COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER Symon de Nobriga says his "joke" with journalist Kejan Haynes was not communicated well and says state-owned media house TTT is not in fact being given special treatment.
In a media release on Tuesday, de Nobriga said he saw media reports about a statement he made that he said had been taken out of context.
"I have seen the news report circulating and it is unfortunate that Kejan Haynes took seriously a statement made by me light-heartedly and supposedly off the record at the repatriation exercise on Saturday."
The light-hearted comment was a policy that TTT would be given an advantage over other media houses when covering government assignments.
Haynes' News at 7 had said on Monday that on Saturday TTT was allowed access to areas barred to other media houses to cover the repatriation of some 700 Venezuelans from the Cruise Ship Complex, Port of Spain.
The report caused outrage among members of the media and the public.
In his statement on Tuesday, de Nobriga said it was not that TTT was given preferential treatment, but it was a matter of safety.
The media statement read: "Given the large numbers and in keeping with the health protocols it was determined that only TTT and the Information Division would have access; however the director of Government Communications had been instructed to ensure that all footage of the event be made available to all media houses once they requested same."
It added: "As Mr Haynes knows very well there is no policy that provides or affords the state-owned media – TTT or any arm of the Information Division – preferred, or exclusive access to any events or activities and I am surprised that Kejan should infer otherwise."
In his news report on Monday, Haynes said de Nobriga told him off-camera that TTT was given special treatment as a result of government policy. Haynes added that he contacted other Cabinet ministers and was told the same. He did not identify who the other Cabinet ministers were.
The "policy" has been widely criticised, with some calling it dictatorial and unconstitutional.
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