MATT holds to its role as a defender of the Fourth Estate and the media’s role in holding the institutions of democracy to account.

We encourage our colleagues to adhere to best practices in news coverage and investigation.

MATT has no legal or constitutional jurisdiction over individual newsrooms and their reporters, who are accountable to their editors and respective media houses who are positioned to benefit from upholding the highest professional standards. The association works to guide and assist media houses and working journalists in the ongoing practice of their professsion.

Where there are specific complaints against media houses, the formal process is to file a complaint with the Media Complaints Council, an independent body created, but not managed by the T&T Publishers and Broadcasters Association.

The Complaints Council has formally committed to holding up journalists the highest professional standards through independent, informed arbitration.

The Media Complaints council evaluates, according to its charter:

1. Accuracy

(i) All media practitioners should take care not to publish or broadcast inaccurate, misleading or distorted material.

(ii) Whenever it is recognised that a significant inaccuracy, misleading statement or distorted report has been published, it should be corrected promptly and with due prominence.

(iii) An apology should be published whenever appropriate.

(iv) All media organisations should always report fairly and accurately the outcome of an action for defamation to which it has been a party.

2. Opportunity to reply

A fair opportunity for reply to inaccuracies should be given to individuals or organisations when reasonably called for.
It is the responsibility of editors to co-operate as swiftly as possible in MCC enquiries.

A reply in seven days should be the norm. All members of the Trinidad & Tobago Publishers & Broadcasters Association have undertaken to publish or broadcast in full any adjudication that comes out of this.