State media’s independence under siege

… State media more heavily politicised – Opposition Leader

Government is being accused of now undermining the autonomy of the media entities funded by the State, when, during its days in the opposition, it had advocated for an independent State media, one that is free of political interference.
Lambasting Government for attempting to dictate the editorial direction of the state media and controlling its contents, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has condemned the Government for appointing associates of the Alliance For Change (AFC) to top positions within the State media sector.
His comments come in light of the Guyana Press Association’s (GPA) statement reprimanding Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan for attempting to drive fear into state media operatives, and they sanction President David Granger for condoning the minister’s actions. “When they have to send their articles to be cleared elsewhere, then that means that the content of the Chronicle and other state media is determined elsewhere, by the Executive,” Jagdeo declared.
He repeated allegations that a certain minister has mandated that particular stories be reviewed by his office before publication.
The Opposition Leader also reminded that this is not the first time the Government has come under fire for attempting to influence the state media. In fact, Jagdeo has charged that the state media is now more heavily politicised than when the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) was in government.
He highlighted that the Director of the Government Information Agency (GINA) and the Chairman of the Board of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited – publishers of the Guyana Chronicle, is a cardholder of the AFC.
“When we were in office, the last two chairpersons who chaired that Board were not members of our party,” he outlined.
In a letter published in the Guyana Chronicle, Bulkan chided that newspaper for not making an article of his preference its lead story. “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 has 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.

Not dictating
Though President Granger did not declare that ministers can dictate the editorial position of the state newspaper, he has chosen not to condemn the minister’s actions. “I do not think he attempted to coerce or to use his ministerial influence to change what I regard as the editorial right to publish an article or to publish news stories. I don’t think there was any interference at all,” the Head of State said when asked by reporters on The Public Interest. He added, “As far as the matter you are raising is concerned, the minister did not decide what should or should not be published. He expressed an opinion on what had already been published.”