Sayonara…to the Stabber

Out of the blue came the announcement – the Stabber’s throwing in the towel and crying, “no mas, no mas”!! Now the news wasn’t completely surprising since newspapers across the world have been calling it quits left, right and centre. Just the other day we heard about Newsday’s demise over in T&T. In the US – which is a bellwether for the world in this and so many other trends – over 3300 newspapers have shut down since 2005, and the pace is accelerating!! And if newspapers are closing shop so fast and furiously, you can imagine what’s happening to their employees!! It’s nothing less than a massacre – a bloodbath!!
But it can’t be any comfort for the folks over at the Stabber that it’s happening elsewhere. And those of us in the traditional media can’t be gloating – there’s John Donne’s old warning about “For whom the bell tolls”!! Which we can paraphrase: “…any man’s (newspaper’s) death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind (media), and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”
So what’s going on?? It’s clear that the explosion of social media – facilitated by the technological advances in communications where practically everybody in the world’s got a smart device in their hands – is at the root of the situation. Fewer and fewer folks are gonna wait for a group of people to select what news they think we want – and then publish it on a piece of paper to be read – at best – a day later!! The smartphones can not only give you that news but can SHOW you it in living colour – by folks in the vicinity – before you can say “Jack Squat”!! And over so many different “platforms” that offer different takes!!
Combine this with AI – that can curate the same news in literally thousands of ways – who’s gonna wait for the next day?? Of course, some newspapers will have writers or editors that certain people have gotten used to and trust!! But that’s gonna be a dwindling number – as writers and editors smell the coffee and get onto social media that’s now easier than saying, “Smile, you’re on Candid Camera!!”
In the specific instance of the Stabber’s closure, while they’ve been complaining that at any given time, the DPI owed them millions for ads they carried, they conceded this was not the causa belli. All the other print houses have that challenge, which is caused by the bureaucratic logjam in processing payments by the DPI, not any malice!! Stabber just couldn’t go on with their expenses in the face of declining revenues.
The others will pick up the slack… but the end appears inevitable, doesn’t it?!!

…to speeding?
Unquestionably, we Guyanese are a people in a hurry – as can be attested by anyone who’s had occasion to travel on our roadways!! Meaning every one of us!! To travel is to risk life and limb from drivers of vehicles – motorcycles, cars, trucks, and even tractors! – who create “third lanes” or drive into oncoming traffic whenever caught in any traffic delay!!
The Police – of course – are charged with returning order from the chaos that’s the norm. But we all know that up to now, their yearning for “a fried rice” that demands “leff something, na?’ has subverted that duty. No more, we hear!! Those speed cameras that have been installed on our highways and byways are gonna eliminate that!! We’ve been assured by our Home Affairs Minister – in the close of the Budget Debate – that these cameras show no fear or favour!! Once you speed, that ticket’s gonna be mailed to you!!
But did your Eyewitness read about some 600-odd tickets being wiped off the system??

…to animal slaughter?
Your Eyewitness’ attention was caught by the headline, “Butcher remanded for unlawful wounding”!! He wondered whether the slaughter of animals had now been outlawed and the fella was caught chopping some helpless cow or sheep!!