Dear Editor

I find it absolutely appalling that Nikki Phoenix, from her so-called independent platform, had the audacity to claim live on ABS during the Cabinet Press Briefing that all journalists in Antigua and Barbuda are in Gaston Browne’s pocket. I’m not a journalist myself, but it’s shocking that the Media Workers Association hasn’t condemned such a ludicrous assertion. This kind of statement undermines the trustworthiness of journalists in our nation, suggesting they’re on the payroll of the Prime Minister.

Does anyone realize how damaging this is to our democracy? The silence from media workers on this could imply they’ve accepted the accusation as truth.

Furthermore, who does Nikki think she is, showing up at the Cabinet Press conference and treating the government’s chief of staff with such blatant disrespect? It’s one thing to ramble on from the UK while sipping tea, but to continually disrespect the official government platform here is beyond ridiculous.

She’s crossed a line time and again, and it’s surprising that only one of her colleagues had the courage to call her out as simply nasty and annoying—though even that colleague felt the need to apologize afterward.

Here’s a direct appeal to Lionel Hurst: it’s time to ban Nikki from the Cabinet Press conference. She hardly represents any legitimate media outlet; she’s merely a mouthpiece for her own petty grievances.

The public is fed up with her antics and I demand her removal from these briefings. Her presence turns serious discussions into a circus. Nikki is a disgrace, not just to herself but to everyone trying to engage with the issues at hand.

I’m starting a campaign to get her off the air once and for all. Let her rant on Facebook and social media if she wants, but enough is enough. We don’t need her poison in our public discourse.

Kara Winston