There are other avenues available to the public in treating with inaccuracy in reporting, the Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA) has said.

In a release yesterday, the TTPBA stated that it recognised the issue at hand (questions of inaccuracy in stories in various media) which has been brought forward by Minister of Sport Anil Roberts.

"And we wish to state that in matters such as these, our members do have a process for checking the integrity of a story. Apart from seeking recourse from the media house, the Media Complaints Council (MCC) is another avenue that any aggrieved citizen may go to for adjudication on a matter (MCC telephone number 794-7416)."

The TTPBA added that together with the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) there is an industry code of ethics (2004) which states that a journalist must ensure the credibility of the story as far as possible.

"Each media house also has its internal code of ethics and editorial guidelines. While the TTPBA cannot be held responsible for the actions of an individual media house, we wish to state that our members continue to strive for excellence in serving the public..."

The TTPBA also outlined its objectives:

to have a responsibility to protect and preserve the right of the people to know;

hold within our portfolio the responsibility and undertaking to encourage practices that will strengthen and maintain the broadcast and publishing industry by improving industry standards through education and acknowledgement of organisations and individuals who have contributed significantly to the industry and are instrumental in the creation of a legal framework and regulations by representing its members through discussion, suggestions and objections with governmental and other agencies who impact on our media sphere.