THE Encarta online dictionary defines a tabloid as, ‘A small-format newspaper with a simple style, many photographs, and sometimes an emphasis on sensational stories’. A perusal of our daily newspapers, particularly the Kaieteur News, seems to suggest that this newspaper is fast attaining ‘tabloid’ status.

Reporting based on fact, delivered in a balanced and fair manner seem to be a thing of the past. Journalists and Editors alike seem to have abandoned this ethic, opting for the ‘fast and nasty’ style of reporting.

One example is the recent spate of news articles relating to the Ministry of Human Services internal investigation into the handling of the Neesa Gopaul case.

The human services Minister had said at a press conference on October 7, as reported by the four dailies, that an investigation was underway and the results would be made known by November 5.

PNCR activists, as again reported by the four dailies, held several protests outside the Ministry subsequent to the press conference, and days before the October 7 deadline.
Among the grievances expressed by these protestors was that no information was being made public on the investigation.

The Kaieteur News carried this angle of the report, and not once did the reporter mentioned that it was not yet November 5, the date which the Minister gave as the deadline for the release of the findings. And it gets worse.

The minister held another press conference on October 28 at which time the result of the investigation was made known, three weeks after it began, and one week ahead of the original schedule.

To my utter dismay, the Kaieteur News report of this event carried on October 29, captioned ‘Two Child Care officials sacked’ started off with the following line –  ‘The long awaited report that was commissioned by the Minister of Human Services….’

Long awaited report seriously?

If this is not sensationalism, misrepresentation of the facts and malicious reporting, then what is?