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Holding the powerful accountable is among a newspaper editor's chief responsibilities. It's one of the tenets of journalism. That's what I was taught. So shouldn't someone in our community hold newspaper editors to account? After all, they possess more power than most.

This question entered my mind on August 10 during a ZBM TV 9 newscast. Perhaps you saw it yourself. It was a Tari Trott story about Matthew Taylor, a non-Bermudian newspaperman still regularly reporting on local issues for The Royal Gazette even though he returned home to the United Kingdom after his work permit expired and was not renewed.

The ZBM story got really interesting when William Zuill, the editor of The Royal Gazette, was asked if he had named a replacement for Mr. Taylor. Mr Taylor was the paper's chief reporter. Mr. Zuill answered no, according to the ZBM report, no replacement had been named.

However, ZBM revealed an internal memo, apparently written by Mr. Zuill, dated August 4. The internal memo to Royal Gazette staff said Sam Strangeways, a senior reporter also from the U.K., was promoted to chief reporter

According to ZBM's reporting, Mr. Zuill promoted Sam Strangeways to chief reporter on August 4, but publicly denied naming anyone to the position on August 10. I wonder why.

Since Mr. Zuill has a capacity to speak as verbosely as a barrel of ink would allow, I've been waiting for a clarification in his newspaper. So far, I haven't seen one. Until there is, I think Mr. Zuill faces a credibility crisis.

If an explanation eventually comes, it would also be nice to know why no job ad was publicly published before Ms Strangeways was promoted in the August 4 memo. Best I can tell: the chief reporter post didn't run in The Royal Gazette until the days immediately following the ZBM report - almost as if the ad was hastily run to save face, or even worse, to cover up an immigration rules violation.

The chronology of events in all of this leaves the impression that an expat was quickly and quietly promoted to prevent the possibility of a Bermudian swooping in to win the job. I might have applied myself if not for the credibility crisis. I have communicated with Mr. Zuill about this, but he prefers, as is his right, not to discuss it publicly.

I have tried to be an advocate for more Bermudians in the news media workplace and more diversity at the higher levels - particularly print. It's a tough objective to deliver and my advocacy has been all but ridiculed in The Royal Gazette.

The same newspaper has gone to great lengths to congratulate itself on hiring, training and promoting Bermudians. I applaud those efforts - I do - but it appears a little self criticism might be in order too.

Good Bermudian journalists work at The Royal Gazette now and have in the past. I would hope people consider me to be one of the good ones formally on the job there. Tari Trott is another.

Good journalists share one thing in common: they hold the powerful accountable - fairly, fearlessly and without personal attacks. That is what Tari Trott appeared to do on August 10; that is what I am doing today. Perhaps an explanation from the powerful will soon come.[[In-content Ad]]

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