Dear Editor,
Having just watched a nationally aired press conference on NCN hosted by President Bharrat Jagdeo at the conclusion of the Caricom Summit in Antigua, I feel the need to set the record straight as it relates to Capitol News’ coverage of the Caricom meeting and our reports on that meeting.
During the press conference – which I missed due to my travel arrangements – when asked about a meeting with Guyanese living in Antigua, President Bharrat Jagdeo in his usual ‘attack the media’ style named me as a hostile reporter who was hostile to the Guyana government, telling the regional media that I attended the meeting and based on what he heard, I filed a negative report amidst all the “positive things” at the meeting.
Now, I am not quite sure what the President sees as positive or negative or what measuring cup he uses to distinguish the two.
But, I am truly fed up with the President and his office’s constant attacks on the private media, especially Capitol News. I am no politician, so I would not usually respond to his wild and uninformed ramblings about the media, but for the sake of my good name and that of the company that I have been employed with for the past decade, I think I have a responsibility to set the record straight.
I did attend the meeting with the President and the Guyanese community in Antigua and I reported what took place. I reported on what some of the audience members said and what the President said. The President obviously took offence at me including in my story, the concerns of some of the persons who raised the issue of victimization here in Guyana and in Antigua and concerns about the crime problem. I reported some of the issues raised.
If the President wanted a band-aid propaganda excuse of a news item, then he should have paid the way to ensure a team from the state-owned NCN be there in Antigua rather than to have its Editor in Chief acting as cameraman and reporter for both NCN and GINA. Capitol News had a three-member team covering the Caricom Summit and we do not receive a ‘taxpayer funded subvention’ or duty free access for equipment.
The private sector has been ‘good’ to us because we are credible, balanced, fair and objective.
I do not know what is the obsession of the President’s office with Capitol News and its reports. A few months ago, a similar attack was levelled against me and Capitol News in the newspapers, once again with unsubstantiated claims. When we cleared the air on the facts and what was reported, they all went dumb as I expect they will do this time.
Mr President, I would encourage you, that before you make wild statements about this reporter and the reports aired on our news programme, you take the time to look at those reports and not rely on the advice of your PR machinery.
For your benefit and that of the Guyanese people, I have attached below, a verbatim copy of my complete report on the Guyanese meeting in Antigua as reported on Capitol News from Antigua. Note we say hundreds and not 4,000 as GINA claims; the video is there count the participants.
President Jagdeo meets
Guyanese community
in Antigua
“Hundreds of Guyanese who live and work in Antigua turned up Thursday evening at a reception hall in downtown St.Johns for a community meeting with the President. The meeting went on for just over two hours and during that time, many of the Guyanese raised concerns about different problems back home and here in Antigua from land issues to immigration.”
Video sound bite—
Guyanese woman: At home, we’re dealing with the issue of victimization as a people, as a black people, then coming to Antigua, we are dealing with victimization as a nation. How can we solve the problem? My Grand-mother taught me that charity begins at home. We will have to deal with it at home. We should be respected as a people in our homeland then I think we will be respected nationwide and worldwide.
Guyanese man: There are many Guyanese here who are 50 going over to 60, who would have worked in Guy-ana for 20 years, I am asking that we open a window that through that embassy, they could make their application to the NIS and get the pension that they are qualified for.
Guyanese woman: We all need to go home back some time, but we begging you to fix the country that we all can ship out. Then we will go back and stop all these embarrassment that we have to go through here in Antigua. I need to go home back!
President Jagdeo: Outside the elections, we have to get together, and work hard to move our country forward. We have to develop that kind of culture.
“When one man tried to raise the issue of crime, he was heckled by the large crowd. Many in the audience said Guyanese must stop giving Guyana a bad rap overseas, because that may be one of the reasons why many of them are badly treated by other Caricom nationals.”
Video sound bite—
Guyanese man: I would like to know if it is comfortable to go back to Guyana. Guyana is where I come from.
I would like to know about the crime situation, And if these matters are being addressed. I would like to know if these matters are being addressed.
President Jagdeo: We are not the worst, we are not the worst. And they don’t say about the problems we are facing and have to face with large numbers of drug dealers and rapists and murderers who the US sent back all the time. Hundreds of them back into our society. So, how this has affected crime in many parts.
“President Jagdeo told the crowd that despite the crime problem, Guyana is seeing development. He said Guyana is not the only place where crime is an issue. He expressed confidence that the situation will improve.”
Video sound bite—
President Jagdeo: I have confidence in our police and the security forces and over time we are going to deal with it.
“The Antiguan government has been praised by the Guyana authorities for providing jobs and a new way of life for many Guyanese nationals. However, many still believe that when it comes to free movement in the Caribbean community, Guyanese are still at the losing end. In St John’s Antigua, Gordon Moseley for Capitol News.”
Yours faithfully,
Gordon Moseley
Senior Reporter/
Producer
Capitol News
