President David Granger is being called upon to ensure that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and the rest of his Cabinet get the memo that they should not interfere in the affairs of the State media.
The Guyana Press Association (GPA) said it was startled by the daring move of Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan to pen a public letter upbraiding the editorial team of the State-owned Guyana Chronicle and attempting to dictate the editorial direction of the newspaper.
Moses Nagamootoo
“His missive, which appeared only in the Guyana Chronicle, can only be interpreted as an attempt to drive fear into the editors and reporters of that newspaper with the sole aim of securing censorship and self-censorship,” the GPA said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Press Association further suggested that Minister Bulkan would do well to be accessible to the media and account for the Communities Ministry’s programmes and policies rather than “resort to cloak and dagger approach” to drive fear into the State media operatives about his story preferences.
Furthermore, the GPA used the opportunity to express its strong disagreement with the continued role of the Director of Public Information, Imran Khan, as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited – the publishers of the Guyana Chronicle.
The Association also disclosed with worry that a senior Government Minister continued to dictate coverage of his office to the Editor-in-Chief and often has stories sent for his approval once they have to do with his office or the People’s National Congress (PNC), the main party in the governing coalition.
Additionally, the GPA also condemned the weekly meetings of the Prime Minister with senior executives of the State media, noting that they were being used as a tool to dictate editorial content and to silence or trivialise Opposition views.
Moreover, the GPA is urging media workers to continue to carry out their work in a professional and ethical manner, and to uphold the virtues of this important profession.
Bulkan, in a passionate letter to the editor published in the State newspaper on April 3, condemned the newspaper for not giving enough prominence to the article on the swearing-in of Mayors and Deputy Mayors.
“Your front page is dominated by the headline: “More Oil” and was followed by a full-page story on page three. I wish to suggest that your emphasis and message are totally misplaced,” the Minister penned in his missive.
Bulkan also expressed concern that the article on Mayors was “relegated” to page eight while the oil story was featured on page three.
“I suggest, therefore, that your public duty would have been better served by switching the aforementioned articles,” Bulkan stated.
