Press freedom unregulated can lead to abuse - Nandlall

Press freedom unregulated can lead to abuse – Nandlall

Apr 26, 2013 News

“When you publish only one version of a story or you publish a story that is only favourable to your viewpoint that amounts to manipulation of the press,” said Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall as he alluded to the fact that the press wheels a tremendous amount of power in a democracy.

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall

The Attorney General who also doubles as the Minister of Legal Affairs from all indications was at the time seeking to lash out at two privately operated daily newspapers – Kaieteur News and Stabroek News. He however did not take into consideration at the time the fact that opposition had had cause to raise its concern about failure on the part of the National Communications Network to offer equitable coverage of the budget debates for instance.
Nandlall was at the time assuming the spotlight at a press forum hosted by the People’s Progressive Party Civic. According to him the power that the press has in a democracy comes with a commensurate degree of responsibility. As such he pointed out that “oftentimes we hear the call for the maintenance of press freedom and we hear the call for no form of interference with the press as they execute and discharge the functions of the press.”
This allowance, he insisted, is an integral part of the democratic process and “we recognise that, but with equal force we would like to emphasise that freedom of the press and the power which the press wheels brings with it a responsibility to be impartial, to be independent and to ensure that both sides of a story is carried.”
Placing precise focus on the two media houses, Nandlall asserted that although it is patently obvious that the two newspapers may not always agree with views of the ruling party that is not a basis for non-publishing of that view. According to him, if it is that the press will decide to only publish views that they subscribe to, or views that they are supportive of, then they would be violating press freedom themselves.
Nandlall disclosed further that it was during a recent meeting with the executive of the International Press Institute that he had cause to make what he described as the very ‘fundamental point’ that “we have press freedom in Guyana and we have so much press freedom…in my humble view, that there is now a problem of regulating the freedom we enjoy.”
According to him, press freedom unregulated can lead to abuse, adding that when only one version of a story is published that is only favourable to one viewpoint that can in fact amount to violation of press freedom. This state of affairs, he insisted, is an abrogation to the high responsibility that attaches to press freedom.
“Of course freedom of the press is guaranteed by our Constitution to all and sundry as a fundamental right and freedom enjoying the highest form of protection in our legal system,” Nandlall said.