Dear Editor,
According to the United Nations, every year on May 3 World Press Freedom Day is observed “to remind Governments of the need to respect their commitments to press freedom”. World Press Freedom Day 2022 is being observed under theme “Journalism under Digital Siege” to highlight the ways in which the digital age can endanger journalism and its consequences for public trust. Along with the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary, Journalism has been hailed as the fourth pillar of democracy, because of the need to report truthfully, accurately and in a timely manner on issues that significantly affect the major elements of democracy, viz.
• Rule of Law. The rules apply to EVERYBODY, Laws should be known, predictable, and impartial.
• Political Equality. Every citizen can vote, speak on public issues, and run for office.
• Common Good. Citizens work towards the common good (what will make people safe and happy).
• Personal Freedoms. People enjoy freedom of religion and freedom of expressions.
• Human Dignity. Citizens should protect and uphold the dignity of all people.
• Political Freedoms. People can speak freely and vote without intimidation.
• Being Involved and Informed. Citizens should participate individually and collectively in issues that shape their community, nation and world.
• Respect. Citizens should respect the rights of others.
The media is a necessary medium to keep citizens informed on all aspects of society’s operations, clearly and truthfully representing the gains and losses made within the various elements, mentioned above. It sets the tone for the populace to determine whether the requirements for good governance have been fulfilled, and if not, what timely adjustments could be made to better the lot of citizens. It therefore means that the media must be independent, professional and accurate, delivering on its commitment without bias or cloying allegiances, notable of the Guyana Times and the state-controlled Guyana Chronicle. These media houses should be purged of political influences and equipped with moral backbones and testicular fortitudes needed to meet the demands of the citizenry.
The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) endorses free press and media facilities. As a Union, it believes that laws should be enacted that not only guarantees the press its freedoms, but also chastises it for deliberate acts of misinformation. Legislation should compel the press to be accurate and there should be penalties for misleading the public. It is worrisome when instances of misrepresentation remain uncorrected in the media, even though letters are sent pointing out glaring inaccuracies in reporting. The press must also convey the views of all and not seen as a medium that acts to the whims and fancies of a selected few. This is the heart and soul of press freedom and should be a major consideration of all media houses.
Governments have a responsibility to ensure that the media houses in the countries they serve are free from political interference, but this in some cases have been observed in the breach. Some Governments see media houses as bases of political mischief and provoke them to do their bidding. This must be put to an end. The press must be independent and free. Pondering on the importance of press freedom, one cannot forget an importance utterance of the third United States President Thomas Jefferson in 1787, and I quote: “… were it left to me to decide whether we should have a Government without newspapers, or newspapers without a Government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”
The GPSU therefore calls on the Government of Guyana to put in place enabling legislation to guarantee the freedoms of the press and to allow it to operate with the independence and integrity needed to produce fair and balanced reporting, a necessary requirement for every democratic society. The GPSU wishes all journalists and media practitioners that operate with media houses in Guyana, a happy World Press Freedom Day, while advising them that they should never sacrifice professionalism, truth and accuracy on the altars of expediency or shy away from balanced reporting on the demands of a selected few.
Sincerely,
Patrick M. Yarde
President/CEO
