HAVE we ever stopped to think what impressions are conveyed to visitors, on their first experience coming to Guyana, by the bold front page headlines daily appearing in the Stabroek News, and Kaieteur News especially?Invariably, the news items are vulgar, depraved, or associated with crimes of a violent nature, including murder; and the texts employed are always imputing negative connotations to the government.

This willful policy has, over the years, been embraced by the two daily newspapers. Take, as an example, the headline employed by the Stabroek News of Saturday, February 22, 2014: “DPP asks cops to reopen baton rape probe.” This allegation of a baton rape of a male victim by a police rank is itself of a vulgar nature, but it has been receiving wide front page publicity since early January 2014, including sordid details on what is yet only an allegation.

The front page stories quite often report on four different kinds of violent issues including murder and vicious attacks on persons, which are quite alarming and frightening to contemplate by potential investors visiting the country.

Where is the patriotism in all of this perfidious policy that is clearly intended to do harm? Yes, it may be considered news; but surely, it should not be accorded front page prominence. In any event, where do we rank all the varied developmental issues taking place throughout the country in every sector, be it electrification of roads, housing, water, schools, health, making life more comforting; there are always interesting stories to tell about the improvement taking place.

Our people are at work feeding the nation, building their own homes, and generally improving themselves in myriad areas of endeavour. These people are concerned with building their country, not in conveying negative news or actions, as is happening at the moment with the opposition Members of Parliament on the Money Laundering Bill, which clearly demonstrates their determination to have Guyana blacklisted insofar as conducting international trade transactions are concerned.

I say we cannot afford to let this happen; but, unfortunately, the opposition’s one-seat majority will have the final say. And with their vicious agenda of paralyzing the government’s forward movement, the future looks absolutely ominous.
We have to get rid of these imposters.
By David De Groot