I ACCEPTED my job as a reporter with a definite understanding of my duties. I would have to interview people and be tolerant where their views were not my own. I would have to express issues in terms simple enough for the village idiot to understand. I would have to shake hands even if the other person's was covered in dirt, feign interest in those tales I found dull and ask stupid questions when confronted with matters beyond my comprehension.

Most importantly, I understood I had to do these things irrespective of my opinion on the issue or the degree of respect I had for the person(s) involved.

One would think such conditions would hold true for politicians, some of whom seem to forget they are paid from the public purse and therefore accountable to every single resident on this island.

I have always understood that certain members of the Progressive Labour Party (PLP) regard me with contempt because I write for the .

For reasons that have never been expressed to me or my colleagues, the phrase "when hell freezes over" appears a common sentiment with respect to our queries for comment. I accept no responsibility whatsoever for their stance. I have never deliberately maligned any politician ? in print. I have always sought both sides to any story I have written and ? except on one horrible occasion which did not involve anyone in public office ? have never completely misrepresented an issue.

Just as valid is the fact that we at the have attempted to sit down and discuss the PLP perception of our newspaper with Party spokesperson Scott Simmons. That that meeting never took place is no fault of ours.

With regard to the content of this newspaper, it is our responsibility as journalists to present our findings to the public.

That the information might prove unflattering to the Government of the day is irrelevant, a fact borne out by two points: First, the mandate of any newspaper in the free world will include a reference to its public service ? a watchdog over the actions of those in power. The second point should be painfully obvious. We do not publish information we believe to be untrue. If that were the case, The Royal Gazette Limited would be bankrupt, rendered financially insolvent by numerous court cases.

The fact is that anyone who holds public office should be made accountable for any misdeeds, mistakes or other misses that take place on their watch.

I have never met or spoken with Senator David Burch.

Last week I sought information from the Works & Engineering and Housing Minister on a basic issue. I wanted to know why Government had placed a barrier to a Devonshire road instead of repairing the dangerous embankment on it.

I sent my first request for comment to his protocol officer, Nea Talbot, at 11.13 a.m. last Thursday.

Having received no response by 1.30 p.m. I sent a second request, providing greater detail. With no response two hours later, I decide to bypass Government's preferred channels and e-mail Sen. Burch directly, explaining that I only had one side of the story and wanted to explain his Ministry's rationale to our readers.

I received an e-mailed response the following day: "I can only presume that the word has not yet reached you - I have no intention of ever answering any questions from your 'newspaper' as I do not consider it a bona fide newspaper."

I found that shocking.

Not because I was offended in the slightest, but that a politician could be so clueless with regard to public image that he didn't care to explain his rationale to those affected by his Ministry's decision ? bearing in mind that they, like the staff of this newspaper and our thousands of readers, give him $64,017 annually for his services as a Minister and a Senator.

Perhaps his understanding is that because he was appointed to his position and not elected by the people, he is only accountable to the Premier. Who knows?

However I suggest Sen. Burch take a couple of pointers from some of the more professional members of his team. Premier Alex Scott, Transportation and Tourism Minister Ewart Brown and backbencher Ren?e Webb are, I am sure, no real friends of this newspaper. They do, however, return our calls because they understand that the press offers them a direct line to the public.