Dear Editor,
I READ with utter disbelief a Facebook post made by the Guyana Press Association (GPA) relating to a now popular interaction between President Irfaan Ali and ‘journalist’ Travis Chase condemning what it labeled as the “President’s attack on Mr. Chase”.
It is saddening that the GPA, which claims to be the sole representative body of media workers in Guyana, does not seem to have a clue about how the media should address the Head of State of a country.

The deputy director of the Protocol School of Washington, Robert Hickey, in his book Honor & Respect: The Official Guide to Names, Titles, & Forms of Address, highlights that in conversations a president should be referred to as: Mr. President.

The AP Style, which is used by most media as their default when addressing a president, states that the first and family name should be used on the first reference during interactions, so it would be President Irfaan Ali and the last name can be used for subsequent references.
Perhaps the GPA should spend a little less time on issuing statements with a political bias and seek to spend more time on what should perhaps be one of its fundamental purposes — developing the overall quality of the press in Guyana.

Such development would include ensuring that its members understand the most basic of protocols when addressing the Head of State, perhaps providing training on such and other media etiquette and rules, and calling out its members when they have not observed the most basic of courtesies.

Instead, the GPA defended Travis Chase’s plainly rude and aggressive approach in addressing the President, which shows the organisation’s apparent bias, lack of basic understanding of protocol in addressing the President and, by extension, agreement with the disrespect shown by Chase to His Excellency.

The GPA’s stance on this issue and subsequent agreement with the manner in which Chase addressed the President of Guyana highlights its continued bias against the government, and undermines the legitimacy of the association as an independent representative body for media workers.
Warmest regards,
Terrence Jaskaran
Chartered Accountant