Dear Editor,
It was John Kennedy, who, in an effort to change the relationship between the President and the press and public, initiated White House live televised press conferences, as Olga G. and Edwin P. Hoyt, in their book Freedom of The News Media, published since 1973, observed that it was “to give the government and particularly the President greater visibility with the American people”. Interestingly, they write that Kennedy’s live televised press conferences “brought with them, tangible evidence of the importance of the newsmen (media) and self-importance brought a lessening of humility and humor in relations between the government and the fourth estate. This, in turn, created new frictions”. The book goes on to point out that Kennedy fought with the press. “He cancelled the White House subscription to the New York Herald Tribune, a Republican newspaper that was critical of him. His aides lied to the press on the Bay of Pigs Affair”.
The book also points out that President Linden B. Johnson “disliked the televised press conference because he knew he was not good at it….the press came to distrust him completely and so did the public, to a large extent”. The lack of trust between the press and the Office of the President continued under Nixon. The Hoyt’s book notes that “freedom of the press did not mean – as some newsmen seem to think it did – that officials or others were bound to love or even respect any segment of the press. But then neither was it ever incumbent on the news media to love or even respect any segment of the government. The members of each side would have love or respect as they deserved it; such matters could not be guaranteed. All that could be guaranteed was the right of the media to investigate and print the findings without any more restraint than would be imposed on any citizen. Freedom of the press did not mean the freedom to libel or to commit any unlawful act: newsmen and media have to be responsible for their actions”.
Today, if you listen to Fox News, there is little or no trust between them and White House reporting, including the President. If you listen to MSNBC or even CNN, the political bias favours the Biden administration. In another book published as long ago as 1968 by Irving Fang of ABC News, he describes a press conference as “a kind of courtship dance which the interviewer and his subject feint, parry and maneuver around the topic circle gradually coming closer together until the climactic moment of trust and response”. And so it is. What takes place in the US is mirrored in Guyana and has led to the controversy over the recent press conference held by the President, which I moderated. I have worked both in the US and, of course, Guyana, as I have said, as a reporter and Newspaper Manager. Because I served as moderator at the President’s press conference, I have been targeted by those in the Press Association who disliked the press conference. So be it, but, it did not give Nazima Raghubir, either personally or in the name of the Press Association, the right to libel me, nor the Kaieteur News which published it.
All sorts of people, without knowledge or experience, have suddenly become experts on Presidential press conferences, the most recent in a letter to Stabroek News by someone who signs his name E.B John. I believe I can claim to have moderated more press conferences on the one hand and attended as a reporter on the other hand, more press conferences than anyone else in the media today in Guyana. I have lectured on Planning and Conducting a Press Conference at UG’s Center of Communications Study and elsewhere. The last I remember was in 2021. In that lecture I made the following points, to which I remain professionally committed: “The press conference is the best means of establishing face to face communication with the mass media and for reaching the general public. Many people make the mistake of annoying the journalists at a press conference by making too long an opening statement. Confine your opening statement to no more than ten (10) minutes. Don’t preach and don’t make a speech. Always programme to start on time. The Chairperson (moderator) will brief the conference on the governance of the press conference. For example, asking every reporter to identify him or herself and organization before asking their first question. Do not allow a press conference to last any longer than 60 minutes. Facilitate as many questions as possible within the time. Make sure that as many reporters as possible are afforded the opportunity to ask questions within the time limit available”.
The press conference is, however, moderated to serve the directions of the person delivering the conference. A professional moderator facilitates that purpose. This is the last statement which I will make on this matter.
Sincerely,
Kit Nascimento
