Jamaican media condemn continued ad boycott of Stabroek News

The Media Association and the Press Association of Jamaica have noted that the withdrawal of ads from Stabroek News by some 29 government ministries, agencies and state-owned corporations which commenced in November 2006 continues.

In a press release issued on Friday they said that it appeared the boycott had been extended to ads placed by the Auditor General, the police force and the Guyana Defence Force.

The associations said they deplored the continuation of this withdrawal of ads by the Government of Guyana and condemned it at as an attack on press freedom designed to punish Stabroek News for its independence and critical editorial coverage of the government.

It noted that the action of the Government of Guyana in withdrawing ads from Stabroek News constituted a breach of Principle 7 of the Declaration of Chapultepec, which states:

“The media and journalists should neither be discriminated against nor favoured because of what they write or say.”

President Jagdeo signed that Declaration on the 24th day of May, 2002.

The associations called on the Government of Guyana to redeem itself, even at this late stage, and to reinstitute the placement of ads with the Stabroek News.

They expressed the hope that regional leaders have thought it prudent to include this matter on the agenda for the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, now underway in Nassau, Bahamas.