Latest update November 21st, 2024 1:00 AM
Jagdeo’s dangerous attempt to stifle media resurfaces – Press Association
Former President Bharrat Jagdeo appears hell bent on stifling the growth and operations of the media locally and is again coming in for flak, this time over his latest attempt.
The Guyana Press Association (GPA), a fraternity of local journalists has since publicly condemned Jagdeo’s latest endeavor as, “dangerous and instructive.”
The press body, headed by Senior Journalist Neil Marks, yesterday, by way of a public missive expressed concern over a recent call by Opposition Leader Jagdeo, for supporters of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), to refrain from buying newspapers which do not support the views of that party.
Jagdeo reportedly made the remarks as he was addressing an event on October 5, 2015, held at Red House.
At that forum, he told supporters, “please ensure that our people don’t buy newspapers where the sole purpose of the newspaper is to destroy your party.”
The Press Association believes Jagdeo’s statement is both dangerous and instructive.
“Dangerous, because it highlights the fact that Jagdeo is bent on stifling the growth and operations of the media, something which he brazenly practiced as President when he withdrew State advertisements from the Stabroek News…Instructive, because Jagdeo’s missive demonstrates that he understands the powerful role of the free press.”
The GPA said Jagdeo’s statement is designed to stifle the revenue base of the privately-owned media and frustrate their efforts to provide the populace with news and information.
“The Guyana Press Association condemns Mr Jagdeo’s statement and that of any other politician or official who attempts to thwart the work of the free press.”
The GPA maintained that the media in Guyana continues to be the watchdog of, “our democratic processes and the GPA rallies around a free and independent press.”
SN&KN Attacks
Jagdeo had attracted similar criticisms a few years ago after he addressed a Private Sector Forum and had called for them to actually stop putting advertisements in this publication.
In August 2009, Jagdeo, while addressing the Private Sector Commission dinner, had accused that body of aiding and abetting what he called the sensationalizing of the news, since they advertise with this newspaper.
That attack, coupled with the withdrawal of advertisements from both the Kaieteur News and the Stabroek News, had been seen by observers as a calculated move to stifle the private media by the then sitting President.
The President subsequently found himself in even more hot water after he re-instated advertisements to the Stabroek News and then to the Guyana Times, a fledgling newspaper with which he shares a close association.
Stabroek News at the time had also put together a half year analysis of the government advertisements placed in the daily newspaper and found that while the allocations of advertisements to the Kaieteur and Stabroek News plummeted, the allocations to Guyana Times simultaneously escalated to the point it was getting more than both leading dailies despite the fact that its circulation is negligible.
The Guyana Times continued to receive hefty portions of State advertisements, despite maintaining a meager circulation throughout the latter years of PPP/C rule.
Radio Frequencies
Jagdeo’s blatant discrimination and deliberate attempts to stifle the local media did not stop there.
Before demitting office in 2011, he again came in for flak after it was discovered that he farmed out the nation’s radio frequencies to friends, relatives and cronies.
The radio frequencies went mainly to his best friend, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, the ruling Peoples’ Progressive Party, and to an overseas-based sister of the then Natural Resources Minister, Robert Persaud.
These three were given multiple frequencies allowing them countrywide coverage.
Others were granted single frequencies, giving them limited range in their transmissions.
It can also be recalled that frequencies were given by Jagdeo to E-Networks and Quark Communications Inc., two companies he has close links with, to run cable TV services.
Quark, E-Networks and Global Technology’s iNet Communications were also named in a law the PPP had proposed and were to automatically benefit from telecoms licences.
Jagdeo and Ramroop are linked to all three companies but the coalition A Partnership for National Unity, Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government has since revised the legislation removing this provision.
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