Media corps pushes for Broadcast, Freedom of Information legislation

Sep 17, 2009 News

Following several workshops and a conference, the Guyana Press Association (GPA) in conjunction with the Canadian High Commission and other stakeholders, arrived at a mandate to press for the passage and implementation of Broadcast and Freedom of Information Legislation among others.

A section of the participants at yesterday’s session

The event which attracted over 40 participants, representing over 20 organizations was held during the last two weeks – a total of six days in the period between September 8 and 16.

Those attending included media house proprietors, working journalists, regulators, educators and other stakeholders.

The meetings took place at the Guyana Program Support Unit, and were co-sponsored by the GPA and the Canadian High Commission (with funds from CIDA’s “Deployment for Democratic Development” program, and additional financial support from UNDP).

An additional partner in the process of joining the original sponsors was an Interim Committee representing a soon-to-be formed association of Guyana media owners. Spokespersons for all groups indicated their support for the outcomes of the activities.

“The Guyana Press Association is strongly committed to an improved Media Code of Conduct, and pledges to work closely with media owners on matters of common interest,” said Gordon Moseley, President (ag) of the GPA.

“We were inspired by the example of our colleagues in other Caribbean countries, and will be coming together very soon to form a proprietors’ association,” commented Nadia De Abreu, Marketing Manager of the Guyana Times, speaking for the Interim Committee.

“Canada is pleased to provide expertise and resources to help respond to needs that have already been expressed by the government and people of Guyana to strengthen the media sector in this country,” added Canadian Chargé d’affaires Raymond Drouin.

Included in the mandates as outlined in the communiqué issued following the conference was the fact that the broadcast legislation that is to be put in place should specify the mandate of the state media, which should, at a minimum, participate in the same self-regulatory regime as other media, but be held to a higher standard with regard to specific expectations of public service.

It was agreed also that the legislation should create a Broadcasting Authority, and define its duties and powers, must be independent and objective, and its proceedings should be open and transparent.

“The members of the Authority should be respected, neutral, and expert in the field….A clearly defined appointments process and criteria are critical to achieving these goals. The process should maximize public input and minimize political influence.”

It was also agreed that one result of the legislation should be the speedy consideration of new license applications for private radio stations and the expansion of private television coverage throughout the country.

“New licenses should not be given out in the absence of broadcast legislation…At the same time, the urgent and legitimate constitutional right of the public to receive the widest possible range of media must not continue to be frustrated by further delay in passing legislation.”

The conference also endorsed the communiqués of the two previous meetings of media owners and working journalists, particularly, advocating timely action to meet the specified deadlines for the creation of an association representing media owners and the drafting of the permanent Media Code of Conduct.

The Media Code of Conduct is being drafted out of that which governed press coverage of the 2006 national elections, along with that of the Association of Caribbean Broadcasters, the code of practice of the Media Complaints Council of Trinidad and Tobago and that of the British Broadcasting Corporation among others.

The latest Media Code of Conduct will be used by the media corps in Guyana to self-regulate.