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The saga of the Media Monitoring Unit

Dec 31, 2011 Letters

 

 

Dear Editor,
I have never written a letter to your publication before, however, as a Journalism Graduate from the Centre of Communication Studies of the University of Guyana, I have more than a passing interest in the apparent lukewarm and seasonal approach to media self-regulation currently being practised in Guyana, hence the felt compulsion to put pen to paper.
Why is GECOM’s Media Monitoring Unit activated during elections time only?  By this I mean why is interest only placed on monitoring or “regulating” the media when Guyana is gearing up to head to the polls? Shouldn’t the Media Monitoring Unit be given permanence in the form of a national institution, something akin to the British Press Council to hold media practitioners accountable?
After reading about the impending closure of GECOM’s Media Monitoring Unit, I felt such disappointment, not only for the staff that will be out of work in the New Year, but also for the Nation and its development in the global media arena.
Of recent, GECOM’s Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally, has been in the forefront advocating the Unit’s importance even before the elections commenced. So, to read of the Unit’s imminent closure and not hear a word from its fiercest advocate is quite surprising. However, I realize that Dr. Surijbally has a lot on his plate, not least with opposition supporters calling for his resignation.
Elections are not the only time the media needs to be “controlled.” It is my humble opinion as a trained journalist that if there is no one watching, the media houses tend to become lax in their duties, allowing journalism standards to slide.
Also, with no one keeping constant watch, editors and reporters become irresponsible while competing for the first bite of the juicy story of the day.
To make a long story short, it is my belief that GECOM’s Media Monitoring Unit needs to become a permanent media watchdog body in Guyana.
Lisa Roberts

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