I AM strongly suggesting to readers of this column not to take it at face value. Please fact-check my accusations against the Stabroek News (SN) and then you can decide on the continuing quality of my polemical offerings on this page.
The “Saturday Man” at SN in last Saturday’s SN editorial manifested a horribly unspeakable act of barefacedness that in my opinion counts as one of the most disdainful displays of hypocrisy I have ever witnessed in the public realm, and trust me, I have been around a long time.
The SN bemoans the declining value of independent minds in Guyana and points to its causes, leaving out any role that SN has played and continue to play in the death of independent thinking. I have contested on this page since the Ali presidency came into existence that SN mirrors profoundly the anti-PPP insanity of the private media in the 1960s.

It appears that when the SN, particularly “Saturday Man,” wants to hurl abuse to the PPP, the editorial writers go back and consult the private anti-PPP newspapers of the 1960s, so they can copy the style of that age. I am convinced of this. I am convinced that the person who writes the Saturday columns for SN takes his cue (he is a male; a lady from the UK is the only female editorial writer for SN) from the newspapers of the 60s. The style is uncannily similar.
Here is what I will do for the rest of my analysis here. I will offer quotes (Q) from the editorial and right below each Q I will give my comments (C).
Q- “In Guyana, political commentary is often polarised and media coverage frequently sensationalises issues.”

C- Does this sound familiar? Which commentary is SN talking about? The editorial of a newspaper is commentary. There has not been one editorial of SN since the Ali presidency came into being in August 2020 that reflected positively on the Government of Guyana. Is SN saying that polarised commentary in Guyana does not pertain to the SN itself? I urge readers not to take my word for it, but go to the editorials of SN and you will see dark anti-PPP minds at work that are identical to the rancour, vilification and hate that characterised the anti-Jagan newspapers of the 1960s.
Q- “This lack of individual reasoning is not just a passing trend—it’s having profound consequences on the quality of public discourse, the decisions people make and ultimately, the functioning of Guyana’s democracy.”
C- Guess which is one of the factors that have contributed to this state of affairs? The SN itself. This newspaper proclaimed that the political gains of the PPP in the local government elections of 2023 were due to voter bribery. This is graphic evidence of a newspaper poisoning the flow of public discourse.

Q- “A key factor contributing to this breakdown in reasoning is the state of modern media. In Guyana, as in many other places, political reporting often becomes intertwined with party lines, amplifying bias rather than fostering objectivity.”
C- Which objectivity the SN fosters? The complaints I get from people about their letters not being carried are voluminous. Ravin Singh, project officer in the Office of the First Lady, had an 800-word letter chopped to about 80 words. Gerald Perreira, leader of the political party, Organization for the Victory of the People told me his letters are not printed by SN. Dr. Randy Persaud was told his letters will not be carried because he attacks anti-government civil society groups. Yet there is a daily letter of which the words are usually over 1,200 by GHK Lall. Hamilton Green, someone who should have been long disliked in this country, gets a weekly letter published by SN.

Q- “Additionally in today’s polarised discourse, the rise of ad hominem attacks has become all too common. Government officials, their staff and various propagandists often resort to personal insults rather than engage in meaningful debate.”
C- Look who is talking? SN’s editor-in-chief, Anand Persaud, publicly referred to me as a “PPP lap dog” and a hired hand of the government. This is in reference to someone who at the absolute level has no relation with party, government and state. If SN feels this way about me, imagine the putrid adjectives that are used to describe those who work for the state and support the government openly. Let us conclude with what “Saturday Man” wrote last year. He noted that PPP leaders cannot speak standard English and does not know to dress. The SN is an anti-government newspaper that has done enormous damage to Guyana’s democracy.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.