Dear Editor,
I am using this medium to express my admiration and concerns about Observer AM morning host Darren Matthew-Ward. Let me say before I begin, I still listen to and love your morning show, which I’ve never once missed. Below is minor concerns I have with interviews conducted with current elected officials.
First off let me say Mr Matthew-Ward is largely an excellent and exceptional journalist who knows his local, regional and international news and knows how to analyse and articulate himself very well which is extremely impressive. I am also very impressed with his excellent personal temperament he has when he conducts various interviews on his morning show.
However, for the past few months/years, I personally cannot pinpoint what it is but I think it’s unfair that Mr Hurst (Chief of Lies & Propaganda) and PM Browne can make weekly appearances on his program and most times goes unchallenged, even though the facts clearly demonstrate that what they are saying most of the time are lies and half-truths.
You see when they are allowed to speak these lies and half-truths unchallenged mostly without being unchallenged with facts, there are goulable persons within our population who will believe the lies and half-truth these two individuals speak on national radio on a weekly basis. Also, I’ve noticed a trend where Mr Matthew-Ward would be interviewing Mr Hurst and when he gets asked a difficult question he starts conveniently coffin, or sometimes he resorts to try and take over the interview which I think Mr Matthew-Ward should be a bit more forceful and not allow Mr Hurst to take over the interview.
When the Curser and Bully In Chief PM Browne is on his Radio show it seems like he wants Mr Matthew-Ward to be afraid of him and his bullying tactics, but Mr Matthew-Ward please stand firm and don’t allow to bully and take over your show, because the PM was elected by the people to serve and protect this country and he asked for the job, so it’s your every right to ask tough and hard questions of our elected officials.
Mr Matthew-Ward when the above individuals are allowed or perceived to taking over your show, persons on the street may think you are affiliated with the ABLP, I personally don’t know that to be fact but that what I’ve heard on the streets from family and friends alike. I believe personally that you try your best to be impartial which is excellent on your part being a journalist but it’s just a perception people have of yourself.
Finally, I remembered an interview you conducted with our sweet mouth Attorney General Mr Benjamin and he come on to defend something pertain to wedding size and protocols, and my heart sank low when Mr Benjamin said what he said about the alleged wedding
and there was no rebuttal as to why they waited the Monday of the following week to gazette and implement laws pertaining to wedding size and protocols.
Although am not a fan of Mr Lovell nor Moanne Massiah, one thing I can say about both of them is neither tries to bully or cough their way out of difficult question which is commendable.
In conclusion, Mr Mathew-Ward I know you are trying your very best to conduct interviews with our elected officials to the best of your ability and the curser and bully in chief and the chief of lies and propaganda aren’t the easiest to deal with, but if you could be a bit more forceful in asking tough questions and clap some facts under their tail you could be the biggest force in media which no one can reckon with.
I wish you and the people of the country a safe and enjoyable weekend.
Kerry Depeza
Antiguan
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Conveniently COFFIN….how does that one work?
Darren’s show is of much better quality than voice of the people and is one of the only shows worth listening too on observer. I think his coverage is very impartial and balanced. Maybe the UPP pr team should be the ones engaging his show more. I remember cutie was the one that called in unannounced when he was defending the wedding. Also maybe the newspaper is a also a good place to follow up
VOP is a wash you foot and come show and as water always off “gyal just come”!
I agree with most of what was said in the letter. Darren lets Max Hurst off the hook too much. The predictable answer that Max gives about the “Opposition wants to see the government fail” should not be accepted. Darren needs to probe more and get Max to be more specific. He allows Max to wear him down with his repeat phrases, until the clock runs out. Max is like an eel, but there is a technique for that and we want to get more precise answers from government officials.
I agree with you.
Its funny reading this since these are usually my thoughts regarding his interview of mebers of the opposition. However to his credit via FB he normally requests that his audience send in possible questions. Unfortunately he cannot like the founder of the station did some years ago, call Lovell a liar to his face (Ward would see that as not meeting journalist standards) Would describe Ward as fair though he has a UPP leaning. First met Mr Ward when we were both members of the UPP youth league. Suspect he would state you know you are doing a good job when both political sides are rattled by your work
Max Hurst is a blatant liar. Darren needs to call him out!!
Wow! TENMAN you were a member of the UPP youth league. I wonder what cause the change from sense and sensibility to nonsense and stupidity. I hope no inducements were involved.
There is a difference between a talk show host and a journalist which Daren is not.
You sounded rather confident with your analysis but you don’t seem to know the difference between host and journalist.
I really don’t get you people if you have a problem with the show just don’t listen or instead of publicly criticizing why not reach out to the individual personally?
Talk show hosts do not produce the program and they are almost always scripted so I doubt Daren is the one who decides who comes on and who doesn’t.
Ok I’ve wasted enough of my precious time responding to ignorance
I will agree with you that Darren seems to be a professional & impartial journalist… He certainly carries out his interviews very well & he creates a platform to avoid conflicts or confrontations between himself & those who he interviews. The content of your letter clearly indicates that you are UPP supporter and it appears that persons like you always feel dissatisfied when you do hear or see what you are expecting…….. Please take note that your perception of things does not make it right at all times. In this instance you are definitely wrong
nope nope nope I do not agree with your point of view. I listen to Mr Ward every morning and I find him very firm and effective given the short time frame he has to work with. If you wish to have him rebut every thing Hurst states then he will only cover one issue and he tries to cover a few issues during the segments.
I find him to be very cowardly when it comes to the bullies. He pigs out on the UPP guests. Even show off on them. Why? He knows that they are going to be respectful of his management of the show and none of them would belittle him or try to take the show out of his hands.
It would be good to see him do a show where he has to deal with the guests and the call in public. Does not have the belly for that.
Max manipulates him and bullies him. He answers what he wants and how he wants to answer. Gaston Browne is the only one who could call into his show at any time and get on the air. When he gets there he totally takes over.
The long and short of it is DMW does not have the intestinal fortitude to be good at the job he is doing on Observer between 7:15 and 8. Not edgy enough.
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