Dear Editor,
The former President of the Republic of Guyana, now opposition leader and general secretary of the PPP, should be congratulated for taking a page out of the President of the United States’ playbook. Publicity is the game, and he is playing the private (independent) media like an old fiddle. Of course not to anyone’s surprise the media is enjoying riding the rhythm. No matter how absurd, inappropriate, derogatory, blatant lies, threats, or negative suggestions, uttered by Jagdeo, it’s all taken in stride by the independent media under the guise called publicity, which really means putting our boy out front.
Every ridiculous statement by Jagdeo is plastered on the pages of the independent media, especially in the Stabroek News, he is on page one, three, eleven, seventeen and even twenty one. Of course the independent Kaieteur News is not far behind. If the Guyanese population don’t believe that the media has a dog in this fight then they are overtly mistaken.
What is unfortunate however is the media claim to being independent. Their political coverage don’t show independence. Independent as an adjective states clearly “freedom from control, not subjected to anyone’s authority” and as a noun “an independent person or body.” The political dog whistles that emanate from the media, shows which side they are on.
We all know who owns the media in this country, and these political people have their own agenda, therefore when Jagdeo makes his ridiculous comments like “we gon take back we country,” the only rebuttal comes from a few letter writers, and even their letters are not often published. Which makes Jagdeo’s statement acceptable.
The scribes who ply their trade daily, and those of the weekend type are mum. We sometimes read about the abject failure of the PPP’s twenty three years reign, but never a line about the accomplishments or achievements of the coalition’s three years in existence, which has made life easier for scores of persons.
The commentary on the coalition by all the scribes and voluntary contributors in the media is what they should have done, and what they have not done. The coalition as a group and their ministers individually are lambasted daily by the independent (private) media and all of their ills collectively are put out front and centre. They are of course people who are not worthy of guiding this country. Only if you are daft you will not see the media game.
Yours faithfully,
Milton Bruce
