Bouquet for Gleaner, brickbat for 'Mutty'

Desmond Allen

I'M SURE you're going to agree with me that the Gleaner reporter who broke the story last Thursday (May 25) on the sordid episode of the battering of prisoners, deserves a couple of big 'Spike' bouquets. Mind you, the story makes you sad. You don't want to see your fellowman, soldier, warder or prisoner involved in such vicious circumstances.

A big bouquet as well to Hugh Crosskill Jr. who was really firing on HOT-102's Nationwide on Thursday. Under his sharp, probing questioning, those guests who were being shamelessly politically partisan, were forced to address the real issues behind what is a human tragedy for which we must all share blame. If the media generally take the approach of Hugh Crosskill, this hurting nation will be well served.

On the other hand, a broad brickbat for Wilmot Perkins. Why? Breakfast Club's Anthony Abrahams was reporting from outside the St Catherine District prison where the alleged beatings took place. He told 'Mutty' that minutes after the Breakfast Club came off air earlier that day, he had been called by CNN, ABC, BBC and some other major networks. 'Mutty's' remark was "Excellent!" Really now, 'Mutty'? What can be excellent about that?

Spike readers'
comments

Dear Spike, this note is to help enlighten your readers. Let me start by saying that everything that's important is manipulated - national or international: The monetary exchange; the stock exchange; the interest rates; the policies; the price of commodities and THE MEDIA, the most important. Two letters, one by Cherton DaCosta, the other by Janice Rose-Brown (Spike May 21/22) concern me.

Most talk show hosts' main commodity is talk, which they sell at a price. Whether it be 'Straight Charles' at 89 taking over from 'Neva Baba Tandey' who ran to 'NDM 102' or the ladies at 94 to the 'Last Edition' after 'Brekfuss in Jamaica and dinner in Miami', De Con man top them all. Ms. Rose-Brown, Brian Lara is to cricket what Tyson is to boxing - promoters and bookmakers run things. Ability can take you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there. Finally, the true test of character is how we behave when we don't know what to do. - Albert Lee ac_noni@yahoo, Barbados.

Seen and Heard

Check that ad being run in The Gleaner about the Dinthill past students awards dinner set for June 3: "Attention All Dinthill Pass Students - Dintill Past Students Association will be...3rd Prize: Weekend for two (2) at Wyandham..."

"But I was even more startled to hear that JFJ's leader, Dr. Carolyn Gomes, was the brother of Evon Thwaites, an aspiring JLP constituency caretaker..." - Observer, May 15, page 6 article titled "Conflict resolution". One look at Dr. Gomes will tell you she is the sister of Mr. Evon Thwaites!

TVJ's weather lady, Nadine Hinds-Powell told us on May 17 that "the weather seems to be moving out..." So when you don't see any more weather in Jamaica, you will understand that it has moved out., okay! And the news reader told us that someone "deployed a large contingency of..." Of course that should be large contingent.

Sunday Herald article "A threat to the state, April 30-May 6, page 8A: "...That he was positively identified as the one who killed the man in the church accused of homosexuality does not make him a murderer." You can't accuse the church of homosexuality!

Gleaner article "Paris in the spring", May 3, page A4: "The second thing which struck my wife and I..." That should be my wife and me. That same paper had a front page headline "C&W's mobile man jumps ship". I like the attempt to be cute. But to accept another job offer is not the same as jumping ship.

Ambiguous headline in the Business Observer, May 3, page 14B: "US stock market closes down". The stock market is still in operation. They are only saying that share prices closed lower that day. Whew! Then the following week, the paper gave us this on its front page: "Paymaster...the novel business concept and the dramatic transformation it has had on customers..." They meant impact on customers, don't it?

Lazy headline in The Sunday Gleaner, May 21, page one: "Woman suffers after being shot in cop chase". Trust me, everybody suffers after being shot! So what's new?

The CVM-TV news reader tells us on May 21: "Ms Gooden frequents the Jehovah Witness Church in Spanish Town..." Miss Gooden attends the church, not frequents it.

Work this one in The Star, "An actor's heart", May 25, page 7: "Without anyone knowing, he went up to Up Park Camp and signed up as an officer." Believe me, someone knew, even if it's only the person doing the signing up!

The Observer in its May 9 lead story "PM under fire again" tells us: "The Patterson administration was last night trying to ward off a barrage of flak fired yesterday..." In English, this is called redundancy. You don't have to use both 'barrage' and 'flak'.

Send your spikeables to spike@jol.com.jm; desal@cwjamaica.com or fax to 926-0295

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