The Guyana Press Association (GPA) over the coming years will have its work cut out for it given the worrying trends and patterns that are developing in Guyana under the current A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change coalition Government.
While it can be argued justifiably that previous People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) governments were also guilty of undermining press and media freedoms on several occasions, it can also be argued that those governments never adopted a total anti-media policy.
In fact, the GPA can attest to the PPP’s track record of consistently holding media conferences and briefings to keep the press and public updated about issues and events which were important and had an impact on the overall socio-economic development of the country. While access to some public servants and officers were restricted under PPP Government’s, there never was a time when there was a complete information block out.
Government Ministers under the PPP were given the freedom to host their own media conferences and address as they see fit, the issues which concern their portfolios. The media was allowed to investigate, probe and expose all malpractices which were uncovered. Presidents Cheddi Jagan, Samuel Hinds, Janet Jagan, Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar continued the trend set by their predecessors Presidents Forbes Burnham and Desmond Hoyte by hosting regular press conferences where they were made to explain and defend the actions or inaction of their Governments on several national matters.
In short, these Presidents respected the media and upheld their right to report the news freely. They also felt strongly that the media must be responsible, honest and fair in its reporting and coverage of news related even. As a result, various entities were called out for their reporting, especially when the Government of the day felt that the reporting was not factual, dishonest and void of facts. This was seen as a healthy exchange within a developing democracy like ours once in the end no lines were crossed and the truth is some lines were crossed and corrective action was taken.
Today, the situation has worsened on certain fronts. Public officials under the coalition Government have gone mute. President David Granger refuses to hold regular press conferences and has retrieved to the safe confines of having staged and controlled media engagements where if the media are lucky, they are able to solicit a comment here and there on topical issues. His Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, who presumably still has responsibility for public information, is also unavailable to the media and does not host press conferences to update the media or the public on what is going on with his office or the Government.
Unlike what had obtained under the PPP, a Minister of Government as opposed to a public servant hosts the post-Cabinet press briefings. These briefings alone, though regular, are not enough to deal with the concerns that media personnel have with respect to a series of controversial and questionable undertakings that are taking place.
Also a new culture is seemingly developing where Ministers of Government are abusing and assaulting the media directly whenever they are displeased with a specific line of questioning, coverage of an event or editorial position of a newspaper on a particular matter. Such was the case with Minister Ramjattan when the media was told to “haul ya ass”. This behaviour was deemed acceptable in some quarters of officialdom and resulted in the Regional Executive Officer for Region Five Ovid Morrison attempting to abuse and restrain a media operative of this newspaper from executing his duties. Morrison had called in and instructed the Police to remove that media operative because he was displeased with his coverage and exposure of several corrupt actions within the region.
Other officials are fearful of being sanctioned by the respective Ministers and are now referring all queries, even the simplest, to the political directorate. The abuse and politicisation of the State media continues with party PR pundits being recruited and stacked in these entities. While there have been attempts at appointing impartial and experienced media personnel to key State media boards, the entire rebranding process is being undermined in the long run. Just look at the situation at the State-owned Guyana Chronicle where two newspaper columnists have been sent packing because of their perceived criticisms of the Government and the Editor is made into the fall guy.
The GPA must remain vigilant and responsive to all threats to press freedom and the rights of its media workers. It must continue to lobby for better working conditions and for the Government to loosen its fatal grip on public information. Officials, trained public servants, must be allowed to speak freely to the media and the President must be made to host much more frequent conferences to face the press. This Government can ill afford to repeat the mistakes of the PPP and must do all that is necessary to change how it engages the media.
