JAMAICA | Gunfire at Nationwide News News condemned as an attack on the media, PNP cries foul, says its not involved !

KINGSTON, September 9, 2023 - Friday afternoon’s shoot-up of two empty motor vehicles in the car park at the Nationwide News Network (NNN) in Kingston by a lone gunman on a motorbike, has come in for severe condemnation by the government, the parliamentary opposition, the private sector as well as the Press Association of Jamaica and other members of the island’s journalism fraternity.

Two vehicles in the parking lot, one of them belonging to a staff member, were hit by bullets.

Nationwide’s CEO Cliff Hughes declared that he and his staff will not be unnerved by the shoot-up which has been widely condemned as an assault on press freedom.

Hughes noted that the attack came on the same day when the leadership of the Opposition People's National Party (PNP) were on the front page of The Gleaner newspaper declaring support for comments made by the party's General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell against Nationwide at the party's St Andrew East Central constituency conference on September 3, 2023.

The PNP in a statement however, said while the party “shared  the nation's shock and concern over the attack on the offices of Nationwide News Network, we are deeply troubled by the hasty conclusions drawn by certain individuals.”

The Opposition said they were “concerned about the remarks made by Mr. Cliff Hughes in a recent interview. His attempt to connect the PNP to the attack, without the benefit of any evidence, is not only baseless but also reckless. Such unfounded accusations have the potential to incite further tensions and compromise the safety of our members and supporters.”

The PNP in its statement said it “believes in the sanctity of due process and the rule of law. As such, we find it deeply concerning that the JLP, without allowing the police to complete their investigation and determine motives, sought to implicate our party and our General Secretary. Such actions are irresponsible and undermine the integrity of the investigative process.”

Campbell was quoted as saying that Nationwide was an "incubator for the Jamaica Labour Party" and named some four former employees of the station who are now working as communications attaches within the  Andrew Holness administration.

The Opposition said “The PNP reiterates our commitment to a peaceful and democratic Jamaica, where freedom of speech and freedom of the press are held sacred.

“We call on all parties, including the JLP and media outlets like Nationwide, to exercise restraint and responsibility in their public statements. 

“We strongly urge the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into this incident, ensuring that they are not influenced by these reckless, irresponsible, and malicious statements, and let the facts alone determine the course of justice.

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