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| Island Firmly in Media
Spotlight
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Government staff and politicians found themselves in
the midst of a media scrum after they announced TT was the latest casualty to
foot and mouth disease. Within minutes of the decision being made the
government's phones were buzzing with questions from journalists.
Alistair Ramsay, the government's press officer, said dozens of press
releases were being sent out to make sure the cancellation message reached
bikers around the world.
At a press conference in the Sea Terminal held
immediately after the decision was announced, ministers and top civil servants
found themselves besieged by camera crews, radio reporters and newspaper
journalists.
Among the throng waiting to interview chief minister
Donald Gelling, tourism minister David Cretney and agriculture minister Alex
Downie were BBC Radio 5 Live, Radio 1, Granada News, Border News, BBC News 24,
The Times and others.
Daphne Caine, press officer for the Department of
Tourism and Leisure, said she had fielded dozens of calls from off-Island media
all desperate to know the latest news on the festival.
Tourism Chief
Executive Terry Toohey had also been taking phone calls and giving interviews
for most of the day. Chief Minister Donald Gelling revealed he'd been getting
attention of a different kind after a top biking magazine published his email
address: and invited its readers to share their views with him.
He
said: 'There has been an enormous amount of interest and people from around the
world have been emailing me. 'The interesting thing is that there was no
consensus over what decision should have been made.'
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