THERE is a great deal of resentment and unhappiness among sane and sober people regarding the grand decline in journalism standards in Guyana today. Media distortion is a regular feature in Guyanese life; and we are living in a society that doesn’t completely understand what proper journalism is. Many times we have to read the newspapers and see the incorrect or inadequate reporting. That is a cheap way of disowning responsibility. It is far better that a story be deferred than an incorrect report published. Some newspapers go against the word of government and often criticise the way it is run. The private media houses are prime examples of this and may therefore gain increased readership for its alternative viewpoints. Journalists can ethically publish a story based on what may turn out to be incorrect, provided it is not a complete fabrication, they are no longer a trusted name in news or its editorials which seem to have a slant towards sensationalism or opposition propaganda, complete with downplaying the government ties to massive corruption. Journalists should have a sense of decency and self-respect.
They are not authorised to make casual comments in the absence of supporting evidence. As for malice, what is more likely is not a reporter’s malice per se but his greed. It takes hard work, honesty, honour, integrity, accuracy, completeness, and neutrality, to tell a story and keep the reader/viewer/listener engaged, trustworthiness, lack of bias, ability to be a proper journalist.
There are few journalists that may do proper investigative journalism. They do have their individual slants in presenting info. But, that said, there are some whose news is not news at all – but just, mere and sheer, slanted views. Lack of training is exactly the problem faced by some upcoming reporters. There is no one formal qualification which makes some people journalists and others not. We carry out a trade, and the future shape of that trade is the subject of intense debate as technology changes the way people produce and consume media. Much of journalism education is still rooted in the idea that ‘proper’ journalism is about news and newspapers.
Some of it is important that we get the facts out there… because apparently, some of the journalists have not been checking their facts properly. This is not the journalism we want to hear about in our country. This is not the type of backward journalism we need. Where is the future of balanced journalism in Guyana today?   When will all  slanted journalism stop?