The Island's Press came in for some scathing criticism for journalism practices in the House of Assembly on Friday.

Premier Jennifer Smith led the charge against the media in the wake of Friday's story in the Mid-Ocean News regarding a "secret pact" between the Bermudian and Cuban governments, combining The Royal Gazette and the Mid-Ocean News into one as she told people not to believe the newspapers.

And Government MP Ashfield Devent, himself a journalist for VSB, elaborated on the charge against the media.

"I rise to speak on the Mid-Ocean newspaper. As a journalist I am concerned because recently we have seen headlines in that paper that have proven to be untrue," he said.

Attacking the editorials in that newspaper in particular, he said Government need not jump up and follow untruths that are printed - particularly in the Mid-Ocean News.

Citing last week's story about a PLP move to replace Jennifer Smith as leader of the party with Southampton East MP Reginald Burrows, Mr. Devent said the story had not been attributed to a journalist and not one single source in the story was named. "It's more in keeping with the journalism you would find in the National Enquirer," he said.

Opposition MP Trevor Moniz said it was Government's usual strategy to "slam the press", adding it was the job of the media to enforce the state.

"(They are) spin doctoring, denials and blaming the messenger all the time instead of just coming out and saying this is what we're doing and this is why we're doing it," he said.

All it would take is a press release, he said.

"Until the truth is told the rumours will do nothing but grow and the credibility of this Government will sink."

His fellow Opposition MP Patricia Pamplin-Gordon agreed. "Government was clearly caught with its fingers in the cookie jar," she said of the story in yesterday's Mid-Ocean. "It's easy to deflect criticism by attacking the messenger."