Dear Sir,

THE former President of the Republic of Guyana, now opposition leader of the PPP political party, should be congratulated for taking a page out of the President of the United States playbook. Publicity is the game, and he is playing the private (independent) media like an old fiddle.

Of course not to anyone’s surprise the media is enjoying riding the rhythm. No matter how absurd, in-appropriate, derogatory, blatant lies, threats, or negative suggestions, uttered by Jagdeo, they are all taken in stride by the independent media under the guise called publicity, which really means putting our boy out front.
Every ridiculous statement by Jagdeo is plastered on the pages of the independent media, especially in the Stabroek News he is on pages one, three, 11, 17 and even 21. Of course the independent Kaieteur News is not far behind. If the Guyanese population don’t believe that the media has a dog in this fight then they are overtly mistaken.

What is unfortunate, however, is the media claim to being independent, but their political coverage don’t show independence. Independent as an adjective: states clearly “freedom from control, not subjected to anyone’s authority” and as noun; “an independence person or body.” The political dog whistles that emanates from the media show who they are clearly and which side they are on.
We all know who owns the media in this country, and these political people have their own agenda, therefore when Jagdeo makes his ridiculous comments like “we gon take back we country,” the only rebuttal comes from a few letter writers, and even their letters are not often published, which makes Jagdeo’s statement acceptable. The scribes who ply their trade daily and those of the weekend type are mum. We sometimes read about the abject failure of the PPP’s 23 years reign, but never a line about the accomplishments or achievements of the coalition’s three years in existence, which has made life easier for scores of persons.

The commentary on the coalition by all the scribes and voluntarily contributors in the media is what they should have done, and what they have not done. The coalition as a group and their ministers, individually are lambasted daily by the independent (private) media and all of their ills collectively are put out front and centre. They are of course people who are not worthy of guiding this country. Only if you are daft you will not see the media game.
One scribe opines that “the PPP continues to dominate the news,” and he is right. He further states,
“that the coalition has lost the sympathy of the independent media” Sympathy? What is he talking about? There was never any sympathy “or truth” addressed to the coalition at any time. He needs to tell the reading public, when was the last time that anything positive was written about the coalition by any scribe, barring one in the independent media. In all of his writings, this scribe has never given the coalition a good word. With friends like that who needs enemies.

He patronised Dr Jagan in an article on April 1, 2017, which was pathetic and helpless. Now here he is again doing his patronising; he is suggesting that; ” since Mr Granger is African Guyanese (Eureka) “I feel strongly that the PM slot should go to an Indian Guyanese woman” why not an Amerindian, or Chinese or Indian man, or an African-Guyanese woman. It must be remembered that this scribe has been given the good `negro’ seal by his fellow scribe who wrote “that when he is talking to his Indian friends he tells them that this person can be trusted.”
For all intents and purposes this scribe writing for the independent media, where he does not get paid, don’t know which side of the fence to come down on. Someone needs to pull him aside and tell him that his slip is showing.

Regards,
Milton Bruce