Recently, Guyana slipped down by 26 points on the world press freedom index.

At the same time, Guyana received a barrage of criticism from press associations in the region and further afield for its perceived and alleged treatment of journalists and media workers here.
Also, the PPP/C Government was lectured on how it should treat with its press and media here in order to get a good ranking on indices and somehow ‘promote’ press freedom.

We should examine this issue with a microscopic lens to understand how we ended up here, and whether Guyana deserved such a low world press freedom ranking. Also, we must analyse whether there is a political plot at work in the media and press that wanted the PPP/C Government to be shown in a terrible light as regards press freedom and access to information.
This columnist would always support the right of any journalist and media worker to ply their trade publicly without fear, and freely. There must not be any intimidation from the government of the day, be it the PPP/C, PNC/R, APNU, AFC or any other party that is in power.

Similarly, journalists and their families’ lives must not be put at risk or in danger whenever they ply their trade.

There must be freedom of press and access to information from government regarding its policies and positions on issues. The government has a responsibility to answer the media and press in a fair, timely and transparent manner.

Now that that is out of the way, we can begin our analysis.

First off, Guyana did not deserve that low ranking it received. No journalist’s life was lost. No journalist was physically or verbally threatened in the course of duty. No journalist was held as a political prisoner as we see other governments doing in democracies and other dictatorships around the world.

As a media professional, there is freedom to operate openly without any censorship. So, the PPP/C Government and Guyana was dealt a bad hand because of a ‘crying baby-syndrome’ and weak leadership of the local press association.

Now, the Guyana Press Association (GPA) had no cause to issue the last three statements condemning the PPP/C Government with regards to the treatment of the press. It wanted to because of the politics at play and the partisan nature of its composition and personalities that sit on its executive. There is no neutrality and fairness when it comes to judging what constitutes a breach of press freedom in Guyana.

The media and press here operate on the same standards that it holds everyone to in society. It must be factual, accurate and balanced. When any politician or person feels they have fallen short, they must be allowed to call them out. The media must be criticised and the information that they are putting out challenged legally and otherwise. This is not bad for Guyana as a developing nation and not bad for press freedom. If anything, it is good and can only serve to strengthen the press in their trade.

If one was to be frank, Guyana has one of the best environments in the Caribbean and arguably the world for the press and media to operate. The country has legislation and declarations that actively shield the press and guarantees their rights.

This current government has a strong track record of working on the side of the press in opposition and in government, save and except a few spats and situations that rear their ugly heads now and again.

The real problem is the GPA getting intertwined in politics in the way that it is now. The GPA President is a secret politician who is very and openly partisan. This President is not popular in the very circle she operates in, and is seeking to hold on to power by fear and intimidation. The President is actively running a campaign with a few right-wing media persons who are not friends of the PPP/C trying to twist the arm of media workers and journalists. One knows that this ranking was well coordinated to come on the heels of her departure and after the ‘cry-baby syndrome.’
All Guyana sees and knows what is happening with the media. It is not an issue of press freedom and access to information but greed and power because of the perks and portfolio that comes with saying ‘I am the head of the GPA’.

The GPA is not in a good place at this point in time. It is battling for its soul and the right to stay apolitical and objective. It is trying to save itself from pursuing personal partisan political interests. The GPA President and others must not use the Press Association to hide behind the mask of journalists and media workers when they are full blown politicians and politico-mercenaries.

The GPA will self-implode with the path it is going down but they can make a U-turn. There is still time for the real journalists and media workers to sound their voices with their votes.