Perhaps the only surprising thing about Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb's attack on this newspaper is that it has taken so long to occur.

In the wake of the revelations about the Bermuda Housing Corporation, someone, at some time, was going to blame the whole Housing Corporation problem on the media.

On Friday evening, the Minister likened this newspaper's reporters to "piranhas" who were out for blood.

Earlier the same day, columnist Stuart Hayward claimed in the Bermuda Sun that the reporting of this newspaper, and its sister paper, the Mid-Ocean News, was a conspiracy to bring down the Premier.

Ms Webb made a range of criticisms of this newspaper, including its reporting on the personal lives of BHC staff and reporting on past criminal convictions and the like.

At this stage, no one knows how severe the problems at the BHC are. But there is no doubt that there are problems and the media has a responsibility, as the public's watchdog, to report on them.

It is fair to say that without the reporting of the newspapers - and especially The Mid-Ocean News' "Bermuda Enron" story - that there would be no investigation by the Auditor General. It can be stated unequivocally that Government would not have taken that step on its own.

The public has the right to know what kind of people were the recipients of BHC mortgages and contracting work, what their backgrounds are and whether they were qualified borrowers or contractors. This newspaper makes no apology for making this information public.

The BHC may be able to defend its hiring practices and may be able to justify its hiring of people with past criminal records; but that is for it to do. It is not a newspaper's job to ignore it, especially in the light of the allegations being made about the BHC generally.

Some thought should also be given to the people who believe they have suffered, usually in silence, as a result of what they believe are the poor policies and lack of oversight in the BHC. What is disappointing is that the Government had done so little to address their complaints, of which it should have been aware.

Then too the public has the right to know how its money is being spent and if it is satisfied with the controls that are in place.

There may be perfectly reasonable explanations for some of the activities of the BHC. All of the people covered in this newspaper have had the chance to respond, and in some cases have done so. Those who have not still can and will get a fair hearing.

There may also be a feeling that the newspapers should lay off until Auditor General Larry Dennis has completed his investigation and his report.

But this could mean that people who might not go to the Auditor General would not have their voices heard.

And while there is no doubt that Mr. Dennis will conduct a full investigation and complete a full report, the Government's record on releasing and acting on reports is so dismal that to suggest that the media should hold off is irresponsible.

Piranhas? No. Watchdogs? Yes. Messengers? Certainly. It's a shame that the Government is not spending more time uncovering problems instead of shooting the messenger.