| Political leaders and civil society activists are calling for a reform of the state-owned Guyana Chronicle and the state media in general.They say that the Guyana Chronicle is being used by the ruling party to peddle fabrications and misinformation, and to make personal attacks against those who share a different view of the government.For Gerhard Ramsaroop of the Alliance for Change (AFC), the Guyana Chronicle crossed the line in its July 2, 2012 editorial claiming that “Black youths are socialised by opposition leaders to think that Indians robbed them to get rich, so they automatically feel that they have to wrest by force,Wholesale Jerseys, even murder, anything Indians have.”Ramsaroop said that in all his years of witnessing the abuse of the state-media by the former PNC-government and the current PPP/C government, the editorial was the “worst” he has ever seen.“It is high time that there be a reform of the Chronicle and the entire state media apparatus,” Ramsaroop told Kaieteur News.He said that the state media should be run by independent boards comprising professionals. According to Ramsaroop, while the government is allowed to use the state media to disseminate its policy and programmes, the state-owned newspaper, radio and TV must not be used for “gutter journalism” that castigates any who opposes its views.He said that the state media should give a voice to the citizens of the country and that all stakeholders, including political parties, should have equal access.Academic, Freddie Kissoon also wants to see change at the Guyana Chronicle. Kissoon joined Ramsaroop and others to protest the offending editorial on Friday.Kissoon said that while there was an abuse of the state media in the days of the PNC Government, what has been perpetrated by the current PPP/C government is much graver.He said the level of depravity and propaganda being spread by the Chronicle has never been seen before.“You had excesses in the days of (former Presidents) Burnham and Hoyte, but they have never been so abominable and depraved,” Kissoon stated.He said that while it is acceptable for the executive branch of the government to have an information arm, other branches of the government must not be ignored.Kissoon stated that the Office of the Leader of the Opposition is a constitutional office and hence its activities should be highlighted by the state media.In recent times, the Chronicle has been making overt attacks on opposition political parties, especially the AFC.In June alone, several articles were published castigating the opposition.On June 9, there was an editorial calling the AFC and opposition coalition APNU hypocrites. On that very date, another article was entitled “Opposition stumbling blocks to national development.”On June 25, a letter belittling AFC chairman Khemraj Ramjattan was titled “Imagine Ramjattan bleating about constitutional crisis.”Another provocative headline was published on June 26, charging “APNU signals intention to create unrest.”According to Ramsaroop and Kissoon, the state media should be used to foster greater harmony in society and not the kind of “gutter journalism” that the Guyana Chronicle has been guilty of.The Justice of the Peace Association of the Roman Catholic Church in condemning the July 2, 2012 editorial cautioned against such comments from any source in a plural society with a continuing history of delicately poised race relations.“The JPC believes that the reckless posture taken in the editorial represents a patent ethnic appeal and could encourage incitement.” |
