World Press Freedom index ranks Guyana at 57 out of 180; up 5 places

Apr 26, 2016 News

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– PPP maintains press censorship is alive and well

By Jarryl Bryan
The 2016 World Press Freedom Index has been released by the entity “Reporters without Borders” (RSF).

Of 180 countries which were surveyed, Guyana finished 57, an improvement of five places.
In the top five of the rankings are three European countries- Finland (ranked at number one for the sixth consecutive year), Netherlands (up two places at number two) and Norway (at number three, down one place). The United States of America has been ranked 41.
The annual index ranks countries according to the level of freedom enjoyed by journalists. It is compiled by pooling the responses of experts including media professionals, lawyers and socialists in their respective countries to an 87 question survey.
The criteria used in the survey include pluralism, media independence and environment, censorship, legislation, transparency and the quality of infrastructure that allows news to be produced. A qualitative analysis is combined with quantitative data that is gathered about abuses and acts of violence against journalists during the evaluation period.
Reporters without Borders utilize a team of specialists, each of whom is assigned to a different geographical region. The team keeps data of abuses and violence against journalists and media outlets. They also rely on a network of correspondents in most of the countries.
A continental summary of the report shows that Europe, with 19.8 points, has the freest media corps. For the first time Africa, with 36.9, has overtaken the Americas- to which Guyana belongs- which scored 37.1 points. Asia came in at 43.8 while Eastern Europe/Central Asia scored 48.4 and North Africa/Middle East registered the worst score at 50.8.

The issue of press censorship came to the fore locally, with a recent United States’(US) State Department Human Rights report painting an unflattering picture of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo’s execution of his mandate as Minister of Information.
A section of the report had stated, “The law provides for freedom of speech and press, and the government generally respected these rights. (However, in regards to censorship and restrictions) in August the Prime Minister issued a directive that all headlines in the state-owned print media be first scrutinized and approved by his office before they are published. The directive was a response to a headline criticizing the government. The Prime Minister also serves as Minister of Information.”
Working People’s Alliance (WPA) executive member, Dr. David Hinds, has also complained about the fact that his columns have not been carried.
The Prime Minister’s office has, however, since refuted the US State Department report. According to the office, “allegations of censorship in state media have no basis in reality or fact.

Censorship still rampant
But during the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) weekly press conference at Freedom House yesterday, the party’s General Secretary, Clement Rohee, maintained that censorship within the state media was still rampant.

According to Rohee, the reality is that press censorship is being conducted from the Prime Minister’s office and the Ministry of the Presidency, despite the vehement protests to the contrary.
“The PPP supports the view that press censorship is alive and well in Guyana,” he said. “Increasingly, persons of various political hues and shades are voicing their concerns and reservations over the role and content of the state-controlled Chronicle newspaper.”
“The PPP is the only political party that hosts a weekly press conference at which one or two press statements are read and subjected to questioning by journalists present.  The statements are promptly sent electronically to all media houses.”
He accused media outlets, including Guyana Chronicle, Kaieteur News and Stabroek News of not publishing in their entirety many of the releases which the party would put out.
Rohee also stated that Guyana seemed to be returning to an era where press censorship and fear was “the weapon used to pursue that agenda beyond the state media.”
“The PPP did not practice censorship save for a few occurrences which cannot be described as press censorship.”
However, the World Press Freedom index has well documented cases. It strongly condemned cases it referred to as discriminatory to the press, under the PPP.
Commenting on the 2008 decision to ban reporter and TV personality Gordon Moseley from Office of the President, the report stated, “Barring a journalist because a report displeased the President is an attack on pluralism and the press’ critical role. The Government has already resorted to such methods when it banned the Stabroek News daily from receiving state advertising from November 2006 to April 2008,” the report stated.
Rohee was also asked about PPP’s yanking of advertisements from both Stabroek News and Kaieteur News. He was adamant that this was not censorship, but rather, that the then Government had taken the decision for economic reasons.

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