GPA stages walkout from ministry briefing
The Guyana Press Association (GPA) yesterday took its first action against the banning of Capitol News reporter Gordon Moseley by questioning UNESCO Consultant Alton Grizzle about it before walking out of an assignment at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Grizzle, who is attached to the International Programme for the Development of Communi-cation is here to hold consultations with stakeholders on the development of a Prison Com-munity Communication System in Guyana. When a question about the ban was posed to him, Grizzle told reporters that he was unaware of the issue but that press freedom is the mandate of UNESCO and that it seeks to work with member states on the issue.
Led by GPA President Denis Chabrol, many media workers turned up for the assignment which was originally to be a joint media briefing hosted by Grizzle and Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee. However, after waiting for almost 45 minutes the media was informed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Angela Johnson that Rohee was attending an important meeting at the Office of the President (OP) and was unable to attend the briefing.
After opening remarks by Grizzle and Secretary-General at the local UNESCO office, Inge Nathoo, the floor was opened for questioning and barring one question, all the questions posed concerned the banning of Moseley. Grizzle said that from a Caribbean perspective there has been no real issue on press freedom. However, Nathoo refused to comment on the grounds that the banning was not the purpose for convening the briefing. At this point, most workers from private media houses walked out.
A security guard at OP on Monday told Moseley that he had been banned from OP and State House. He later received a letter signed by Head of the Government Information Agency (GINA) Neaz Subhan stating that the administration of GINA would withdraw his accreditation to OP and State House with immediate effect. The letter said that though other employees of Capitol News would not be similarly prohibited, GINA would be “inclined to review the decision providing that you issue an apology in relation to the disparaging and disrespectful remarks couched in your letter to the press.”
Moseley has since refused to apologise saying that he would not allow anyone to “waste his time.” He has also questioned what accreditation GINA was withdrawing since he said no accreditation had ever been given to him or any media worker for OP and State House. The only accreditation GINA has issued to the media is a press pass that gives journalists permission to go past police cordons.
In a statement last night the GPA welcomed on board several media houses who have signalled their support for a number of activities to protest the ban. “The GPA has received commitments from Stabroek News, Guyana Times, Kaieteur News, Capitol News, Evening News, CNS TV6, GWTV News 2, HBTV Channel 9, and Prime News, among others, to engage in a range of activities designed to send a very strong and clear signal to the administration that we shall not allow our rights to be trampled upon,” the statement said. The GPA also noted that several ministerial engagements with the media, including a briefing on Carifesta X by Culture Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, were yesterday aborted, “fearing a boycott or any of the other activities planned by the media.”
The Association said too it has been advised that Moseley’s position that he is “truly fed up with the President and his office’s constant attacks on the private media, especially Capitol News,” is not disparaging and disrespectful. “Based on this advice, thus far, we do not see the need for any apology in this matter, even as we remain hopeful of an amicable resolution by the unconditional lifting of the ban,” it said.
“We do not believe that, at this juncture of our evolving democracy, that media workers and indeed any Guyanese should be beneficiaries and victims of Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression.” This approach is tantamount to a smokescreen to utilize freely expressed views by journalists and Guyanese in general to vilify them and declare them enemies of the state, the GPA said. It said too in this instance Moseley defended himself against President Bharrat Jagdeo’s criticisms of a report on a meeting the latter had held with Guyanese in Antigua earlier this month.
Meanwhile, the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) and Reporters Without Borders have both issued strong statements criticising the ban. The latter condemned what they termed “the government’s discriminatory decision on 13 July to declare TV reporter and producer Gordon Moseley persona non grata in the office of the president.” It said it supports the GPA’s efforts to resolve the conflict as soon as possible.
“Barring a journalist because a report displeased the president is an attack on pluralism and the press’s critical role,” it said, adding that the government had already resorted to such methods “when it banned the Stabroek News daily from receiving state advertising from November 2006 to April 2008. The punishment impos-ed on Moseley directly affects his ability to work and we therefore call for it to be lifted.”
The ACM also denounced the decision to ban Moseley and called on OP to reverse its decision. It said too there “have also been outrageous assertions regarding the outputs of Capitol News, a regional news agency and a state television operator from another country.”
The ACM said it is not “an encouraging signal” from the Jagdeo administration “which certainly reserves the right to comment critically on the work of the media, but whose intervention in this matter betrays a lack of appreciation of the need to assure the unfettered rights of journalists to do their work.” (Oluatoyin Alleyne)
Poor El Presidente
Too myopic to understand that the pen is, and always shall be, mightier than the sword….Poor Guyana, you get the leaders you desrve…..
Did the people from the “Guyana Times” walk out?Somebody please educate me.
This is all so embarrasing for the government,when it’s happening so often,one would think they would take shame out of their eye and stop this “wutlessness”
Truly i’m with Gordon Mossely….who is now fedup with the President and members of OP. This particular act by OP is evidence of what Uncle freddie calls elected dictatorship. We are now being rule by Putin 2.
Mr. Moseley, you continue reporting and as you rightly said if the President did not want you to report on the issue he should have walked with his media team.
Funny thing is Mr. McCoy in his brief to the press ” if you say something that offends me i have all right to ban you from visiting my house” now since when that is the President’s house that he could impose a ban at OP
Listening to the Foreign Press personal attacks are made on the Government and reporters are not banned.
I was about to say the same. This now explains the misuse of the State House to host PPP functions, They thing its their own.
As for McKoy, this guy really love soup.
I am so proud of the press corp for standing together on this one. The pen is mightier than the sword. Keep up the good fight.
Keep up the good work mr.Moseley and mr.Enrico woolford of Capitol News.Keep the government on it’s toes,they must answer tough questions and let Guyanese know whats going in their country.
Those who live in Guyana and wanna talk and be truthful will know on most occassions the private media are hostile to the government and most entities associated with the government etc: the police, army, but still are complaining about fairness, but fairness on which part and to who, the media in this country strive on bad news knowing fully well that guyanese like alot of gossip and anything that bad talk this administration they will wanna hear so they take advantage of that, on lots of occassions Mr Moseley and alot more of them are guilty of being bias but yet they sit and feel comfortable while the government and it’s entities are put to the sword.And dont even think for one moment I like this government but fair is fair, they love to talk about freedom of expression excercise up north, but yet alot of nonsense u hear the guyana media reporting on in this country u would’nt even see or read on CNN or BBC or even one of the gossip magazine. THE NEWS IN GUYANA IS ALWAYS A SWEET THING TO HEAR BUT IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHOSE READING AND WHOSE LISTENING!
Political authoritarianism and intransigence and trampling on the civil and political rights of anyone in the society should be condemned, irrespective of which political party is in power.
If Mr. Moseley violated the law or some sort of code of conduct, he should be prosecuted by the political administration or GINA, not victimised.
The PNC is still being condemned for its history of dictatorial rule, why should the PPP not be similarly condemned for its arrogance and political authoritarianism.
This Administration continues to display its arrogance,maybe Uncle Freddie can help, by putting together a ‘Rapid Response team on Political Science & Journalism’!!! ,Help them Freddie they appear to be lost on their mission.
The collaborative effort by the GPA on the walk out is what Guyanese need to do to bring politicians to their senses. Until we can do this, things will get worse.
Way to go GPA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice!… I like the media solidarity here and all reporters, journalists and columnists, regardless of political affiliation, should stand firm and be counted. Enough is enough with this vindictive and out of control bunch.