The Guyana Press Association (GPA) has asked the Aubrey Norton-led APNU to issue an apology to Tamica Garnett of the state-run Guyana Chronicle, over a verbal attack by Chief Scrutineer Carol Joseph after Garnett requested information from the party on the local government election (LGE).
Garnett, who has been a reporter for many years, made a phone call to Joseph asking her for information relating to which areas the party will be contesting in the upcoming LGE.
However, instead of getting that information, Joseph proceeded to call the state-run Guyana Chronicle, biased, and demanded that the reporter not call her back, while sprinkling her dialogue with expletives as could be heard in a recording.
“Where you say you from Guyana Chronicle? (expletive) Chronicle! Y’all don’t call my phone, y’all are too bias, (expletive) you.” Joseph was heard saying on the line during the phone call.
Garnett said that she found the entire encounter to be a very sad situation, not only because of the fact that she was personally attacked, but also because it marks a new low in the treatment of journalists in Guyana.
“Politicians fail to remember that reporters/journalists are human beings. In politics we are just collateral damage, with the effects to our mental health of concern to no one. And that should not be so. I’ve been in the media for over a decade and I’ve never encountered treatment like this, whether the politician liked what I had to say or not. It is a very sad situation, and I can only hope it is not telling of what more is to come for journalists in this country from now until June 12,” Garnett added.
Media workers, who are constantly trying to gather information, are at times attacked, either verbally or physically, and this latest incident has shown that attacks remain a constant feature. These personal attacks have come from politicians, civilians, and others, and are directed against those persons in the business of gathering information for the public.
Noting the need for greater respect to be shown to its members, the GPA called on the PNCR Leader, Chairman of APNU and Guyana’s Opposition Leader Norton, to publicly apologise to Garnett and also issue a commitment that his party would not subject members of the media to such acrimonious and indecent outbursts.
The GPA posited that failure to do so would certainly make him complicit at minimum.
According to the association, this is not the first occurrence and it’s just another example of what has been happening.
“The brutal psychological attack on Ms Garnett is yet another such example that puts at greater risk, journalists and other media workers in the course of the performance of their duties,” the GPA said.
“This attack on Ms Garnett marks a new low in relations between the media and the political directorate in Guyana. It is now apparent that the transgressions against the media by the People’s Progressive Party and the PNCR/APNU is the one common feature both political parties share.”
The GPA added that it fully recognises the diverse ownership and influence in a number of media houses but at the same time condemns any attack on media workers attempting to execute their duties.
The GPA additionally said that while it is mindful of the need to provide fair and balanced coverage in keeping with international standards, it is cognisant of the historic fact that the government-owned media operates at the behest of whichever party is in government, as the same State media workers are subjected to more than just editorial control.
Thus far, the Opposition Leader and his party members have remained mum on the matter.
Recently, a Kaieteur News reporter, Davina Bagot was attacked by a heavily pro-PPP/C social media page.
