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Kaieteur News applauded for SN solidarity
DEAR EDITOR,
Kaieteur News is applauded for the principled position it has taken on the withdrawal of advertisements (ads) to its competitor Stabroek News (SN). I recall that a withdrawal of ads to KN by a previous government did not receive the support of other media houses. KN has acted maturely in fidgeting the past and in standing with SN. An attack on one media could spiral out of control and becomes an attack on the other media houses. One remembers what happened to the media houses during the Burnham dictatorship. The cut in government advertisements to SN must be condemned in unison.
The response from government suggesting that SN does not want to assume further debt for ads is unacceptable. The government should have paid its debts already at $22M. Money had been budgeted and available for ads. Why not pay media bills? Since government had continued to place ads without clearing the enormous debt suggests the debt was not the issue.
Clearly, withholding ads is an attempt to muzzle the free press for (critical) reporting and commenting (critiquing) the government. It is very troubling that government has moved to suppress (unfriendly) speech against it. Not all unfriendly speech is unwelcomed or is bad speech. One US Chief Justice had ruled many years ago that bad press is better than no press. I assailed the last government for punishing SN for its right to criticise the government and I am equally against this government for reducing ads to SN as an act of punishment for its strong position on violations of democratic norms. Reduction of government ads is a threat to speech critical of government and must be condemned by all advocates of democracy. We must defend and sustain freedom of speech regardless of which party is in government. Why is the voice of David Hinds, Lincoln Lewis, Nigel Westmass, among others, silent?
No government or public figure like bad press but most, if not all of it, is its own doing. Government has not been following the law on a variety of issues. It seems like a repeat of Burnhamism. Instead of seeking to penalise the media by withdrawing ads for critical appraisals, government should welcome critiques that will help it to improve its performance and delivery of service and to embrace democratic governance.
I remember a decade ago, another government sought to stifle SN and Sharma TV for similar reasons. Those who now seek to silence SN were critical of that government. But they turn out to be no different or even worse. They are hypocrites.
SN was in the forefront of institutionalizing the free media post Burnhamism. This was followed by KN. It is because of SN and KN, among others, there is a free speech culture that has been institutionalised in the country. And those who were critical of the previous government for penalizing SN with ADS reduction are the ones who have withdrawn ads from SN. Isn’t this hypocrisy of the highest order? I don’t think President Granger gave order to reduce ads to SN. But to think that Moses Nagamootoo, the champion of the free press during the Burnham era and when he was Information Minister under PPP has responsibility for placement of ads and it is under his watch that SN has been penalized. Moses opposed the withdrawal of ads to SN when he was with PPP. PM Moses must urgently move to restore normal amount of ads to SN.
Using ads to punish the media for its stance against government behaviour is unacceptable. It must not be allowed to continue or else it will pose a threat to a democratic press. Burnhamism started that way. The country has not reached the point of verbal authoritarianism. But it could be a beginning in that direction. It is reminiscent of Burnhamism and Hoyteism to control the media.
The hallmark of a free society is one’s freedom of speech. The press and the public should be able to speak freely without fear of recrimination. Freedom of expression results in a stronger society. Using ads to control speech puts our democracy on trial.
I urge the government to pay its bills to all media and restore normal amount of ads to SN and any other media. Money has been budgeted for ads. Why not pay the bills rather than play games with the media over payment as a means to strangle them and censor their reporting and commentaries against the government. Thanks KN for your support for a free press.
Yours truly,
Dr. Vishnu Bisram
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