Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The board of the United People's (UP) Party does not support blatant misuse of the noble profession journalism by those who use journalism as a hobby to slander others rather than a profession to factually inform, educate and enlighten.
Journalism requires research, impartiality and care in its execution so that credibility is not questioned.
Operating on the fringe of fantasy, fabricating "news" and using the power of words in a deliberate, destructive manner, does not constitute good journalism and goes against the principle for fair reporting and presenting both sides of the story.
Slander sites do not reveal their sources therefore what is published cannot be considered credible.
Slander sites are being pushed by political forces with an agenda and do not care how it achieves its intended objectives, whether it's causing harm to the image of the country, whatever way possible this is the way they operate.
Many good, solid people of this community continue to have their name or institutions they are part of, slandered simply out of bias and obvious agendas.
These blogs do not enlighten and educate the population of the country, but only focuses on the UP Party. The aim is to discredit and spread propaganda which places the people and country in a negative light. Slander sites do not have country St. Maarten at heart.
This form of social media that the people of St. Maarten and the country have to endure operates under the basis of slander and smear of the good name of people in our community and damaging the name of the country of St. Maarten and its people.
The board hereby informs the general public that the UP party will not issue any press releases, information, press invites and the like to outlets it considers counterproductive to the principles of good journalism and who continue their deliberate attempts to smear people and institutions of the country St. Maarten.
In addition to its own source of news distribution (social media etc.) there are reputable news institutions that uphold good journalism principles which the UP will continue to use as outlets to reach the people.
The UP Party admonishes slander sites, and do believe on the principle that while everyone has the freedom to express themselves via any means, one cannot idly sit by while there are those who are out there to destroy that very same freedom with slander.
If we allow this to continue what example will we be setting for our own children?
