COMPLETELY IGNORING LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS - ‘The Irrational Rule of the Insufficiently Informed’

“Davies so far has achieved this by ‘intentionally keeping information’ of national interest away from the media” and continues to do so.

For sake of better understanding, I will repeat the circumstances surrounding this serious situation. Because since the article was published I have been approached, emailed and had text messages sent asking me to explain the story further if I could.

Although there is not a great deal further to explain on this issue, although there is regarding a similar set of circumstances that is for another report. But without any doubt the Governor really discredits himself and his office by completely ignoring legitimate calls from the media for information, to effectively do his duty and respond to questions regarding one of the most historical and fundamental issues of national interest ‘Sovereignty’ Governor Davies!

The Issue itself

On Tuesday 18 June this year, Panorama published an exclusive report titled ‘International Court Rules: Continued display of authority only way to confirm nation’s claim to sovereignty’

Essentially the importance of the article was for the first time, we were able to legally establish that in fact, current FCO policy with Spain over Gibraltar, particularly where it concerned illegal incursions and the vital issue of Sovereignty of BGTW was and is totally flawed. In fact, UK diplomatic policy thus far, is now legally proven to undermine Gibraltar’s Sovereignty!

This was not Panorama or me making a calculated journalistic guess on a hugely contested sovereignty related issue. But this came from none other, than a ruling handed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague, in a contested claim for sovereignty and now a stated case before the courts, involving two Scandinavian nations. The court ruling goes back some years; our understanding is that the case is well known by the FCO and UK Government. Importantly, the ICJ made a specific and well-defined International ruling on sovereignty, importantly, on a similar claim over Gibraltar that Spain has maliciously been harping on about for so many years!

We then repeatedly sent the Convent a set of pertinent related questions regarding this important matter of huge public interest. We are still waiting a reply to these repeated questions. Never has a Governor acted in this manner towards the press. So in that, sense alone, the Governors departure cannot come soon enough but with a wishful proviso, that if Gibraltar is to get another life-like Ed Davies –He or She best stay at home and follow Brexit from home!!!

In fact, this is not the only case. As indicated earlier, we are still waiting replies to press questions from the RGP, GPA and again the Governor on another unrelated matter they have all once again ignored. This is a serious matter, one we take great exception to and will not allow it to rest, and we will also expose in future editions as an example how the media are really treated by people in high places and local organisations, who should be setting examples and not creating bad ones!

Freedom of Information is Clear

The local and UK Freedom of Information Act requires classified information to be disclosed unless there are good reasons for secrecy. What possible secrets could be hidden behind straightforward questions to the FCO via the Governor, regarding an historical long running national issue on the Rocks Sovereignty? Unless the FCO and the Governor were in cahoots to withhold information of huge public interest to Gibraltar - Blatantly Undermining the Freedom of Information?

The Freedom of Information Act is based on the simple, democratic principle that citizens have a right to know about those decisions and actions taken in their name. We would like answers to our questions so we are best prepared to accurately report back to inform our readers on a national issue, which has always and continues to concern them!

Freedom of information nowadays appears to be a joke at the Convent. Gibraltar would surely have dropped to rock-bottom position in the ‘Reporters Without Borders’ 2019 press freedom index’ should we had taken part in this years index survey, luckily we didn’t. Which is worrying for all freedom aficionados like myself!

However, those who expected a public outcry regarding this story and the silent Governor, was met by public silence. Knowing Gibraltar as I do and with most of the population in ‘summer slumberland mode’ and with the Rock suffering long term acute community apathy syndrome... I never expected a general reaction, apart from those people who contacted me for more information.

But Unfortunately That’s Todays Gibraltar For You - In fact, more people have spoken to me about their tax rebate than about the meteoritic fall in the press freedom locally. But we will not let those who have wronged easily forget!

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

One could quote Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. ‘Money, which like other material needs such as food, ranks on the lower end of this hierarchy’, is preferred more than freedom and good governance, which grace the upper echelons of Maslow’s ladder. Nothing new as Moses himself experienced this when he tried to free the Hebrews from Egypt.

(Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation” in Psychological Review. Maslow subsequently extended the idea to include his observations of humans’ innate curiosity)

It is also important to remember that Maslow used to write that humankind would want to live by bread alone when there is no bread. This is not Gibraltar’s case. There is a lot of ‘bread’ though the numbers of those for whom bread is lacking is on the increase. It could also be that the abundance of ‘bread’ (not just bread for some and crumbs for many) has become the new opium of the people alienating them from many other important needs.

Today audiences even in Gibraltar, but at least one or two, should know better than to try to shut up or simply ignore an inquisitive press reporter!

Journalists who write politically inconvenient truths are often rubbished on the social media, like WhatsApp, Facebook and in local cafes in an attempt to intimidate them, believe I know, its even happened in the past with certain politicians.

Most Heinous Threats Lies Elsewhere

But the most heinous threat lies elsewhere. People today believe that they enjoy the freedom to communicate and receive communications so they don’t bother a lot about whether or not the traditional and professional press has a similar freedom, when they really should.

The Internet and social networks have given people that illusion. Today there is a lot of tripe and junk news on Facebook, which has become people’s daily nourishment. And junk news drives out professional news. Ask journalists who sweat it out working on stories when frustration grips them when their work gets less-views than stupid click baits. 

Moreover, the manipulation of news on social media by professional propagandists and paid trolls is subtle and thus more pernicious or malicious. The risk of this manipulation is the possible creation of a democratic ‘irrational rule of the insufficiently informed People’.

We cannot have a free press without ethical journalists. Similarly we cannot have a free press without ethical audiences, that is audiences who thirst for fair, accurate and truthful information even when it is disconcerting to their established views and beliefs or the political colours!

29-07-19 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR