Regulations to come before Parliament to address the matter

The Government of Antigua and Barbuda is getting tough on what it regards as ‘malicious journalism’, promising to create legislation to hold news agencies accountable for publications that defame people without cause.

As such, regulations are now being drafted by the Attorney General’s Office for social media reporters, journalists and media agencies that publish within Antigua and Barbuda. The regulations are to come before Parliament for approval.

Attorney General Steadroy Benjamin told Parliament that he was “troubled” by social media posts and will be taking steps to address the matter. Over the past five years, several news outlets have emerged, particularly online news sites, becoming popular among social media users.

Proposal for media entities to be registered

The attorney general is proposing that all these entities become registered under the country’s laws and be penalised for publishing unresearched defamatory content. He declared that the impending regulations will take into account the Freedom of Information Act and another act that addresses publication within the state.

Benjamin was highly critical of news agencies, which he said were “breaking news without substance”.

According to the attorney general, “if the publication originates in Antigua and Barbuda, let them be registered so, when you malign and you defame people, you must be sued and pay for your indiscretions”.

LAW BEING WORKED ON

He declared that his team in the Antigua and Barbuda Attorney General’s Office is working on the law, and once it originates from Antigua, they will deal with the offending news entity.

Continuing, Benjamin made the point that, “where you make a publication in a newspaper or any article designed to undermine the integrity of persons in the society, willfully, maliciously, recklessly, with no regards to the truth, then you ought to be made to pay for it”.

He argued that the only recipe for such action is to identify the persons, who are the editor, the publisher, and the directors and sue for compensation.