Enoch: Media workers must step up

A call to members to serve on the executive of the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) was made yesterday by interim president Dale Enoch.

He told the Express via telephone that while he accepted the invitation to sit as interim president, he would not be running for that position for the next term, citing professional reasons which may become a conflict of interest in the future.

With the impending election scheduled for March 2024, Enoch said there were no nominees for the position of president and he called on members to rise to the occasion and offer themselves up.

According to past president Ira Mathur, the current active membership stood at 130 members.

Enoch said, as interim president for approximately three months, he will be working tirelessly on growing the membership, apart from his mandate to select a new executive.

Noting that the strength of an organisation is reflected by the magnitude of its membership, he assured that in the interest of increasing MATT’s membership, he will be visiting various media houses in the near future.

He added that people were showing interest in the other positions on the executive, but for some reason many were shying away from the presidency.

The interim president warned: “If you don’t contribute and the organisation crashes, then you are responsible.”

For those who are sceptical about joining MATT, he assured that the organisation is a representative of all media professionals.

And while acknowledging that working within the media industry can be demanding, he called on media professionals to make time for the organisation that represents them.

Enoch, who previously served as MATT president for two terms, said members always ask about salary regulation.

In response, he said: “MATT is not a trade union but an organisation that represents professionals.”

He also urged media professionals not to wait until difficulties arise to turn to MATT for representation because MATT representation goes beyond that.

To the naysayers who might not believe in MATT, he reassured that besides representation in professional matters, the executive is committed to building and strengthening the organisation, which in the long term would benefit its members.

“MATT has been good to me and I don’t want to see it go down,” Enoch stated, citing this as his reason for accepting the short-term position.

Aside from Enoch, the interim executive consists of Kandace Jackson (vice-president), Mark Lyndersay (treasurer), Phillip Matheson (secretary), Gregory McBurnie (assistant secretary), Robert Taylor (floor member) and Andrew Gioannettti (floor member).

Mathur and past executive member Judy Raymond were appointed trustees and they will provide support and advise the work of the interim executive.

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