The National Consciousness of the Nation: In Solidarity with NewsCo-Observer and Mr. Dane Knight

By Kwame Nkosi Romeo

"...Any attempt to stifle or fetter such criticism amounts to political censorship of the most insidious and objectionable kind."

Lord Bridge of Harwick, Privy Council

I wrote the following piece 20 years ago concerning press freedom in Antigua and Barbuda; still, the practice of repression is consistent under the Antigua Labour Party (ALP) regime, including recent NewsCo-Observer events.

Despite decades of barefaced oppression of Antigua and Barbuda's media, Outlet Newspaper and the combative Tim Hector were unequaled free speech forces. Hector opposed former ALP prime minister Lester Bird's regime that violated and muzzled freedom and the constitutional right of free speech.

Hector took issue with the draconian Public Order Act, which said, 'The truth is no defense' in 1990. Legal luminaries of the Privy Council in England, in a landmark decision, ruled it unconstitutional. Bird's authoritarian government lost, and democracy triumphed. Hector won the battle against state bias when Lord Bridge of Harwick, in the case of Tim Hector vs. Attorney General of Antigua, stated:

"In a free democratic society, it is almost too obvious to need stating that those who hold office in government and who are responsible for public administration must always be open to criticism. Any attempt to stifle or fetter such criticism amounts to political censorship of the most insidious and objectionable kind."

A decade after that ruling, Tim Hector's struggles were undeniably pellucid in an Outlet article titled: 'Looking Back to Look Forward at my front-line political end' on June 16, 2000.

"[22] years ago in 1978, I was bound and shackled for doing no more than picketing most peacefully, with a placard which read Stop Sending Arms to South Africa. In 1998, all of Outlet's printing equipment was torched by state terrorists. Twenty years of persistent attacks. There has been nothing like it before in the political culture of the Caribbean."

Following the genesis of the struggle established by Tim Hector and Outlet was the dawn of new media power - Observer Radio, releasing voices silenced by the trigger of an undemocratic method in defiance of government aggression to stop media independence. So, in another case, with much more public funds, with the same outcome as Outlet, Observer gained a victory in 2000. It was a humiliating defeat for Anthony Astaphan, the ALP government legal luminary. The Privy Council judges explicitly agreed that the Astaphans debate was "Not within 100 miles of convincing their lordships."

Bird's dictatorial power undervalued the object lesson of Outlet's legal battle; Observer won! The truth is Observer Radio, for all of its shortcomings, can inform, educate, and represent the public life force of the common good. After all, it is the only radio station in Antigua and Barbuda that can genuinely be the nation's vanguard and national consciousness. The Voice of the People protects the advocacy of the people. (Attacks on the Press 2001: Antigua and Barbuda - March 26, 2001)

New challenges emerged a few days ago concerning the vanguard of courage NewsCo Observer and the government's notoriety calls for immediate action.

Rather than pointing to ALP notoriety, some quickly quote Sir V C Bird "The dogs will bark, and the donkeys or the jackasses will bray, but the wagon must roll on."

Similarly, how feared would our language be if we said "The Ballot or the Bullet." Send the FBI again!

The Call for Observer to be the Vanguard of Courage:

When was the last time the opposition United Progressive Partry (UPP) was allocated time on Antigua Broadcasting Service (ABS)? 

ABS is used solely by the ALP prime minister Gaston Browne and cronies touting endless diatribes of political divisiveness and propaganda. Neither the UPP, Democratic National Alliance (DNA), nor Barbuda People's Movement (BPM) got airtime to address Browne's economic failures, the COVID-19 health crisis, the rising poverty, or referring to the Barbudan people as being deracinated imbeciles are ALPs dog-whistle politics.

That's because ABS and others ally with Alp's participatory propaganda. ABS is no longer the public voice; Browne dictates the narrative to dumb down the resistance movement and the voices calling for change. ABS is used as a political mouthpiece to convey the government's propaganda instead of being nonpartisan, demanding accountability and transparency of those elected to govern. The followers' objective is to be critical of the courageous commentator Mr. Dane Knight, a popular Observer radio host of late-night discussions on the Snakepit in-demand show featuring Knight at Night, and criticism of Darren Matthew-Ward, Observer AM host.

Likewise, many of Knight's detractors are also aware of the most recent condemnation of Piers Morgan on the Good Morning Great Britain show by cohost Alex Beresford for a comment Morgan made about Meghan Markel that Beresford considered racist and diabolical. 

Morgan instantly walked off the show. Two instances relate to a colleague's critical observation, one racist comment and the other criticism about giving an open mic to a government official whose most nefarious plan is to destroy Observer.

A few nights ago, in the Snakepit, Knight's critique of his Observer colleague was given primary publicity by government functionaries. ALP allies turn the spotlight on Knight while the conspiracy of silence persists in the country's governance. Still, Knight's nightly messages continue to resonate with the masses, and the government's fear of the resistance movement is apparent, so the plot begins, inhibiting Knight by using deception. This craftiness is one of the oldest propaganda tricks used by the ALP.

Knight's criticism of Matthew-Ward is today's propaganda. Matthew-Ward is blamed for defending the status quo and not satisfactorily challenging the government's extensive publicity on social media postings and other atrocious social and economic issues affecting the country.

During an interview about four years ago, Browne attacked Observer journalist Paul Quinn for frequently asking some hard questions about Browne's antagonism towards Sandals and its owners. The questions concerning Sandals and their owners angered Browne, who unkindly answered: 

"What I am saying to you and those deracinated people on Observer Radio, stand up for this country..." (Jamaica Observer November 12, 2017)

Did Browne stand up for Antigua and Barbuda after recently accusing ALP MP Asot Michael of pocketing $US5 million of government taxes but demanding what Sandals supposedly owes? 

Knight's argument may be viewed as contentious by a few detractors, but there is sufficient reason to review Knight's credible statement and support it! Knight has heard about the government's plan to close down NewsCo Observer, exposed ALP's corruptible ways, and Browne's meanness of words to describe his colleagues. So Knight focused attention on their double standard and for his associates to be more open-eyed in not allowing the government to destroy the working class's sole voice and genuine free speech.

 For instance, Matthew-Ward's journalism expertise may be blurred by overpowering fear when interviewing Browne or Max Hurst, the public relations officer, and this terror grips the entire nation. There is a weak dialogue instead of a robust assessment regarding the problems affecting the state. Matthew-Ward is a capable journalist, but there is a broader struggle about freedom of the press and Observer Radio's genesis that must remind everyone of the hard-fought battles to realize press freedom. The masses know of the uphill struggle for press freedom. Alp's first effort silencing the People's Voice was the Observer headquarters' covert takeover of the Stanford Building at Coolidge on November 30, 2018; the scheming was short-lived.

Two relatives, both naturalized citizens, coordinated the move. These ALP officeholders fulfilled the plan upon ceasing the Observer Group leaseholder agreement. One is a senior ALP government US-based infamous diplomat—the other an Ambassador involved in investment banking and a significant government's economic agent. The nexus of these wrongs committed against the Observer Group is as clear as daylight!

What role did the Citizenship by Investment Program (CIP) play in acquiring the former Stanford Building at Coolidge and the curtailment of freedom of expression? 

Again, Observer emerged as NewsCo-Observer, the resilience of Algernon 'Serpent' Watts (Managing Director, NewsCo), Dave Lester Payne (Station Manager, NewsCo), Stacy Samuel (Sales and Human Resources Manager), Dr. Cleon Athill, and the dynamic Movementeers: in addition to the many committed investors and peoples benevolence, maintained Observer. Truly a herculean effort in defying the odds, it opened on December 6, 2018, in the ABI Financial Group Building.

Today, the government intends to extinguish the NewsCo-Observer; this independent press is under siege by autocratic leadership and cronies. That despotism continues decades after Leonard Tim Hector won a landmark judgment against political bias. This absolutism threatens our so-called democracy, but the Washington Post newspaper's new slogan echoes the harsh truth: 'Democracy Dies in Darkness!

When last have you heard tough talk concerning the crisis following the CIP corruption, the rising inequality and poverty, the destruction of the environment, Hurricane Irma, the deplorable handling of COVID-19, and the languishing state of affairs and newly acquired affluence of government ministers?

The indomitable Knight has done all the above to the ruling ALP government's chagrin. Knights' exposure of the truth is troubling and upsetting to the Browne administration.

What occurs is that Knight calls attention to his colleague's shortcomings, and Matthew-Wards' responses are both used as ALP propaganda to create disaffection, give rise to further chaos, destabilize Observer, and trash Knight. Knight is the most feared radio commentator, distributing the message and positively countering Alp's propaganda machinery without fear or favor. (We've come this far by faith - December 6, 2019)

To remove Knight from Observer is the rallying cry of those unable to accept the criticism, deal with the social and economic issues, and lead the country. ALP government wears the colonial mask of injustice and oppression, while the Observer's shield is the masses standing up to authoritarian rule. The power of the people will eventually win. The people have more power than the people in power.

The evidence of broken promises, lack of social infrastructure investment, economic failure, and bad leadership is what the people should be rioting against, not Knight's patriotic call and colleagues' solidarity.

The bonfire has not died

Ashes have not settled

Because justice is still a burning desire

That will fan the flame

And keep the rising combativity alive

Bombshell