A United Bermuda Party Senator has joined in the criticism of media coverage of surgeon Dr. Christopher Johnson in the Mid-Ocean News during the past two weeks.

The head of the Bermuda Road Safety Council has been front page news in the weekly paper for two consecutive weeks regarding his marriage to a Bermudian woman, lawsuits filed by Mr. Johnson against his former employer in the US, and alleged concerns among medical colleagues in Bermuda.

The coverage was criticised by Progressive Labour Party MP Derrick Burgess in the House of Assembly last Friday, and he was backed by Opposition Senator ET (Bob) Richards when the Senate met Wednesday. Sen. Richards said: ?It?s not very often that I agree with what is said in another place by Derrick Burgess. But on the subject of what he is reported to have spoken of the other day I feel compelled to say something.

?This is a matter of the reporting in the Mid-Ocean News on items to do with Dr. Christopher Johnson. When they (the articles) fist came out I was very troubled, and then the second round made me outraged.?

He said: ?Quite frankly for someone?s private business to be splashed all over the newspaper in this Island is absolutely, utterly unacceptable. It is unacceptable in an Island that prides itself in its civility.

?I don?t know this gentleman but I can tell you that those of us who are political Senators and politicians in general accept that it is open season on us because we made that step, we stepped across the rubicon and we know we can get fired, so that is part of the game.?

The UBP Senator added: ?But to have this sort of thing written about a private citizen is just not on. I applaud Mr. Burgess for his comments and I?m right there with him. You can?t have that sort of nonsense ? pretty soon they are going to have ?people were captured by aliens? and that sort of stuff, the thing is nothing in those articles was news.

?It was not in the public interest at all and we have to make sure that any time the members of the media step over the line somebody is here to slap them back to where they belong. Because this is not acceptable and nobody on this Island should tolerate that kind of journalism in the future.?