Stabroek News accuses Govt. of withholding ads to stifle free press

Sep 30, 2019 News

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Accusation is erroneous; will put out statement today – Govt.

By Kemol King

The management of Stabroek News has accused the Department of Public Information (DPI) of attempting to muzzle the free press through a targeted reduction in State Advertisements published in the newspaper.
But DPI Director, Imran Khan, has rejecting the Stabroek News allegation as “wholly erroneous, misleading and mischievous,” and has promised to present a thorough and comprehensive presentation of all the facts, today.
In an article in the Sunday Stabroek titled ‘DPI cuts state ads in Stabroek News’, the newspaper detailed what is stated were the results of an analysis it conducted on the placement of State ads in the four daily newspapers: Kaieteur News, Stabroek News, Guyana Chronicle, and Guyana Times.
The newspaper stated that it has noticed a marked decline in the number of stated ads placed per column inches as of June 2019 in the Stabroek News and Guyana Times, but no corresponding decrease in Kaieteur News and the State-owned Guyana Chronicle.

It reported that the newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief, Anand Persaud, related how Guyana Publications Incorporated (GPI) – the publishers of Sunday Stabroek and Stabroek News – had written to DPI on May 22, 2019 to tell the State Publication that, due to a large outstanding debt for state ads, it would refuse to accept new placements until DPI substantially settled the amount outstanding.
Stabroek News reported that after the substantial settlement was made, GPI wrote in July last, to notify DPI that the flow of advertising would be returned to normalcy. It reportedly did not.
Stabroek News stated that though some Government ads were placed in the newspaper since then, it was only because those advertisers insisted specifically on Stabroek News. It also went on to state that, while the Guyana Chronicle received the most state ads lately, with this publication coming in second, Stabroek News and Kaieteur News had benefitted from a near equal share of ads prior to the onset of the reductions.
Stabroek News has written extensively and with strong positions on Government’s actions following the passage of the No Confidence Motion in December 21, 2018. The newspaper suggested that DPI, “clearly rankled”, may be retaliating against it.
Persaud reportedly said that a particularly noteworthy silence by government officials on this matter could be interpreted as supportive of the idea that Stabroek News is being targeted by Government for its views on “Government’s defiance” of the No Confidence Motion.

Stabroek News stated that, if it is true that the state ads were reduced for those reasons, it would mean that Government has violated the Inter-American Press Freedom Declaration of Chapultepec. Principle 7 of that Declaration, signed by former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, in 2002, prohibits the granting or withdrawal of Government advertising to reward or punish the media or individual journalists. It should be noted that Moses Nagamootoo, who was then a Parliamentarian on the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) ticket, is now a Prime Minister with responsibility for DPI, and a member of the AFC.
Stabroek News also noted Principle 10 of the Declaration, which states “No news medium nor journalist may be punished for publishing the truth or criticizing or denouncing the government.”
Persaud reportedly reminded Stabroek News that a similar occurrence in November, 2006 was observed, instead with a Jagdeo administration. This appeared to be due to the fact that the newspaper granted regular columns to the Alliance for Change (AFC). Raphael Trotman and Khemraj Ramjattan, who both wrote for the AFC at the time, the newspaper noted, are now Ministers of Natural Resources and Public Security respectively, and are both senior members of the current APNU+AFC administration. Stabroek News stated that the Jagdeo administration had refused to place a single state ad with the newspaper for 17 months, with no plausible explanation.
Late yesterday, DPI Director, Imran Khan, posted a press statement, rejecting the Stabroek News article as “wholly erroneous, misleading and mischievous”.
It stated “Stabroek News has been in receipt of payment of over $50MILLION of advertising via DPI for 2019, far in excess of even the state owned Guyana Chronicle. In addition several government entities have booked advertising directly with Stabroek News which would put this figure significantly higher.”
DPI attributed the reduction in state ads entirely to GPI’s May letter which had requested that DPI substantially pay off its debts or have its ads rejected, despite the newspaper lifting that embargo after the debts were significantly relieved.
In a telephone conversation with Kaieteur News late last evening, Persaud said that the reasoning put forward by DPI in that statement is fallacious and totally unacceptable. He noted that though GPI had indicated that it would refuse requests for placement of ads due to substantial debts owed to it, it is within its right to do that to ensure those debts do not become unmanageable by the borrower. Furthermore, Persaud reiterated that when the debt was substantially relieved, GPI notified DPI that the normal flow of advertising could be resumed. He went on to say that DPI should ensure it is aware of the Declaration that Government signed on to in 2002.
Contacted last night, Guyana Press Association (GPA) President, Nazima Raghubir indicated that the allegation is deeply concerning. Hence, the GPA is currently examining the issue, and will inform its regional counter Association of Caribbean Media Workers so that the issue can be represented at an international level.
Stabroek News also reported that Persaud has committed to reporting this matter to the Inter-American Press Association and press freedom bodies.

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