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Double standard exhibited by US Ambassador over press freedom – Luncheon
US Ambassador
D. Brent Hardt
Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) Dr. Roger Luncheon says the recent comments made by the US Ambassador to Guyana, Brent Hardt, over the state of press freedom in Guyana point at a double standard on his part.
At his weekly post-Cabinet media briefing yesterday, Luncheon said “the Ambassador inveigled against the Government of Guyana for not respecting freedom of the press and among other things intimidating the media,” at the recently held celebration recognizing World Press Freedom Day 2014 hosted at the residence.
He noted that the event saw the attendance of Mark Benschop and CN Sharma.
The HPS described the US Ambassadors’ claims as “preposterous and outrageous”, adding that Cabinet’s response instinctively is understandable.
“Cabinet was outraged at the Ambassador’s outbursts, particularly when the very actions of the US authorities in the White House with regards to their own media houses projects and insight that the Ambassador does well in concealing not highlighting,” said Luncheon.
He said that the Attorney General was present at the event and represented the views of the Government concerning “the Ambassador’s studied impertinence and double standards”.
Luncheon also singled out the Kaieteur News and Stabroek newspapers saying that these agencies’ “excesses” are legendary and open without apology and regrets.
He opined that the two news entities “assail Guyanese with gross untruths and misinformation; this the US Ambassador knows. He claims otherwise and those claims fly in the face of reality. He claims intimidation and to make such a claim as he does is both hilarious and cynical.”
According to Luncheon “if intimidation is at work, threats of denials of US visas seem more intimidatory to journalists than mere Government criticisms.”
Ambassador Hardt had admonished Government over what he described as “censorship of the media” in Guyana.
He had outlined among other things that “it’s unthinkable that the licence applications for certain media have been delayed or ignored for nearly two decades”. Ambassador Hardt made a further call for the newly constituted Broadcast Authority to immediately undertake a speedy and fair review of any outstanding licence applications and to ensure that all applicants are subjected to independent review.
The Ambassador had said that “anyone who reads or watches independent media in Guyana will see that there are letters to the editor supportive of the government, columns that advocate government positions, and generally balanced reporting on actions of Government”.
By contrast, he outlined that in the state-owned and state-run media, which should hold itself up to an even higher standard of balance by virtue of being funded by taxpayers, one hardly ever sees a letter to the editor or a column supportive of the opposition or critical of the government.
“In fact, the public reads about instructions being passed by the government to state-run television criticizing staff for airing statements by an opposition party directly after the government’s position was presented, and indicating that such presentations were only to be aired late at night when viewership was lowest,” the Ambassador posited.
His claims were supported by the combined Opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC).
Leader of the APNU David Granger had said “I agree with the comments of the US Ambassador that there is no place in the modern media for this lopsided reporting and for the attacks which have been leveled against the Opposition by the Government through the state owned papers.”
He said further that “the time has long passed for Government to relax its control; we should have more radio stations and the Government should desist from controlling information released in the state media.”
The Alliance for Change (AFC) had through its leader Khemraj Ramjattan extended commendations to the United States Ambassador Brent Hardt over his recent pronouncements on the censorship of the media in Guyana by the government.
Ramjattan described the US Ambassador’s statements as being very “insightful”
and outlined that “all the statements made were very justified; they were supported by the evidence of the International Press Institute IPI as he quoted from extensively and also the statements by the local media as to what’s happening with the free press in Guyana.”
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