Premier Dr. Ewart Brown has ordered communications officers at the Cabinet Office and Ministry of Tourism and Transport to “reduce their contact” with The Royal Gazette and its sister newspaper, the Mid-Ocean News.

Dr. Brown told this newspaper: “I can’t tell you the scores of regular citizens who have urged me to completely stop communicating with those two publications. I have always rebuffed that advice — and I still do — but I now feel it is long past time to try a different approach.

“This step has been taken in order to prevent a total breakdown of communication between the Premier’s office and these publications.

“I believe The Royal Gazette, Mid-Ocean News and most Bermudians understand the need to reduce the rancour and lower the toxicity that have become the norm.”

The instruction was given to those Dr. Brown termed “our media people” in the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Tourism and Transport, which is understood to mean his press secretary Glenn Jones and the public affairs officer at the Department of Communication and Information (DCI) dealing with tourism and transport queries.

The publicly-funded press secretary post was created by Dr. Brown soon after he became Premier in late 2006. The DCI position is also paid for by taxpayers.

Dr. Brown’s order comes after Government’s decision in March 2008 to axe its advertising and subscription deals with The Royal Gazette, which prompted criticism from international media organisations.

That ban came in the wake of this newspaper launching its A Right To Know: Giving People Power campaign for freedom of information legislation and more government transparency.

Bill Zuill, editor of The Royal Gazette, said today: “I am disappointed but sadly not surprised at this latest announcement, which is the latest attempt by the Premier to use the powers of Government to damage this newspaper and make it as difficult as possible for us to report the news fairly and accurately. Having already tried to hurt us financially by banning Government advertising, this is the obvious next step.

“Obviously it is a total contradiction and disingenuous to suggest that reducing communications between Government and this newspaper will improve relations.

“We will continue to report the news fairly and accurately and we will continue to submit questions to Government on matters of public importance. When they are not answered, we will publish the questions so that the public will know we are simply trying to find out the truth on their behalf.”

An independent survey last summer found that the print and online versions of this newspaper reached almost 90 percent of the Island’s adult population.

See tomorrow’s edition of The Royal Gazette for the full story.

l What do you think? Is it right that Government issues, especially those as important as tourism, do not get a full public airing through all available media?

Email your views to news@royalgazette.bm.