Freddie, go stand in the corner!

Mar 23, 2011 Features / Columnists, Stella Says

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A columnist is, by virtue of the job, under constant scrutiny for the opinions penned and published. The ability to write is only one aspect of this multifaceted job. We must always be in the know about almost everything that is happening, and subsequently have the capacity to digest that information and speak on it intelligently.
Moreover, the columnist’s job does not end with the writing and publishing of her/his opinion. There are a multitude of others who will have opinions on the columnist’s opinion, and it is becoming very popular in today’s society for columnists to open themselves up for critique on various social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter.
In Guyana, unlike many other parts of the world, letter writers can share their opinions on newspaper columns, and it is completely normal for a columnist and a letter writer to have an exchange of opinions that spans several newspaper issues. This is uncommon in places like the U.S., where a columnist seldom responds to analysis of her/his work.
I like the Guyanese way of opinion interaction. In my estimation, the free exchange of ideas and opinions in Guyana’s newspapers demonstrates a far more democratic process than one that stops with a response to the columnist. On important matters, it is important to keep the conversation going – as long as that conversation is civil and productive.
The letter-writing avenue is typically the only way a person can respond to a column written by my friend and colleague, Freddie Kissoon. Freddie is a very private person (as is the case with many columnists) and does not have a public Facebook account or publish his email at the end of his column (as is the norm for most columnists in the U.S. at present).
Just recently, a Facebook friend suggested I encourage Freddie to join Facebook. The very thought made me laugh out loud. Can you imagine Freddie Kissoon on Facebook? Social networking would never be the same.
However, one cannot help but wonder if this privacy factor is what kept Freddie from taking a walk over to visit the squatters who live by him to verify some of the faulty information he provided in his column entitled, “I know why the Government did away with prescriptive rights.”
Bossman is mad bad about this faulty information. Bossman probably feels this slip by Freddie has hurt the credibility of the newspaper – and this is not a good time for Kaieteur News to take a hit on credibility when there are scabs everywhere trying to discredit the paper so the people will not read about the corruption and political nepotism that run rampant under the current government.
Kaieteur News Editor, Adam Harris, wrote his column on the Freddie incident this past Sunday, and the newspaper even ran a front-page story saying Freddie lied.
That was one hell of a retraction. Freddie reacted to the accusation by publishing a response that reiterated his side of the story. His response was followed by an Editor’s note that said the newspaper stands by its position on this matter.
This whole situation is getting very ugly and now I have been dragged into this mess because Bossman wants me to give Freddie a sound thrashing publicly, which I could do very easily and have tons of fun doing so. After all, Freddie’s journalistic ethics were certainly lacking in the column in question. It would have only taken him 15 minutes to verify some of the flawed information he put in that column. Yes, Freddie should be sent to stand in the corner.
I could step on Freddie’s fingers as I climb past him on the ladder of columnists at Kaieteur News, and toss him a sneer to rub it in. But let us be honest, I could never be a Freddie Kissoon – and I would never want to be. Moreover, I cannot kick a fellow columnist when he is down. Freddie messed up big time.
He did not do the necessary legwork as a journalist and in the process his credibility suffers, as well as that of this newspaper.
Bossman’s frustration and irritation are justified. Freddie is no cub reporter. He knows how vital it is to check his facts and to go to the source for the information he needs and then verify that information with other sources.
At the same time, Bossman is hot-tempered and Freddie is proud, therefore, it seems the more Freddie sticks to his guns on this issue, the more he will kindle Bossman’s ire.
Darn, I suppose it is up to me to play peacemaker. I truly would love to see a boxing match instead, but that would not be good for the newspaper or for the nation at large. Bossman and Freddie are both too valuable to Guyana to allow them to take each other out (even though it would be quite entertaining to watch).
As such, I suppose I must be the one to act like a grown up (since no one else seems to be doing so right now) and beseech Freddie to acknowledge his shortcomings in the offensive column, and plead with Bossman to give Freddie some slack because he writes a column every day and his blunders are remarkably very few.
On the one hand, it is good for the public to see that as journalists we hold each other accountable, especially since the people have a government who protects its own, even when the offenders should go to jail. On the other hand, it is good to also let the public see that wrongs can be righted and that we can settle disputes in a civilised manner.
In other words, let’s get this mess cleaned up – and soon. There is no time to cry over spilled milk. Just clean it up and let’s get back to work. Okay? Don’t make me come down there and handle this in person!

Email: StellaSays@gmail.com

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