I really thought that the time for lamenting over state ads was long gone for the Stabroek News, since Government has resumed advertising with that newspaper; however this seems to be a bone of contention that the paper will continue gnawing at.

The Newspaper has been touting the withdrawal of ads as an attack on press freedom and on its finances since it felt that by the withdrawal Government was trying to undermine the entity. Government gave its reasons and like any private individual using the medium to advertise it has a right to decide where to place its ads for maximum benefit. Government has no obligations to any entity to place ads.

The editorial speaks about the newspaper having to take a loan but I am sure that in the process of so doing, the newspaper would have had to submit a proposal before the loan is sanctioned. Am I to believe that the Stabroek News, in its proposal, cited Government ads as a means of garnering funds to repay the loan? And in so doing how did the newspaper arrive at its figures and how much ads would have to have been placed with the entity for it to have enough funds to meet its quota? If this was indeed stated in the business proposal then how could the bank accept that with no guarantee?

I am sure that with business sense, no entity would venture into business using Government ads solely as the premise for sustaining the business; this would be a recipe for financial collapse.

It is unfortunate in Guyana that according to the Stabroek News, State Advertisements = Press Freedom.
DAVID LEWIS