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World Press Freedom Day

May 03, 2024 Editorial

Kaieteur News – The Fourth Estate is yoked to a sacred duty.  It is to present information honestly, accurately, and in a balanced way to the public.  Moreover, on this World Press Freedom Day, it is that unfettered ability to pursue news items and report on them without fear, without hindrance.  The experience of this paper, a member of the Guyana Press cohort, has not been what it should be, particularly where that hallowed freedom to interrogate and inform has been severely inhibited almost without letup.

When members of the press corps are forced to function in an environment of intimidation and hostility, then more than press freedom is at stake.  The rights of citizens for a fair and clear picture on the developments impacting their lives are subject to duress, are curtailed.  Any narrowing of that freedom, any restraint on what it represents in its fullest (and freest) expressions, has no place in a working democracy.  Since the Government of Guyana loudly claims to be all about democratic freedoms, then the ones involving the local press cannot be taken as lightly and insultingly as they have been in recent times.

There must be the freedom to access vital information on a timely basis, and not at such time that suits the whims and calculations of any political leader. The freedom to ask questions is a crucial component of the work of a professional press, either as an entity or at the individual journalist level.  To circle around that freedom to escape providing answers generates reasonable doubts about motive and agenda.  For leaders and officers of the government to derogate by attitude and action, in person or by proxy, the attempts of journalists to obtain information that Guyanese need to know, is indicative of the environment in Guyana that has become the norm.

Many freedoms are now routinely violated in the realm of the Fourth Estate in Guyana.  As a presence in the dwindling local independent media cadre, the freedom to represent the press profession (and the interests of the people) has come under increasing attack week after week.  One national leader, with others in close attendance, has gone out of his way to be hostile and derisive, manifesting a closed mind not to be disturbed, and a clenched fist invited at one’s own risk.  Where he left off, his lackeys are delighted to continue via other channels to denigrate press parties found to be offensive, without restraint or any recognition of basic decency.  When a former president could be publicly taken to task for speaking outside of his party’s playbook that is revealing enough of where the freedom to speak is concerned.  But an unimagined and unprecedented depth is reached, when the family of that former president is insulted in the sickest manner possible in efforts to deny a fundamental freedom.

Press freedoms are not what and how leaders say they should be.  Freedom to hold leaders accountable are inseparable from the calling of genuine media practitioners.  When press freedom is under siege, then some of the objectives of those behind such a condition become clearer.  There is some truth, some fact, that those in charge do not want to be ventilated publicly.  There is one narrative that leaders are determined will be the only one circulating, and they will do anything so that monopoly position is not threatened or weakened.  Counter narratives, through revealing press reports, or thoughtfully presented contradictory commentaries, must be quashed.  When efforts to do so fall short, then even more aggressive actions must be taken to undermine report and reporters.

This has been the case with this media house, which has been subject to the smearing and slandering of its people.  Before that, libel laws were weaponised and used for bludgeoning effect.  We are still going strong, finding ways to carve out the freedom to dig for information and to present conscientiously and fearlessly.  Taxpayer resources have been wielded to bring us to our knees through the withholding of advertising dollars.  We have not only weathered the assaults on the press freedoms that are ours by right, but we have also risen above the meanness and vindictiveness intended to limit the work being done, and to derail it.

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