IT is obvious that the Stabroek News is carrying on with its ‘bashing the government’ business as usual. This has been the feature of Stabroek News from time immemorial, but to paint His Excellency’s visit to Buxton in the most negative light, they descended to new depths. The ‘press’ is a powerful tool and if used for the wrong reasons can do more harm than good. Information whether factual, fictional, or fantasy, is disseminated through the press and it can pattern the thoughts and opinions of the people. It can change the perceptions of people, for or against someone and it can build up heroes or create villains. The power of the press and the analogous obligation to exercise that power with caution cannot be understated.
Today, since our media are not acting responsible enough, we need to differentiate what is sense, nonsense or aimed at shifting the important to the trivial. Thus far the SN continues to politicise an event that is supposed to unite this country and help bring closure to a dark period in our recent history, hence their resort to publishing drivel.