ARTICLE - PROTEST - RESPECT - JOURNALISTS

PROTESTERS DEMAND PRESIDENT MARTELLY TO RESPECT HAITIAN JOURNALISTS
(Defend Haiti) -

PORT-AU-PRINCE - During a march held this Tuesday, February 7 by a platform of over 30 grassroots organizations, hundreds of demonstrators demanded the Head of State to respect Haitian journalists.

Hundreds of demonstrators denounced the bad behavior of the head of state towards the members of the media and demanded that Michel Martelly respect the press corporation considered the fourth power, according to Haiti Press Network (HPN).

"The president's behavior towards the press is unacceptable," launched a demonstrator referring to a contemptuous gesture of Mr. Martelly to a journalist who had asked about an incident at the residence of Prime Minister Gary Conille, before his trip to South America last week.

According to the protesters, "these types of behavior are not worthy of a president, who should be a model particularly for youth and for the whole society."

Recall that the Head of State made several attacks against members of the press since taking office. In fact, a week doesn't go by without the report of an attack of President Michel Martelly against the Press, in Haiti or in the Diaspora.

President Martelly is often hostile to the press when journalists ask him questions about his bad behavior, his vulgarity, the laxity of the government or the corruption in his administration.

When he doesn’t frankly insult the journalists, President Martelly makes fun of them, asks them which media they work for before he answers a question, and tells them he won’t answer because of the media the journalists work for.

Sometimes, instead of answering a question, the head of state rather attempts to indicate to the journalists the direction in their work or the “right” question to ask.

Recently at a press briefing before his trip to Venezuela and Panama, president Martelly flatly refused to answer a question from a journalist of Radio Kiskeya.