Outrage as some media houses barred from Pres. Ali presser

Sep 17, 2025 News

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…question restrictions spark backlash

Kaieteur News – Concerns over press freedom in Guyana resurfaced on Tuesday after several media outlets were excluded from President Irfaan Ali’s first press conference since taking the oath of office on September 6.

The president hosted the press briefing at the Office of the President; however, sections of the local media did not receive formal invitations. While representatives of the Guyana Standard, National Communications Network (NCN), Guyana Times, Guyana Chronicle, Ignite News, News Source Guyana, News Room, Kaieteur News, and the Department of Public Information (DPI) received direct calls from Press Secretary and Director of Press and Publicity Suelle Findlay-Williams, several other prominent media houses, including Stabroek News, Prime News, Nightly News, News In-Depth, Big Smith News Watch, and Capitol News, were notably absent, having not been informed about the event.

Veteran journalist Dennis Chabrol of Demerara Waves, who had received an invitation, walked out of the press conference in protest after being informed of strict restrictions on questions.

Before the press conference commenced, communications consultant Kit Nascimento instructed journalists that only six questions would be allowed in total to ask the president, with no follow-ups permitted. Furthermore, questions were to be limited strictly to the content of the president’s address, the subject of which was not disclosed beforehand.

Meanwhile, editor-in-chief of Stabroek News Anand Persaud, took to Facebook to condemn the selective invitations, writing, “President Ali wants to be treated with respect but his own office has shown great disrespect today by not inviting accredited media houses to his press conference.”

However, at the start of the press briefing, Findlay-Williams attempted to dispel these claims, stating that the accusation was false. She claimed that a call was made to Stabroek News’s accredited reporter, Marcel Fowler, at 11:02 hrs., followed by a written message at 14:30 hrs. She further asserted, “Every person sitting in this room also received a phone call from me.”

Despite this, several journalists used social media to express their dissatisfaction. Chabrol wrote on his Facebook page, “For several decades from 1992, the PPP/Civic-led administration held presidential press conferences without cumbersome rules. Since the employment of Mr. Kit Nascimento, the so-called rules are a humbug. Another blow to media freedom, freedom to attend, but not freedom to question.”

Additionally, Journalist Travis Chase echoed this sentiment, stating, “The office of the president seems to have now seized control of the press in Guyana and is now deciding which media outlets cover events with President Irfaan Ali.”

In response to the controversy, Kaieteur News reached out to, President of the Guyana Press Association Iva Wharton who expressed concern. “I have received a number of complaints on it. What I can say is that it is concerning, but we intend to write to the president’s office to find out exactly what happened,” Wharton stated.

Attempts by Kaieteur News to obtain further clarification from Findlay-Williams, on the other excluded media outlets were unsuccessful.

The controversy comes just a week after Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international press freedom watchdog, criticised President Ali’s administration for its ongoing hostility towards local journalists. In a public statement, RSF declared, “Unfortunately, President Ali’s tenure in office has been marred by his government’s hostility towards the news media. RSF calls on President Ali’s administration to make press freedom a priority during his five-year mandate.”

RSF highlighted persistent harassment by government supporters, as reported by Guyanese journalists in annual surveys for the World Press Freedom Index. The organisation also referenced a section of President Ali’s inauguration speech in which he pledged to recognise the media’s watchdog role and promote transparency. RSF responded, “These positive words must be followed up with action.”

RSF made several recommendations to the government, including those political figures refrain from publicly insulting journalists or encouraging supporters to do so, and those clear signals be sent from the highest levels of government to condemn the harassment of the press.

Clayton Weimers, Executive Director of RSF North America, added, “Open hostility from the government towards the media has become a regrettable norm in Guyana. This culture of antagonism is directly holding Guyana back on the World Press Freedom Index. It doesn’t need to be this way.”

He continued, “RSF calls for President Ali’s administration to help foster a more pluralistic media landscape, provide transparent and timely access to the entire press corps, and treat journalists with respect. A free press must always be an essential part of Guyana’s democracy.”

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• Guyana Chronicle, Guyana Standard, Guyana Times, Ignite News, Irfaan Ali, Kaieteur News, media houses, National Communications Network (NCN), News Room, News Source Guyana, Press Freedom

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