Dear Editor,

A DISTURBING and uniquely Guyanese phenomenon is unfolding in our national discourse. It is one that demands urgent and collective condemnation.

It is embodied by the actions of Travis Chase, a social media provocateur who, despite having no verifiable qualifications, training, or adherence to journalistic ethics, demands the privileges of the press.

His behaviour is not a foreign import. It is a homegrown symptom of a deeper national malaise: the celebration of mediocrity, the normalisation of disrespect, and the relentless pursuit of attention at the expense of dignity.

Mr Chase does not report; he agitates. His content is not designed to inform the public but to inflame passions. He echoes the talking points of a specific political opposition with a transparency that is as shocking as it is calculated. This is not journalism. It is political activism disguised as media, carried out with an air of entitlement that is utterly undeserved.

His most brazen act is his deliberate disrespect for the highest office in our land. To repeatedly address the President of Guyana without his rightful and earned title is no accident. It is a calculated attempt to diminish the office and, by extension, the legitimacy of the people who voted for it. This is a profound breach of national protocol. It is not meant for dialogue, but for clicks, controversy, and division.

But Chase is not alone. He is egged on by others of his ilk, similarly unqualified, openly partisan, and hungry for attention. Together, they form a kind of “oppositional influencer corps,” mistaking loudness for credibility and spectacle for substance.

Their antics do not stop at our borders. They are now reaching out to foreign media, painting themselves as victims of censorship, martyrs of a supposedly repressed press.

Most recently, they complained about not being invited to a presidential press conference and twisted it into a story of “suppression.” What is simply the enforcement of professional standards at home is recast abroad as an attack on democracy.

This is not harmless. It is a calculated attempt to weaponise international opinion against Guyana. It projects instability where none exists, tried to undermine confidence in our institutions, and threatens to tarnish our democratic reputation.

At stake is more than public discourse. In a world where perception shapes investment, diplomacy, and security, such reckless behaviour gambles with our sovereignty.

The government must not legitimise this charade. Granting these individuals the access and privileges reserved for accredited journalists would be an insult to every professional in Guyana who upholds standards of integrity, objectivity, and respect.

We are facing a crisis of mediocrity. Noise is being mistaken for substance. Disruption is being paraded as innovation. We must call this what it is: a self-serving attack on our institutions, our fragile social cohesion, and our standing abroad.

As a nation, we must demand better. We must uphold standards, defend respect, and reject those who would trade our dignity and democracy for the notoriety of clicks, controversy and likes.

Sincerely,

Dr Walter H. Persaud