Guyana drops 26 places on Press Freedom Index

May 05, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – Guyana’s ranking on the World Press Freedom Index 2023 has dropped by 26 points to now being number 60 among 180 countries.

President Irfaan Ali

On Wednesday when the world observed Press Freedom Day, the index was released by Reporters without Borders (RSF), an international non-profit organisation. RSF defends the right of every human being to have access to free and reliable information. This right is essential to know, understand, form an opinion and take action on vital issues in full awareness, both individually and collectively.

The purpose of the World Press Freedom Index is to compare the level of freedom enjoyed by journalists and media in 180 countries and territories. The organisation explained that press freedom is defined as the ability of journalists as individuals and collectives to select, produce, and disseminate news in the public interest independent of political, economic, legal, and social interference and in the absence of threats to their physical and mental safety.

According to the index, in 2022 Guyana was listed as country 34 for press freedom. However, this year, the report shows that Guyana is now number 60 of 180 countries on the world press freedom list. It was highlighted that while Guyana protects freedom of speech and the rights to information, Guyanese journalists who oppose the authorities face intimidation.

In a statement, RSF called on the Guyana of Guyana (GoG) to ensure that Guyanese journalists are able to do their jobs free from harassment. “President Ali’s administration must take action to ensure all journalists are safe to do their jobs. This includes holding to account party supporters who intimidate members of the press,” they said. RSF press freedom questionnaire and map were broken down into five distinct categories or indicators (political context, legal framework, economic context, sociocultural context and safety). The following was published by the organisation about Guyana.

Media landscape

The organisation described Guyana as having a robust media landscape, with a diversity of national and regional media outlets. They stated that the main newspapers are The Guyana Times and Guyana Chronicle, the latter is owned and controlled by the state, as is the broadcast service The National Communications Network (NCN).

It was underscored that while there were attempts, in 2020, to improve regulation of the broadcast industry, the government failed to involve or consult with any broadcasters to strengthen the reform.

Political context

“Because members of the media regulatory authority are directly appointed by the president, the independence of certain media outlets, whose licences can be revoked, is hampered,” the organisation said.

Legal framework

Although Guyana, a parliamentary democracy, guarantees freedom of expression and the right to information in its constitution, the laws are not always strictly enforced, the organisation highlighted. Added to this, they said public officials use defamation lawsuits to criticize the media, and the threat of legal harassment can be enough to discourage journalists from pursuing an investigation.

RSF said too that in recent years, Guyana passed legislation aimed at muzzling reporters who openly oppose the authorities. The text includes an anti-defamation law providing for fines and imprisonment for up to two years “to arrest journalists who oppose their political parties.”

Economic context

For this, RSF underscored that state-owned and controlled media compete with several private radio stations, channels and publications. The organisation pointed out that independent and opposition media outlets struggle to compete with the advertising revenues of pro-government media outlets, which threatens their economic viability.

Sociocultural context

Guyana’s journalists are respected and allowed to do their jobs freely and independently. They are generally well accepted and protected.

Safety

RSF said that while media professionals have faced legal intimidation and suspensions, they are rarely the target of physical acts or violence.

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Economic context, Legal framework, Media landscape, Political context, safety, Sociocultural context

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