The PNP must be commended for having the good sense to change its position on insisting that no Nationwide News Network (NWN) journalists pose questions at the upcoming televised party political debates. 

George Davis is a fine broadcaster, and he will do a good job. It would have been absolute folly for the PNP to insist that Cliff Hughes’ Nationwide News Network (NWN) and its reporters should not feature or participate in these eagerly anticipated events.

The PNP should take the approach that it can articulate and present its vision for Jamaica before any journalist.

It was circulated that Colin Campbell, the PNP’s top brass, and its communications team claimed that Nationwide is biased and a vehement supporter of the Andrew Holness-led JLP.

That should not be the point. The Debate Commission selects the moderators and panel of journalists, with the respective party representatives having to get on with it. Cherry-picking who will question you, smacks of fear and leaves the PNP open to accusations that it is only prepared to answer softball questions from sympathetic journalists.

The PNP made a mistake when it declared it didn’t want to reveal its plans for the governance of the country because the JLP would co-op them; it would have been making another mistake by blacklisting Nationwide.

Now the PNP is signalling it is prepared to take on all comers in the debates, confident in its manifesto and its ability to present a roadmap for a better Jamaica.

Nationwide News has been around for well over 20 years, with its founder and lead principal, Cliff Hughes, recognised as one of the best broadcast journalists operating in Jamaica. It deserves a seat at the table.

Never let it be said that journalists in Jamaica must now wonder whether they are in the PNP’s good books and what that means going forward. 

Many of the other media houses were not vocal in their support for Nationwide on this matter, perhaps preferring to remain silent in fear of reprisals. What then of a fair and fearless media? 

This would have been a dangerous road for the PNP to go down. In the years to come, is this what we can expect? What was to stop the JLP taking a retaliatory stance?

Yesterday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness, addressing this matter, said: “The PNP is exuding a certain arrogance that the people of Jamaica should read very carefully. I find it to be totally undemocratic, and it is a bit of hypocrisy because they talk about  supporting the press, but the evidence of their action is to be seen.” 

He has a point. The optics here didn’t look good, and the public did not look favourably upon it.

Once you step into that debating arena, it’s open season, and political parties do not have the luxury of selecting who the inquisitors are. 

Media houses cannot go about their work if they are fearful of irking political parties. 

It was a good call by the PNP to cool down and do the right thing.