11125+
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planning, vital statistics, watersports, wildlife, work permits, etc. For
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retirees, scholars. Funded by and linked to The
Royal Gazette, Bermuda's only daily newspaper.
Bermuda News
Media
Newspapers, magazines, cable, radio, television
By Keith
Archibald Forbes (see About
Us) exclusively for Bermuda
Online
To refer by
e-mail to this file use "bermuda-online.org/media" as your Subject
Media below wishing
to have their websites and email addresses shown below are welcome to contact
the author, if they act in accordance with our Reciprocal
Links policy.
A planned tightly regulated
media instead of freedom of the press
Unlike Canada, USA,
etc where freedom of the press is built to their constitutions or elsewhere into
their constitutional rights, Bermuda has no such guaranteed press freedoms. The
International Press Institute (IPI) has warned the Government that its
"deeply flawed" planned Media Council Act 2010 bill could damage
Bermuda's reputation around the world. The global network
of editors, media executives and journalists, based in Vienna, issued a
statement in May 2010 arguing that the proposed council would be inherently
biased, would infringe press freedom and could prevent the free flow of
information. It urged the Government to
withdraw the draft legislation and talk again to the Island's media industry
about how it should be regulated. The warning
follows opposition to the bill from other global press freedom organizations,
including US-based Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the CPU
(Commonwealth Press Union) Media Trust. The IPI
statement, sent all over the world from the organization's Austrian headquarters
and posted on its website, said the Media Council Act 2010 could have a
"detrimental impact" on the reputation of the Bermuda Government.
The bill was tabled in Bermuda's House of Assembly on
May 7, 2010 by Premier Ewart Brown and could be debated and approved by MPs very
soon. The council would establish a code of
practice for the media and a complaints procedure to deal with breaches of the
code.
The
IPI is concerned that six members of the council would be appointed by the
Governor on the recommendation of the Premier, with just five further media
representatives. "The bill would appear to
have a bias that jeopardizes not only the council's decision-making process but
also any future code of practice for the media," according to the
statement. "Most
worryingly, section 15 (3) (d) contains a powerful prior restraint clause
enabling the council to prevent the publication and broadcasting of 'any news,
or comment on the news, that is the subject of the complaint. Due to the bias
inherent within the council, this power could be abused to prevent the free flow
of information within Bermuda and might be used by complainants to prevent
investigative journalism."
The
IPI, which works to safeguard press freedom, said the "controversial"
media bill appeared to have "more in common with the media legislation of
some of the repressive governments in Latin America, than with the First
Amendment tradition of one of its close trading partners, the United
States." It
added: "Having examined the draft bill, the International Press Institute,
the global network for a free media, believes it to be deeply flawed."
IPI
director David Dadge said: "It is very unfortunate that Bermuda, with its
geographical closeness to the United States and its cultural and political ties
to the United Kingdom, has managed to draft a law that would be wholly
unacceptable in both countries.
Media councils should be freely chosen by the local
media and they should be independent and self-regulating. They
should not be enacted by law and contain an inbuilt bias to the state and create
powers that, if applied, would deeply inhibit the media's ability to act in the
public interest." Mr. Dadge encouraged
Government "to withhold this bill from Parliament and to go back to holding
a dialogue with the local media". Premier
Ewart Brown's spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on the IPI
statement.
Read
the full statement at www.freemedia.at.
You
can download and read the complete Media Council Act. by clicking here.
The
idea of a media council in Bermuda is something some local politicians who are opposed to true democracy and fundamental press freedoms have been
advocating for almost two decades. It seems they have not been aware, or have
omitted to mention, that voluntary press codes - not legislation made by and on
behalf of their governments - apply in all the world's democracies. Unlike them,
Bermuda does not have a "gutter" or "yellow" press so has
seen no need yet to have a voluntary press code.
See this dateline:
-
February
3, 1993: Progressive Labour Party MP Julian Hall calls for a press
council to be formed to ensure journalistic responsibility, during a speech
in the House of Assembly.
-
June
25, 1993: United Bermuda Party Cabinet Minister Ann Cartwright DeCouto
tells the House of Assembly during a debate on the Broadcasting
Commissioners Amendment Act that she favours a press council to handle
complaints about unfair treatment by newspapers. National Liberal Party
leader Gilbert Darrell asks why television and radio are singled out for
regulation, when the press is "getting away with murder."
-
July
21, 1993: PLP leader Frederick Wade urges the creation of an
"independent and non-partisan press council". He claims "most
unpardonable attacks" are being aimed at MPs and public office
candidates.
-
February
24, 1999: UBP Senator Maxwell Burgess suggests that a media council
"which spoke to some sense of fair reporting" could be set up. PLP
Senator Calvin Smith disagrees, arguing that freedom of the press is part of
the democratic process. "The last thing we would look to see is
increased control," says Sen. Smith. Independent senator Walwyn Hughes
states: "We might have our disagreements and views on the media. But
the last thing we need is to have our troubles and concerns addressed by the
Government."
-
August
1999: PLP Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb floats the idea of a
press council to investigate alleged abuses. UBP MPs pour scorn on the idea
because it wouldn't cover TV and radio but would have representatives from
"fringe" publications such as Bermuda Industrial Union's Workers'
Voice.
-
July
2003: Ms Webb reiterates her call for a press council. She says that in
1999 she "met with the various editors of the newspapers and they all
agreed it was a good idea but I don't think they really wanted it. If they
were serious they would have done it."
- February 1, 2008:
Government announces plans for a media council in its Throne Speech and
promises to begin consultation with the media later in the year. Premier
Ewart Brown asserts that the "atmosphere in the recent [general]
election probably made people think about it more.".
-
The
February 2008 edition of the PLP newsletter The Party Line states:
"As the demand for transparency and fairness is apparently increasing,
one would hope that the daily, which a large portion of a specific section
of the community considers unfair, will advocate with similar vigor for a
press council."
(Opposition
leader Kim Swan says that if the press needs a code of conduct, there should
be one for legislators too.)
March
2008: Sixty-four percent of people responding to a poll commissioned by
The Royal Gazette support the introduction of a press council to regulate
newspapers.
July
9, 2008: The Premier says his plans for a media council are behind
schedule but promises: "Our recommended press council model will be
available for stakeholder consultation soon."
December
12, 2008: A letter from the media to Dr. Brown states: "We do not
believe that a legislated media council along the lines proposed in the
[Cabinet] paper before you is appropriate or necessary." The letter
suggests a "self-regulating body without the interference, perceived or
otherwise, of the Government, which legislation would inevitably
suggest". It is signed by: Bill Craig, then CEO of Bermuda Broadcasting
Company; PLP senator and radio host Thaao Dill, programme director of
Inter-Island Communications; Chris Lodge, news director at DeFontes
Broadcasting Company; Tony McWilliam, editor of the Bermuda Sun; and Bill
Zuill, editor of The Royal Gazette.
March
8, 2010: Dr. Brown tells the House of Assembly that legislation
"developed to create an independent media council, which will promote
fairness, accuracy, accountability and journalistic integrity in the content
and presentation of media coverage, including news reports, comment,
articles and pictures" will soon be tabled.
May
6, 2010: The Premier calls a press conference to tell the media that a
bill has been drawn up to create a media council to oversee a code of
practice and complaints procedure for print and broadcast operations.
May
7, 2010: The Media Council Act 2010 is tabled in the House of Assembly.
Bermuda's
British Governor and the USA's Consul General are both silent. Yet both have
complete freedom of the press in their respective countries, endorsed by the
Queen and President Obama.
Suggested
Media Code of Practice
Suggested
in June 2010 by Bermuda's media shown below instead of a government-run entity.
Preamble
Members of the
media have a duty to maintain the highest professional standards.
The Code
of Practice, which includes this preamble and the public interest exceptions in
Section 1, sets the benchmark for ethical standards, protecting both the rights
of the individual and the public's right to know. It is the cornerstone of the
system of self-regulation to which the industry in Bermuda has made a binding
commitment.
Freedom
of the press is indivisible from, and subject to, the same rights and duties as
that of the individual and rests on the public's fundamental right to be
informed and freely to receive and to disseminate opinions.
The
primary purpose of gathering and distributing news and opinion is to serve
Bermuda by informing citizens and enabling them to make informed judgments on
the issues of the time. The Code serves as a reference point for the public and
also as an essential guide for journalists in Bermuda.
It
is vital that this Code be honored not only by the letter but also in spirit. It
should not be interpreted so narrowly as to compromise its commitment to respect
the rights of the individual, nor so broadly that it constitutes an unnecessary
interference with freedom of expression or prevents publication in the public
interest.
It is the
responsibility of editors, publishers and managers to apply the Code to
editorial material. They should ensure it is observed rigorously by all
editorial staff and external contributors, including non-journalists.
Public
enlightenment, as defined by the Society of Professional Journalists, is the
forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. This is the guiding
principle of this Code.
1.
The Public Interest
There
may be exceptions to the clauses below marked ** where they can
be demonstrated to be in the public interest. The public interest includes, but
is not confined to:
- Detecting or exposing crime or
serious impropriety.
- Protecting public health and
safety.
- Preventing the public from
being misled by an action or statement by an individual or organization.
- Where there is a public
interest in freedom of expression itself.
- Whenever the public interest
is invoked, the Bermuda Media Council shall require editors/news directors
to demonstrate fully how the public interest was served.
- The Bermuda Media Council will
consider the extent to which material is already in the public domain, or
will become so.
- In cases involving children
under the age of 16, editors/news directors must demonstrate an exceptional
public interest to over-ride the normally paramount interest of the child.
2. Accuracy
- The media shall take care not
to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information, including
photographs, video and voice recordings.
- A significant inaccuracy,
misleading statement or distortion once recognized shall be corrected,
promptly and with due prominence, and � where appropriate �
the media outlet should make amends by printing/broadcasting/posting,
promptly and with appropriate prominence, a retraction, correction or
explanation and/or an apology.
- The media, whilst free to be
partisan, shall distinguish clearly between comment, conjecture and fact.
Facts are not always clear-cut and often open to interpretation but the
media shall present factual information fairly and with due regard to
context and importance. Where a report is not based on facts or is founded
on opinions, allegation, rumor or supposition, it shall be presented in such
manner as to indicate this clearly.
- A media outlet is entitled to
adopt a forthright stance and advocate a position on any issue.
- A media outlet shall report
fairly and accurately the outcome of an action for defamation to which it
has been a party, unless an agreed settlement states otherwise, or an agreed
statement is published.
- Journalists should use
corroboration to verify the accuracy of information from their sources.
- Media outlets must clearly
distinguish for the audience the difference between advertising, advertorial
and news.
3. Opportunity to Reply
- Journalists shall ensure that
stories are fair and balanced and routinely seek the views of the subject of
serious critical reportage in advance of publication. This need not be done
where the media outlet has reasonable grounds for believing that by doing so
it would be prevented from publishing the report or where evidence might be
destroyed or witnesses intimidated.
- A fair opportunity for reply
to inaccuracies must be given when reasonably called for.
4. Privacy
- Everyone
is entitled to respect for his or her private and family life, home, health
and correspondence, including digital communications. Editors/news directors
shall be expected to justify intrusions into any individual�s private
life without consent.
- People in
public life are entitled to privacy.
- Where
a person holds public office, deals with public affairs, follows a public
career, or has sought or obtained publicity for his/her activities,
publication/broadcast of relevant details of his/her private life and
circumstances may be justifiable where the information revealed relates to
the validity of the person�s conduct, the credibility of his/her
public statements, the value of his/her publicly expressed views or is
otherwise in the public interest.
- It is
unacceptable to photograph or film or record individuals in a private place
without their consent. Note: private places are public or private property
where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.
5. Harassment
- Journalists shall not engage
in intimidation, harassment or persistent pursuit.
- Journalists shall not persist
in questioning, telephoning, emailing/texting, pursuing or photographing or
filming individuals once asked to desist; nor remain on their property when
asked to leave and must not follow them. Exceptions arise in relation to the
movement of accused or convicted criminals (usually under escort and in
public places), where the public interest is paramount.
- Editors/news directors should
ensure these principles are observed by those working for them and take care
not to use non-compliant material from other sources.
6. Intrusion into grief or shock
- In cases involving personal
grief or shock, enquiries and approaches must be made with sympathy and
discretion and the information garnered shall be handled sensitively. This
does not restrict the right to report legal proceedings, such as inquests.
- When reporting suicide, care
shall be taken to avoid excessive detail about the method used.
7. Children
- Young people should be free to
complete their time at school without unnecessary intrusion.
- Journalists/editors/news
directors should have regard for the vulnerability
of children and in all dealings with children should bear in mind the age of
the child, whether parental or other adult consent has been obtained for
such dealings, the sensitivity of the subject-matter, and what
circumstances, if any, make the story one of public interest.
- A child under 16 years of age
shall not be interviewed or photographed or recorded � especially on
issues involving their own or another child's welfare unless a custodial
parent or similarly responsible adult consents.
- Pupils shall not be approached
or photographed at school without the permission of the school authorities.
- Editors/news directors shall
not use the fame, notoriety or position of a parent or guardian as sole
justification for publishing/broadcasting details of a child's private life.
8. Hospitals
- Journalists shall identify
themselves and obtain permission from a responsible executive before
entering non-public areas of hospitals or similar institutions to pursue
enquiries, unless they have been invited to see a patient by the patient
personally or by his/her immediate family or partner.
- The restrictions on intruding
into privacy are particularly relevant to enquiries about individuals in
hospitals or similar institutions.
9. Reporting of Crime
- Relatives or friends of
persons convicted or accused of crime should not generally be identified
without their consent, unless they are genuinely relevant to the story.
- Particular regard should be
paid to the potentially vulnerable position of children who witness, or are
victims of, crime. This should not restrict the right to report legal
proceedings.
- Due care and responsibility
shall be exercised by the media with regard to the presentation of
brutality, violence and atrocities.
10. Clandestine devices and
subterfuge
- The media shall not seek to
obtain material by intercepting private or cell phone calls, messages or
emails or by accessing digitally held private information without consent.
- Journalists should clearly
identify themselves immediately in a conversation that might contain
information used in reporting.
- The use of hidden cameras and
listening devices in public places and/or engaging in misrepresentation or
subterfuge, including by agents or intermediaries, can generally be
justified only in the public interest and then only when the material cannot
be obtained by other means.
11. Discrimination
- The media shall avoid
prejudicial or pejorative reference to an individual's skin colour, race,
nationality (including citizenship), ethnic or national origin, religion,
gender, sexual orientation, marital status,
disability, illness, or age.
- Details of an individual's
skin colour, race, nationality (including citizenship), ethnic or national
origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital
status, disability, illness, or age shall be avoided unless genuinely
relevant to the story.
- Media reports shall not place
gratuitous emphasis on, skin colour, race, nationality (including
citizenship), ethnic or national origin, religion, gender, sexual
orientation, marital status, disability, illness,
or age. Journalists should also avoid stereotyping based on the
above.
- Nevertheless, where it is
relevant and in the public interest, the media may report and express
opinions in these areas.
12. Incitement to Hatred
- The
media has the right and the duty to report and comment on all matters of
legitimate public interest. This right and duty shall, however, be balanced
against the obligation not to publish/broadcast/post material that amounts
to hate speech.
- Editors/news
directors shall take care in deciding how to report incidences of hate
speech without widening the dissemination of its content.
- Hate
speech is defined for the purpose of this Code as hateful, threatening,
abusive or insulting language intended or likely to cause grave
offence or stir up hatred against an individual or group on the basis of
skin colour, race, nationality (including citizenship), ethnic or national
origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status,
disability, illness, or age.
13. Financial/business
journalism
- Even where the law does not
prohibit it, journalists shall not use for their own profit financial
information they receive in advance of its general dissemination, nor should
they pass such information to others.
- Journalists shall not write
about shares or securities in whose performance they know that they or their
close families have a significant financial interest without disclosing the
interest to their editor/news director.
- They shall not buy or sell,
either directly or through nominees or agents, shares or securities about
which they have written recently or about which they intend to write in the
near future.
- When a media outlet is
reporting on a company to which it has substantial links (it might be a
parent or sister company), the relationship shall be made clear in the
story.
14. Confidential sources
- Journalists have a moral
obligation to protect confidential sources of information.
- They also have a duty to take
reasonable steps to satisfy themselves that such sources are well informed,
have sound motives and that the information they provide is accurate.
- Conditions attached to any
promise made in exchange for information should be clarified, and promises
kept.
- Sources shall be identified
whenever feasible and when anonymity is granted, an explanation shall be
provided. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on
source's reliability, short of compromising promised anonymity.
15. Witness payments in criminal
trials and payment to criminals
The media shall not, under any
circumstances, offer any payment for any story. (This does not preclude payments
to freelance writers, photographers etc).
16. Headlines and captions
Headlines, sub-headings and
captions, across all media, should accurately and fairly convey the substance or
tone of the report or photo or footage to which they are related.
17. Photos & video footage
- Editors/news directors shall
not publish/broadcast/post photographs or footage or audio content which has
been manipulated without informing readers/viewers of the fact and, where
significant, of the nature and purpose of the manipulation.
- Situations of grief and shock
shall be handled with special consideration for the sensibilities of those
affected.
- Taking
photographs, filming or recording individuals in private places without
their consent is not acceptable, unless justified by the public interest.
18. Public feedback
Selection and treatment of letters,
and the choice of and air time given to talk show guests, are the prerogative of
editors/news directors who are to be guided by fairness, balance, and public
interest in the contributors' views.
19. Conflict of Interest
- Journalists should be free of
obligation to any interest other than the public�s right to know.
Participation in political/community groups and the like should be declared
to the editor/manager.�
- Readers are entitled to expect
that content reflects the best judgment of editors/news
directors/journalists and has not been inappropriately influenced by
undisclosed interests. Where relevant, any significant financial or
political interest of a media outlet or journalist should be disclosed.
Writers should disclose significant potential conflicts of interest to their
editor/news director.
20. Editorial matters
- The free expression of ideas
and viewpoints is a fundamental and unassailable function of the media.
- Opinion columns and editorials
carry the same commitment to factual accuracy (see Section 2) as reportage.
21. Plagiarism, copyright &
embargoes
- Media outlets shall not use
words, images or footage generated by fellow media professionals without
full attribution and/or prior consent.
- Copyright on
articles/photographs/footage shall be respected. Inadvertent breaches of
copyright should be looked upon more sympathetically than deliberate or
careless breaches.
- Embargoes on information shall
be adhered to.
22. User-generated online
content
- This Code primarily covers
editorial material, ie. that which could reasonably be expected to be under
the control of the editor/news director.
- Editors/news directors must
ensure that all submitted words/photographs/footage complies with this Code.
If content is modified, it should be clearly indicated.
- Media outlets should identify
an easy way in which people can raise concerns about user-generated content.
23. Social Networking Sites
- Material from social
networking sites, published without consent, can raise privacy issues.
- As soon as an editor/news
director makes a decision to publish/broadcast/post material from a social
networking site, he/she is assuming responsibility for its content and the
manner in which it was obtained.
- Journalists/editors/news
directors must consider prior to publication/broadcast/posting how private
the material is; how accessible it is to third parties (including whether
the person concerned had restricted public access to the information); and
whether or not the subject matter concerns a child.
24. Miscellaneous
- Journalists should examine
their own cultural values and beliefs and, in reporting the news, avoid
imposing those values on others. Exceptions arise when writing opinion-based
commentary and/or if the media outlet targets a specific market.
- Journalists should be
especially sensitive when dealing with inexperienced sources/interviewees eg.
if a child or elderly person is encountering the media for the first time,
the journalist, if asked, should be willing to outline what information
he/she intends to make public.
25. Note
This Code of Practice is a living
document and will be subject to change once it has been put into practice and
its effectiveness evaluated. It will thereafter be revised annually, as
circumstances demand. Changes can only be made with the collective authorization
of its five original co-signatories or their successors.
Daily free and independent
newspaper
The
Royal Gazette
Bermuda's best value for money by far,
costs Bda$ 1.00, less
than many UK newspapers with far less content, plus has a full-content electronic
Edition. Internationally praised and respected.
Founded in
1828, Bermuda's only daily newspaper, publishing every day except Sunday and
public holidays. With daily circulation of more than 16,000 copies, the
newspaper reaches more than 90 percent of the adult market. It
aims to cover the whole community fairly and accurately ands to act as an
independent voice. It is not affiliated with any political party. Each
day, it produces the following sections: Local news, Overseas news, Sport,
Business, Lifestyle and Opinion. In addition, the newspaper produces weekly
sections on Body and Soul (Tuesday), Personal Technology and Shipping
(Wednesday) Youth (Thursday), Personal Finance, Religion and Weekender
(Saturday). It also publishes two magazines: RG Magazine, a general interest
colour supplement, and Bottom Line, a business magazine. These award-winning
magazines come out in alternative months through the year. It
started publishing an Internet edition in 1997 and upgrades its website
regularly. It
is owned by The Bermuda Press (Holdings) Ltd., which in addition to owning the
Island's leading media group, also owns Bermuda Press Ltd., the leading
commercial printer in Bermuda, office supplies companies and real estate.
Located at 2
Par-la-Ville Road, Hamilton HM-02, Bermuda.
Mailing address: PO Box HM1025, Hamilton HMDX,
Bermuda. Phone: 441-295-5881. Royal Gazette Editorial Fax: 441-292-2498
Emails:
Letters to the Editor: letters@royalgazette.bm
Local news: news@royalgazette.bm
News Desk: rgnewsdesk@royalgazette.bm
Business: business@royalgazette.bm
Sport: sport@royalgazette.bm
Lifestyle/Calendar: lifestyle@royalgazette.bm
For more information about contacting different Royal Gazette departments or
individual members of staff, see Contact Us.
On January 21, 2008 The Royal
Gazette launched a campaign to throw open the doors of
Government and publicly-funded groups to give the people of Bermuda access to
information that shapes their lives. A Right to
Know: Giving People Power is all about helping the people of Bermuda find out
what Government and other publicly funded bodies are doing on behalf of
citizens, residents and taxpayers and how they are spending tax dollars.
There have been pledges of support from around the
Island and the world, with former Progressive Labour Party Premier Alex Scott
one of the first on board. He said: "This is not an anti-government
exercise. It's a pro-democracy vehicle for the public that we serve."
A Right to Know calls for Premier Dr. Ewart Brown and
his Government to return plans first introduced in 2003 by Mr. Scott for public
access to information (PATI) to the top of the PLP's agenda. This
newspaper asked to see a commitment in the 2008 Throne Speech delivered on
February 1 to table a PATI bill in the House of Assembly this year. It
also urged Government, on behalf of all consumers, to agree to open up to the
public all quangos, boards and other publicly-funded bodies, including the
Corporation of Hamilton, which has a $20 million annual budget. There are more
than 100 such entities in Bermuda spending millions of dollars of taxpayers'
money and all hold their meetings behind closed doors, with a only a couple
releasing minutes to the public. The Royal
Gazette believes that anyone should be allowed to attend these meetings if they
wish and that minutes detailing what happens during them and the decisions taken
which affect the people of Bermuda should be made publicly available. The
final aim of A Right to Know is to persuade Government and other bodies that are
paid for by the taxpayer to answer questions about their activities unless they
have sound and irrefutable reasons not to, such as for national security
purposes. Mr. Scott said Bermuda was ready for
a public access to or freedom of information (FOI) law and a more open
government, as the more than 70 countries around the world, including Cayman,
Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, the UK, Canada, the US and
Ireland have done. Other community members
supporting transparency include Anglican Bishop Ewan Ratteray, Bermuda National
Trust director Jennifer Gray, teachers' union leader Mike Charles, former
Opposition UBP leader Grant Gibbons, columnist and journalist Tom Vesey, lawyer
Tim Marshall, environmentalist Stuart Hayward, businessmen Stephen Davidson and
Nalton Brangman and US Consul Gregory Slayton. Mr.
Slayton said the US's FOI laws had made a big difference in various obvious ways
and he was all in favor of that for all in Bermuda, to make Government
accountable and responsible to citizens and taxpayers. The National Freedom of
Information Coalition (NFOIC) in the US is behind the initiative, as is the
Carter Center, the human rights organisation founded by former American
President Jimmy Carter which helped Jamaica implement its PATI law. Charles
Davis, from NFOIC, said he had witnessed other small countries successfully
bring in FOI. He said: "You have got a great case for reform here. In a
small country a lot can happen with nobody knowing about it. The default is
almost to be secretive. I think this is an excellent case for a new FOI
law."
Because they are fully
independent of the Bermuda Government, Royal Gazette reporters are regularly verbally attacked and belittled by
politicians at press conferences and public events. It is the only developed
country in the free world where this kind of constant government hostility
towards the free press goes unchallenged; not good for Bermuda's image as a
tourism resort and business center. Even in the United Kingdom, where the
leading independent newspapers regularly police and often challenge the
government, Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his Cabinet, always conscious of the
freedom of the press as a unique democratic right, have never ended government's
advertising or stopped subscription deals with any newspaper. In complete
contrast, the Cabinet of the Bermuda Government decided in March 2008 to end the
Government's advertising and subscription deals with this newspaper, claiming it
was a cost-saving measure. A press release at the time said: "The Cabinet
determined it was not cost-effective or penetrative enough to rely heavily on
print advertising in an electronically advanced community." However,
despite repeated requests the methodology used has never been revealed. However
it continues to place adverts with other, far less frequent print media and to
select one of them, only a twice a week publication, as its Official Gazette,
despite its much higher-to-government bidding cost.
Other newspapers
- Bermuda Sun. Twice weekly, Wednesday, Friday or day earlier if a public holiday.
- Worker's Voice. Every
other Friday. From the Bermuda Industrial Union
at telephone 292-0044.
History of Newspapers by date order
| Newspaper |
First
Editor |
Dates
operated |
| Mid Ocean News |
Seaward S.
Toddings
|
1911 - October
2009. Bought in
1960s by the Royal Gazette. Was a weekly (Friday) and sister newspaper of
daily The Royal Gazette. |
| Bermuda
Gazette |
J. Stockdale |
1784-1831+ |
| Royal Gazette
(Weekly Gazette) |
Edmund Ward |
1810-1816 |
| The Gleaner |
Edmund Ward |
1812-1813 |
| Ladies Library |
C. R. Beach |
1817-1818 |
| The Bermudian |
Alex Holmes |
1819-1823 |
| The Royal Gazette |
D. R. & D.
M. Lee |
1828-present |
| The
Bermudian |
Benjamin
Jenkins |
1834-1878 |
| Bermuda Herald |
William Martin |
1844-1857 |
| The Record |
Fisher &
Dover |
1849-1850 |
| Advertiser |
Samuel Nelmes,
Jr |
1851-1854 |
| Bermuda Mirror |
George A. Lee |
1861-1872? |
| Bermuda
Advocate |
W. J. S.
Scobell |
1863-1864? |
| Bermuda
Chronicle |
W. J. S.
Scobell. Another Editor, briefly, was the English artist Edward K. James |
1865-1871 |
| Colonist &
Daily News |
Charles Brady |
1866-1920 |
| Bermuda Times
& Advocate |
Sam Parker,
Jr. & Sons |
1871-1883 |
| Spirit of the
Times |
George E. Lee |
1872? |
| New Era or
Home Journal |
A. L. Spedon |
1881-1884+ |
| Home &
People's Journal |
John J. Parker |
1882-1883 |
| Bermuda Times
or People's Journal |
John J. Parker
& Sam Parker, Jr |
1883-1890? |
| The People's
Journal |
John J. Parker |
1884-1902? |
| Bermuda
Advertiser |
J. D and F. R.
Bell |
1894-1900? |
| Mid Ocean |
W. L. Toddings
& W. K. Morrison |
1899-1900 |
| Bermuda
Recorder |
J. Bushell |
1899-1900 |
| New Era |
Rev. Charles
V. Monk |
1901-1905 |
| Knight Errant |
M.
Sheldon-Williams |
1904-1906 |
| The Recorder |
Rev. C. A.
Stewart |
1925-1975.
Bought by Sir John Swan in the early 1970s for 2 years. Then Ira Philip
bought it, found it
unprofitable and ended it |
| The Echo |
|
1928-1934 |
| The Islander |
Margaret R.
Seon |
1929? |
| The Bermuda
Beacon |
Military
monthly, published for the US Army's Fort Bell and Kindley Field by the
US Army Engineers |
1942-5 |
| The Skyliner |
Military
weekly, published in Bermuda for the USAF's Kindley Air Force Base
(KAFB) by the KAFB Information Division |
1955-1972 |
| Tide-ings |
US Navy
newspaper that covered the US naval bases in Bermuda |
1955-1995.
Copies were always sent to the US Consulate General |
| Fame |
June Augustus,
mostly about local black business and cultural achievements and
personalities |
1962-1976 |
| Bermuda Sun |
Martin Dier |
1964-present |
| Workers Voice |
Reid Simmons |
1971-present |
| Bermuda Now |
Bryan Darby |
1980-1981 |
| Bermuda Times |
K. Murray
Brown |
1987-1994 |
Newspapers from overseas
Available from local stores, but
at very high prices, sometimes as much as 350% more than the domestic price in
the country of
origin. A Sunday English newspaper can now cost as much as $10 - far higher than
in USA or Canada - and without most of the inserts included in Britain. Most
daily newspapers are not available until later that day or at least a day later than their published
dates, usually without some or all of the supplements, TV Guides, etc. They include the Miami Herald International
Edition.
Broadcasting Commissioners
Under the Broadcasting
Commissioners Act 1953. See in alphabetical order under "Bermuda
Government Boards." E-mail gtelecom@bdagov.bm.
Broadcasting regulations and
stations
All commercial, no PBS or BBC
equivalent
Broadcasting content on cable,
radio and local television and political
broadcasting are controlled by the Bermuda Government appointed Broadcasting Commissioners
set up under the Broadcasting Commissioners Act 1953. They are answerable to a cabinet
minister. They act as the Film Control Authority, under the Film/Control of Exhibition Act
1959. They also advise the Minister on matters concerning the Obscene Publications Act
1973.
The only periodic exception to
the all-commercial content is when the
Government Emergency Broadcasting Facility operates, during a storm or hurricane
or when no commercial station can broadcast because power lines are down. The Bermuda Government does not
hold an equity position in any of the broadcasting companies but awards contracts to them
for certain programming.
On January 14,
1994 in Bermuda, new regulations were officially introduced affecting local
radio and television stations. Enacted by the House of Assembly six months
earlier, they required callers to identify themselves; stations to put into
effect a seven-second delay in broadcasting such calls; as well as a ban on
tobacco advertising; a ban on alcohol advertising (except beer and wine) between
6 am and 9 pm; the requirement for all such advertising to include the message
"Excessive alcohol may be harmful to your health;" stations to produce
a daily record of programs; regular publication of time schedules for
programming; and the requirement that local television stations not broadcast
any program which solicits funds from the public except by an approved and
registered charity.
Magazines
Media not yet shown but wishing to be mentioned
below will be mentioned/linked to gladly and shown as a Bermuda resource once
they link to this site at http://www.bermuda-online.org
and thereby show it as a Bermuda resource, See our Reciprocal
Links policy. Currently, they include:
Bermuda
Online. Electronic format only. With its detailed and accurate 125+ web files on Bermuda, many of which are updated
daily including all Public Holidays and weekends.
Bottom Line. Published by
The Royal Gazette daily
newspaper. A news and
features oriented quarterly business magazine, for locals and visitors. Given away with
that newspaper.
RG Magazine. Published by
The Royal Gazette daily
newspaper. A news and
features oriented monthly, for locals and visitors. Free with daily newspaper.
Radio Stations
Media below wishing to have their
websites and email addresses shown below are welcome to contact the author, if
they act in accordance with our Reciprocal
Links policy. Radio broadcasting in Bermuda began in 1946, long before TV. Radio talk shows are popular in
Bermuda. In music, there is a
"local content" requirement of at least two locally sung or
locally orchestrated songs or pieces of music per hour.
AM
Radio
- 1160. VSB-3. Local, tourist,
news, including BBC World Service from the United
Kingdom.
- 1230. Bermuda Spirit, formerly
ZFB-AM. Local.
- 1280. VSB-2. All-Christian radio with conservative music and programs 24
hours a day
- 1340. ZBM-2. Since 1953.
- 1450. VSB-1 (Gold). Country.
FM
Radio
- 89.1. FM 89 (ZBM-FM). Since
1962.
- 94.9. Power 95 (ZFB-FM). Since
1971.
- 98.1. KJAZ. Since 2005.
Jazz, blues.
- 106.1. Mix 106 (VSB FM)
- 107.5. Hott 107.5. Since 2004
Local electronic news stations often rely heavily on
the daily news published very early in the morning in the only Bermuda daily newspaper,
The Royal Gazette, which broadcasts about 75
percent of all Bermuda news.
Government Emergency Broadcasting Facility
This goes on the air at 1610 kHz on the AM
band only when all the commercial stations are unable to broadcast. The station provides
music, emergency information and announcements. They are handled jointly by public
relations officers within the Police Community Relations office and Government Information
Services. In recent years, the station has fulfilled a useful role as an information
source during island-wide power failures, especially during hurricanes. It is operated
around the clock until any one of the commercial radio stations can resume service.
Short
Wave Radio
- For shipping and yachts, Bermuda
Harbour Radio, Bermuda Government.
- Radio Canada International
(RCI) short-wave broadcasts to Bermuda.
Internet-only
Radio
Various.
Cable & wireless
Media below wishing to have their
websites and email addresses shown below are welcome to contact the author, if
they act in accordance with our Reciprocal
Links policy.
Bermuda
Cablevision
There
are monthly fees for HDTV service. From April 1, 2010, HD channels include:
Channel 406: Fox Soccer HD; Channel 414: Nick HD; Channel 419: MTV HD; Channel
422: Lifetime HD; Channel 424: Lifetime Movies HD; Channel 426: BBC America HD
and Channel 447: G-4 HD.
World on Wireless (WOW).
Local TV stations
DTV is not yet being planned for
Bermuda.
Media below wishing to have their
websites and email addresses shown below are welcome to contact the author, if
they act in accordance with our Reciprocal
Links policy.
Unlike in the United Kingdom,
no annual TV license fee is payable by individuals or households. Bermuda uses the North American NTSC
television broadcasting standard. Reception is island wide but much better
in some areas than in others, when only using rabbit-ears as an aerial. There
is no equivalent in Bermuda of UK-style Freeview TV. Bermuda TV stations do not
follow the methodology in the United Kingdom and North America of presenters on
morning TV shows from national stations such as BBC in the UK showing
pictures and leading stories from daily newspapers.
Fresh TV.
CITV
(Community Information Television).
Government TV channel. Began September 20, 2007. In 2006,
Government allotted $840,000 for the station and in the 2007 budget set aside
$690,000 and five full-time staff for the station, which is housed among the
classrooms at the new Berkeley school site in Pembroke.
Channel 2 on CableVision and on 102 on WOW. The
programming includes a current affairs show, health and family show and
entertainment show. In 2007, the
Progressive Labour Party often claimed that some of the media – the Royal
Gazette in particular – is biased against it. The truth is that the media,
faced with an often hostile Government public relations apparatus that sometimes
gives the impression that its main job is to keep journalists away from Cabinet
Ministers, simply reports the news as it happens.
Government
announced in April 2008 a deal with a free-to-the-public (PBS) Pittsburgh public TV station, which will
benefit CITV in training and programming, will reportedly come at a cost of
$200,000. Premier
Ewart Brown, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, announced that Pittsburgh's WQED
Multimedia (a public broadcasting TV and radio station) will provide the
expertise to launch CITV and allow for unique training of CITV employees.
An article on the deal between the TV stations
recently appeared in the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette. It
said Bermuda will pay WQED approximately
$200,000 to consult through the end of the year on CITV The station is funded by
$500,000 from the Bermuda Government.
Cabinet Ministers have compared CITV with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) or the British
Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). While CBC
is an independent organization that receives Government funding but does not have
an annual TV-license tax, the BBC is
not free (except to the over 75s and the blind) and, according to both
individual consumers and UK newspapers "hugely expensive" to every British-UK
household with TVs. Alistair Osborne, Business Editor of the UK's leading
quality newspaper of 29/09/2006, the Daily Telegraph, said in a noteworthy,
quoteworthy and newsworthy article that got huge coverage that the "BBC
was acting like a spoilt child indulged by Ofcom" (the relevant regulatory
agency).
The UK Government's Communications Act 2003 states that
all households, including individuals living by themselves, need a television
licence to receive or record television programmes and use videos and/or DVDs in
the process, even when they do not want to watch or record any non-BBC
television program, unlike in the USA, Canada, Australia, etc. where no such
compulsory TV licensing requirement or regulation exists (and would not be
tolerated).
LookTV.
OnionTV.
Cable channel 75, run by the Caines family.
Representing and promoting the wide diversity of
Bermuda's community. A subsidiary of Bermuda
Style Management. Pembroke.
ZFB TV.
ZBM TV.
VSB TV.
Satellite
Many local residents have this instead
of Cable TV. Systems include Direct TV, DISH satellite TV and C-Band, mostly
American.
Last Updated:
September 2, 2010
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