I DO not think, that in the modern Caribbean’s  history of  print journalism,  there has  ever been a print medium that has been so consistent in its proven notoriety for deliberate misrepresentation of facts, fraudulent reports, and ugly lies, when it comes to reporting on important matters of state business. It is more than astonishing, that such a media, the Kaieteur News, one that  presents itself as defender of the public’s interests, watch dog etc. and one that surely knows and understands the importance of  news dissemination and the grave  responsibility for doing so, can continue in this dark practice.
This  most  recent abuse of media freedom, relates to the report  that this  known architect of sensationalism, boldly splashed on its front page edition of  February 24, that  ‘Land  three times the size of Barbados committed to  Ansa Mc Al’, and that it was a Jagdeo deal.
Ansa  McAl,  in a forthright response via  a  press conference attended by its high officials from both Trinidad and Guyana, on  February 29, nailed this slanderous allegation  by Kaieteur News.
Not only did this conglomerate declare that the arrangement between this company and  the government  ‘not sinister’, but also that  it was just a “proposal’, for which a feasibility study would have to be done; and even more important, was the fact that  “making details public would have put both parties at a  disadvantage”.
It was only after this disclosure that exposed  KN’S  false reporting, that this medium   was forced to  change its slanderous story,  by the following headline, that appeared in  its Thursday’s   headlines” Ansa Mc Al concedes delay in announcing MOU with Guyana……Says no deal signed  yet with govt.”
How disgraceful,  for a paper that  pretends to uphold journalistic ethics! How very irresponsible for a medium that has to report on development issues to feed false information to the nation. Clearly, this rag’s latest story is completely different from its initial LIE, in its last  Friday edition. From such a report that did speak about a secret deal, meaning that it was already concluded, it has now conceded that such has never been the status quo. But look at the naked deception in their manner of reporting.
How can they say that the conglomerate   “concedes delay”, when this is its first public pronouncement on the issue, even explaining as to the competitive nature of such  a proposed enterprise, that would have prevented any prior announcement?
Clearly, Kaieteur News, apart from once again trampling upon the sacred media practice of verification of data before going to press, shows a clear deficiency and frightening  ignorance of such high economic matters. Such a  massive proposal is not usually disclosed until all details have been properly finalised. Even Stabroek News has  reported on the impending feasibility study to be carried out by this entity.
But is it really a lack of competence, on the part of KN, on such development issues? Or is this not another desperate display of an ongoing vendetta against the progressive PPP/C administration? Or is it Jagdeo for whom they seem  to  have a fascination?
Not even a courteous apology in this instance. Is this the kind of example and training that this media house imparts to its young staff?