Latest update January 14th, 2025 3:35 AM
Latest News
- ‘Guyana could have received at least US$13B to date from oil’
- ExxonMobil preparing for oil production at 6th project
- Final draft of Gaza truce deal presented to sides after ‘breakthrough’, official says
- Venezuela detains tanker falsely flying Guyana’s flag
- ‘Pres. Ali made it clear no renegotiation of Exxon contract’ – Hess boss tells conference
Media take stance in wake of Moseley ban
The private media within the country are taking a stance on the banning of Capitol News journalist, Gordon Moseley, with selective coverage of state-sponsored events.
Yesterday, the Guyana Press Association (GPA) issued an advisory to all media houses on the strategy that would be adopted as a means of protesting the ban.
Kaieteur News, Editor-in-Chief, Adam Harris, said that the company is in sync with the GPA.
“We will adopt the measures proposed by this body. These measures are quite clear and until the ban on Moseley is lifted whatever is recommended will be pursued by us,” Harris said.
Other media houses that have signed on to the measure are Stabroek News, Guyana Times, Capitol News, Prime News, Evening News and other private media houses in the country.
Yesterday, Reporters Without Borders condemned the government’s decision, describing the move as ‘discriminatory.’
The body stated that it will support the efforts of the GPA to resolve the conflict as soon as possible.
“Barring a journalist because a report displeased the president is an attack on pluralism and the press’s critical role,” Reporters Without Borders said.
The government, the association said, already resorted to such methods when it banned the Stabroek News from receiving state advertising from November 2006 to April 2008.
“The punishment imposed on Moseley directly affects his ability to work and we therefore call for it to be lifted.”
On Tuesday, Caribbean media workers described the move by the government as a sign of a ‘crumbling’ democracy. Yesterday, too, Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) denounced the decision by the government ‘to impose restrictions’ on the right of Moseley.
“In the process, there have also been outrageous assertions regarding the outputs of Capitol News, a regional news agency and a state television operator from another country,” the ACM said yesterday.
This is not an encouraging signal from President Bharrat Jagdeo’s administration which certainly reserves the right to comment, critically, on the work of the media, the Association said.
The President’s intervention in this matter ‘betrays a lack of appreciation’ of the need to assure the unfettered right of journalists to do their work.
“We call on the Office of the President to reverse its decision to impose such a ban and join with the Guyana Press Association in its efforts to seek a resolution of the situation,” the ACM encouraged.
This is the second person that has been banned from covering assignments at the Office of the President by the present administration.
Premier Cheddi Jagan had banned Kit Nascimento with interesting consequences way back in 1962.
Moseley was banned from entering the Office of the President and State House on Monday.
Moseley arrived at the Office of the President on Monday following an invitation for the coverage of an event but was told that a directive was dispersed preventing him from entering the premises.
He has been covering presidential assignments ever since President Jagdeo was sworn into office in 1999.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The PNCR and AFC are a blight on democratic politics
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) have forfeited... more
Clarifying misconceptions about the Panama Canal
Sir Ronald Sanders (Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS) By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News–... more
Weekend Cartoon
