I just did! Hello to my subscribers in Newmarket, London, L.A., Auckland and Dubai!!!