I refer to a news item in the Stabroek News newspaper in Guyana (“Residents Query Benefits of Marudi Mt.Gold Mining, September 1, 2009)” about a recent Town Hall meeting called by the Environmental Protection Agency to give the residents of the Aishalton and Karaudamau communities an opporunity to air their views on a proposed gold mining operation in the Marudi Mountain area.

This outreach effort shows the grassroots democracy at work and the concern of the Guyana government for the interests of the Amerindian people and Guyanese in general.

The writer of the article made an effort to give a well rounded story, though only those making criticisms from the floor were given prominence. What of others who may have made constructive comments in their overall appreciation of the project?

Foreign investment in Guyana can be productive and useful to the country if well controlled. The fact that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is being ordered before any permission is granted is a start in the right direction in this instance.

What I am concerned about is the opening paragraph of the story which read in part “…the limited skills of residents of the South Rupununi were underscored (as their representatives’ spoke on their behalf).”

Limited skills? Really?  I find this most insulting to the Amerindian people from a newspaper like Stabroek News which poses itself as “serious.” The writer may be inexperienced but surely the editor responsible should have taken out this repugnant aside about part of the Guyanese family whose rich civilisations over the years must always be respected.

In places like Canada where there are indigenous (Amerindian) communities, the newspaper would have had to issue an apology.  The paper would have been censured and probably fined by the relevant national Press Council which monitors breaches of professional media misconduct.

Guyana needs a properly constituted Press Council to deal with the atrocious violations of journalistic ethics and professional practices, including the sensationalising of crime which occurs in any country, we see daily in the Guyana media.

Notwithstanding the deep media culture and the existence of many professional media practitioners in Guyana, there is also a need to consider the  establishing a Registry of Journalists to make sure that those practicing this profession are suitably equipped to serve the public’s needs. Poorly researched and skewed media reports can do damage to national interests similar to some physical health problems. That is why responsible and democratic government’s world wide must always have proper media monitoring agencies in place. This is in addition to state run entities which show guidance and give a true perspective of what the government is doing on the people’s behalf.
NORMAN FARIA
Barbados