Prolonged electoral process, COVID-19 impacting media in Guyana

World Press Freedom Day

The current political situation and public health crisis in the country have undoubtedly impacted the local media community, the Guyana Press Association (GPA) has noted in its message on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day 2020.

“Our unique situation of an active, elongated electoral process and the challenge of COVID-19 has without a doubt impacted the newsgathering process as well as the treatment of news and information,” the Association stated, noting that the prevailing circumstances have also provided “unprecedented levels and varieties of risk”.
Notwithstanding, the GPA – headed by Nazima Raghubir – recognised that media workers still “soldier on as part of our commitment to deliver truth to our audiences – the people our profession was designed to serve”.
The GPA noted that World Press Freedom Day 2020 comes at a time of extraordinary challenges to the lives and livelihoods of the people of Guyana, the Caribbean, and the world.

For the GPA and the community of media workers it represents, this has meant increased vigilance and deeper commitment to the profession.

Threats and violence
Media workers have already had to contend with various levels of threats and violence during their coverage of the March 2 General and Regional Elections – with party supporters hurling offensive remarks and, in some cases, attempting to get into physical altercations with Journalists.
Reporters and cameramen have spent long hours camping outside various offices in a bid to deliver timely and credible news on all aspects of the elections.
With the electoral process still incomplete during this major public health crisis, media workers now face even more challenges and are forced to employ creative initiatives to still keep the nation informed while keeping themselves safe.
“As our media community knows, this has been no easy journey. We have found among our ranks, some of the most devoted, conscientious colleagues you will come across anywhere. Journalists, photographers, videographers, editors sometimes defy all odds and obstacles to bring potentially life-changing news and information to our audiences,” the Association expressed.
Further noting that “this has not been a time for sleeping on the job”, the GPA recognised video and newsroom editors who dedicate their time and energy to packaging the news, radio and television engineers and technicians, and print operators, “without whose expertise we would have no news product and social media managers whose role continues to be to redefine delivery of content in accordance with the changing news cycle”.
Moreover, the Press Association said, “This edition of World Press Freedom Day thus marks a watershed in the news business of Guyana. It is difficult, but it is also laden with professional opportunity.”
The United Nations system has provided a theme of “Journalism without Fear or Favour” for this year’s observances and according to the GPA, this is “amazing for its ability to capture the essence of the challenge the media face in the current period”.
The GPA said the theme also attached significance to the fact of an increasingly complex media landscape.
“This is a phenomenon that predates the coronavirus challenge, but is coming increasingly into view as we combine the impact of the pandemic with inconclusive election results, and everything associated with their combined effect.”
It added that: “All of the features of this new media landscape now conspire to challenge the way we do our work, and the manner in which we ought to remain committed to its core values of balance, independence, and fairness.”
At this time, the GPA said media workers need to reflect on “where we are” and to consider “our options for the future”.
“Like our business, our country stands at a juncture in its history, the management of which has implications for generations to come,” the body said.
“Our tasks as Journalists and as a media community have everything to do with such a great assignment as a people and as a nation,” the GPA expressed.

Essential work
Meanwhile, the European Union (EU), in its message, also recognised that the COVID-19 crisis has brought the importance of the work of the press into sharp relief, since in times of uncertainty, access to reliable fact-checked information that is free from undue interference and influence is crucial and contributes to a more resilient society.
The EU also noted that despite the risks, media workers all over the world were continuing their essential work, sometimes in difficult circumstances.
It is against this backdrop that the EU used this occasion on World Press Freedom Day to reaffirm its continued support of the key role of independent and reliable media all around the world. “Press freedom is a right, not just of media professionals, but of each and every one of us,” the EU stated.