Georgetown : The observance of World Press Freedom Day 2012 here in Guyana would surely be shrouded in gloom following the actions of the combined Opposition to reduce the budget of the Government Information Agency (GINA) to one dollar. Their intent to close the Agency is clear given its effectiveness in executing its mandate. The reality is that all the staff stand to lose their jobs thereby jeopardising their ability to meet financial and family commitments. To force such an imposition on hard-working media professionals, can only be seen as a wanton attack on press freedom.
On this day, almost exclusively, the suppression of freedom of expression through authoritative means by some governments, is brought into focus. There is a plethora of examples in some countries of media entities being threatened or closed, media operatives being incarcerated with some, unfortunately, losing their lives in the cause. In the past, some private media workers here felt the brunt of such oppression with one principal operative being killed under questionable circumstances. Also during that time, one entity was repeatedly deprived of its right to import related printing materials in an effort to silence it.
Since 1992, freedom of expression has been restored, catalysing the rapid and continuous expansion of the private media. The free and openly extreme, critical analyses of the government, I dare say, rabid and seditious at times, are indicative of the freedoms the press now enjoy. Over the last two decades no media house was closed in exercising its right to such freedom and no media operative incarcerated in executing his/her constitutional right to freedom of expression. This clearly has to be an envious position by media operatives who are deprived of such rights and freedoms in some countries where those governments are guilty of media oppression.
The cut of GINA’s budgetary allocation in Parliament has placed Guyana in a unique position where it is the Opposition that has engineered action to deprive the professional media staff of their jobs and not the government. One can only hope that better sense will prevail and whatever leverage the Opposition has in the National Assembly would be used meaningfully and not to cause hardships. What is even more alarming is that the Guyana Press Association (GPA) has been noticeably silent on this issue.
It is unfortunate that the GPA, which is never hesitant to make its voice heard on other related issues, has not seen the possible disbandment of GINA and the displacement of its staff as an attack on freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Given this year’s theme of, “Media Freedom helping to transform societies” to mark this day, it is unfortunate that the information that GINA disseminates which does exactly that, is now under threat from reaching those who have a right to be informed.
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