Dear Editor,
I write with reference to the article appearing in Stabroek News on 2nd July, 2016 saying that former President Donald Ramotar had released a letter showing Mr Brian Tiwarie’s backing for the PPP up to a month before the polls. I wish to share the following concerns which have resulted in my grave disapprobation of the quality of journalism by Stabroek News:
- Failure to reach out to Mr Peter Ramotar in relation to the slanderous accusations levelled against him for which the article provided no evidentiary support.
There was a clear bias in this regard as there were reported attempts to reach Mr Tiwarie for comment.
- Upon fact-checking and discovering that the report against Mr Peter Ramotar was entirely without merit, Stabroek News published a microscopic ‘Correction’ on page 18 of the 3rd July Sunday edition. When compared with that edition’s front-page headline ‘Tiwarie says fear of victimization led to PPP support pledge,’ the correction may well not have appeared at all.
- Instead of serving its purpose, the correction wrongly stated that Mr Shamus Ramotar was Regional Executive Officer: “In fact, it is the former president’s older brother Shamus Ramotar and not Peter, who had served as a Regional Executive Officer during his brother’s term in office”. Moreover, that correction merely transferred the slanderous accusations from one of my brothers to the other. Again, there was no attempt to verify any of this prior to publishing.
This is wholly unacceptable. It exposes a level of gross bias and unprofessionalism which, in my estimation, Stabroek News was above.
I challenge the editor to finally publish an accurate and verified article on this issue.
Yours faithfully,
Leo Ramotar
