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GPA balks at state media intimidation
President of the GPA, Neil Marks
The Guyana Press Association (GPA) has noted with concern the recent reports of Prime Minister, (PM) Moses Nagamootoo’s interaction with a reporter attached to the Guyana Chronicle. The GPA said that the incident can be viewed as a method of intimidation, which may have a dampening effect on press freedom.
According to reports, the PM had expressed displeasure and disappointment over headlines, which were published in the State-owned newspaper, during the recent budget debates.
Nagamootoo reportedly held discussions with the reporter, Derwayne Wills, to express his dissatisfaction over the article titled “Gov’t blunders on Budget Estimates … violates laws assented to by President Granger”. This was published in the Tuesday, August 25 edition of the newspaper.
Subsequent to the publication, it was reported that editors at the Chronicle were ordered to have all headlines vetted by Director of Public Information, Imran Khan before publication. However both Khan and Nagamootoo have debunked such claims.
But a subsequent editorial in the Chronicle stated that “a State newspaper, like all other newspapers, has vested interests, politically and ideologically. Ours arise from the government’s thrust; there is no running away from that.”
The editorial also stated that the Chronicle, “is owned by the State, and is, therefore, expected to editorially support the general thrust of the government of the day.”
The statement did not sit well with veteran journalists, media operatives and publishers, who shared the general view that the State media houses are owned by the State not the government and therefore ought to reflect the views of all segments of society.
While they all agreed that in principle there is nothing wrong with a government having an opinion and airing it in the State-owned newspaper. One online news operative specifically noted that when all is taken into consideration, including the Prime Minister’s recent action, it amounts to a creeping misuse of the newspaper.
He expressed fears of a repetition of a “vicious cycle” of what occurred under the PNCR and the PPP/C “when these governments misused the media for its own interest.”
The GPA in a statement to the press yesterday, noted that the association feels compelled to comment on the issue, given that while the Prime Minister is free to express his views; he should not express such views directly to media workers.
The association admonished that the incident is known to be a tactic of intimidation and may have a dampening effect on press freedom bordering on self-censorship.
The GPA further stated, it regards the Prime Minister’s stated pro-government expectations of the publicly-funded Guyana Chronicle newspaper (and presumably all State-owned media) as a retrograde, and intolerable step that betrays the governing Coalition’s campaign and post-election promises, not to engage in the same press freedom violations previous administrations were accused of.
According to the Association, there needs to be a clear distinction between the State and the Government.
The statement outlined that “the GPA wishes to suggest that there should be, following extensive consultations, a policy which adumbrates the way the executive should interact with state-owned media that would allow for freedom of the press in a meaningful way within these entities.”
Integral to the approach towards a free and open State media, the Association believes, should be the reform of the Broadcasting Act and the adoption of the British Broadcasting Corporation’s editorial guidelines that govern the United Kingdom State-owned and funded broadcaster.
Further, the GPA took the opportunity to call on all journalists never to be swayed by opinion, good or bad. “Once your story is factual, accurate and true, questions from political leaders regarding your work should be directed to your editors,” the body advised.
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