Jagdeo not in support of Govt regulating media

Georgetown: The plan by the David Granger-led Administration to regulate the Guyanese media has been blasted by the leader of the Former President and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.
The Opposition Leader emphasised that his Party has never had any definitive discussion on the matter. And while he was not directly speaking against the comments made by his Party’s General Secretary, Clement Rohee, Jagdeo said he has always been against any such policy. Rohee had intimated that there was need for possible media regulation in Guyana.
Jagdeo maintained that during his terms as President of Guyana, he had never touted a media regulation policy.
He explained that while he has suffered the brunt of the vilest and most unjust criticisms from the media, he has never sought to implement a media policy.
“It is no secret that I have suffered the brunt of lies, unethical reporting, slander and all sorts of concocted reporting, but despite this I believe in self-regulation and I firmly believe that Government has no authority to interfere with the free and independent press. It can criticise it but not interfere in its operations.”
The Party’s General Secretary on Monday had said that the PPP may support the proposed policy as laid out by Government; however, there must first be a public debate or consultation.
“I don’t agree that the media should have a free-for-all. The question of regulation in terms of the media is going to be a very sensitive issue, maybe it will have some constitutional impacts as well and I hope that whatever comes out, that it will be subject to public debate and discussion before anything is actually formalised and laid in the Parliament,” Rohee had told Journalists at the Party’s Robb Street headquarters.
“Journalistic accountability”, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, speaking to Journalists last Friday said Government was seeking to ensure “journalistic accountability”, particularly as it relates to matters involving Government and that a policy was well underway in that regard.
“It is not … fully complete and in the interim, there are a number of things that still need to be done that will guarantee that there is responsible reporting of the news in the media and that it is important that we establish some level of responsibility of what you put out there,” Harmon had said.
He reminded that the media remained the fourth estate and was an important element in any democratic society. It is not something “for you to do as you want”.
“It is the early days yet and I am sure some policy will emerge. However, the media must act responsible and if one is reporting on Government business, that report must be balanced and objective”, Harmon said.
Given the recent public exchange between Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and a freelance Journalist attached to the State-owned Guyana Chronicle on the issue of the media’s right to call a spade a spade, local Journalists and the Opposition alike had taken the current Administration to task, citing what they believe was apparent hypocrisy regarding the operation of the State media.
Previously, the then A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC) Opposition had objected to the alleged PPP/C interference and control over the State media in the 10th Parliament, using its one-seat majority to slash millions from the annual budget allocated to the Government Information Agency and the National Communications Network in particular.
While in the 10th Parliament, Moses Nagamootoo, then Vice Chairman of the AFC had expressed concerns that politicians were regulating or controlling the press.
PPP sources pointed out that now that the shoe is on the other foot, Nagamootoo is “singing a different tune”.
Nagamootoo, who himself is a Journalist, had said that his party had no issues with the independent monitoring of the press, blasting Government and accusing the PPP/C Administration of double standards by pushing for media regulation and abusing the State-owned media to its advantage.
“Whilst the State is terrified of the few non-Government media, it encourages the vulgarity of its own media for being wholly partisan, propagandistic and pathetic, and for disregarding wholly standards of objectivity, balance and fairness,” he had said.