Press Freedom Day: “Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation”

Today the local media in Guyana will join its counterparts around the world to observe World Press Freedom Day.
This year the day is being observed under the theme, “Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation.” The concept note for the celebration states:
“Today, the contribution of free, pluralistic, independent and safe journalism to democracy is under unprecedented stress. Also, election outcomes and their aftermath are critically affected by political discourse and communications, including the role of the media in relation to the polling process. Many societies have falling trust in established political parties and in news outlets themselves. This is often accompanied by polarizing political discourse that threatens peaceful elections as well as press freedom.”
Here in Guyana, the day is being observed against the backdrop of a recently released Reporters Without Borders for freedom of information (RSF) report, which stated that journalists here are still face hurdles in executing their duties and some of the present laws that the country has implemented can land a journalist in jail despite the Constitution guaranteeing free speech and the right to information. The RSF also stated that officials locally often use various pieces of legislation – including defamation laws, which provide for fines and up to two years in jail – to silence opposition journalists. This is as a result of the Cybercrime Bill that was passed into law in July 2018 in Guyana. According to the media advocacy body, the Cybercrime Bill restricts the freedom of certain media outlets, which are denied licenses and recent attempts to improve regulation of the broadcast industry involved no consultation with any broadcasters. This, the RSF pointed out therefore means that journalists locally are still subjected to harassment that takes the form of prosecutions, suspensions, and intimidation. This will lead to local journalists being censored due to editorial or company policies, the threat remains at large that Government officials can use the laws of Guyana to persecute and prosecute journalists if their articles are not “in keeping” with how they wish the publicity to be. This therefore by itself, is an infringement on the rights of journalists, and in contradiction of Guyana’s Constitution. However, despite such struggles, Guyana has been able to elevate itself from the 55 position in 2018 in the World Press Freedom Index to 51 position in its 2019 report.
Around the world, almost 100 journalists were killed in 2018. The number of deaths is higher than in 2017, but not as high as peaks recorded in previous years when conflicts in Iraq and Syria were raging. The most brutal of those killed occurred on October 2, 2018, when Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist working in the US for the Washington Post, entered his country’s consulate in Istanbul to process paperwork – and was never seen again.
The killing of the journalist resonated around the world, both as an attack on media freedom and as a shocking insight into the workings of a secretive and repressive regime.
On Wednesday, Al Jazeera news agency, said that the horrific story has been well documented in the media but there are still pieces missing and serious questions that remain unanswered: What happened to the body? Why did two weeks pass before Turkish investigators were allowed into the consulate to examine forensic evidence? And who was ultimately responsible for the killing?
Ensuring the safety of journalists is the crucial way by which media entities can foster the independence of the press, as crucial for democracy. This is also vital to ensure public access to information.