Dear Editor,

The Guyana Police Force is responding to an article published in the Stabroek News of Wednesday, February, 18, 2009 under the caption ‘Miner stabbed to death at Kurupung.’

In the article which dealt with the fatal stabbing of Mohamed Talbot at Kurupung Landing, Middle Mazaruni, on February 15, 2009, it is stated that the Kaieteur News had referred to a press release from the Police Public Relations Office in their article on the incident, but no such press release had been received by the Stabroek News. It was also stated that when the Police PRO was contacted on the matter yesterday [February 17], he told the reporter to “check the system” and up to press time last evening there was still no press release.

It further stated that the Stabroek News Editor-in-Chief Anand Persaud said he was perturbed at the selective dissemination of the release.

The Guyana Police Force wishes to state that it does not engage in the “selective dissemination” of press releases. All press releases made by the Force are sent simultaneously to all media houses which are on the police mailing list, and this includes the Stabroek News.

In this particular instance the press release was made by the Police Public Relations Department at 2.18 pm on Monday, February 16, 2009. A copy of the release made is attached for easy reference.

It will be noted that Stabroek News is listed among those agencies that it was sent to. It will also be noted that the email address guyanamediauniters@googlegroups.com is also a recipient of the release. This is an email address that was given to the Police Force by the Guyana Press Association with the understanding that all media operatives have access to this email address.

The Guyana Police Force cannot be held responsible if through some glitch the Stabroek News was probably the only agency that did not receive the press release in relation to the death of the miner at Kurupung which was sent out by the police on Monday, February 16, 2009.

It should, however, be noted that no message of  “undeliverable mail” or “failure notice” was received through the Police PR Department email that indicated that the Stabroek News had not received the press release sent on the day in question.

Further, when the reporter contacted the Police Public Relations Officer on the matter she was told that the press release had been sent to the Stabroek News and that she should recheck the emails received. No further contact was made with the Police PR Department on the matter by the Stabroek News indicating whether a recheck was done and if the release was seen or not. Consequently, no further action was taken by the department.

Yours faithfully,
Ivelaw Whittaker
Public Relations and Press Officer

Editor’s note

We reiterate that the press release referred to by Mr Whittaker was not received by Stabroek News. We have also been reliably informed that it was not received by several other media houses or at the email address utilized by the Guyana Press Association, guyanamediauniters@googlegroups.com.

This fits well with a pattern where the Kaieteur News has been given preferential treatment in relation to some press releases stretching all the way back to the infamous release of a sketch of the suspect in the murder of USAID employee, Daniel Thompson, and before that. How that particular release was made by Eve Leary is still apparently under investigation by the police force.

Stabroek News has complained repeatedly about this unprofessional practice which has continued under several police commissioners. It complained about it again during a visit last year by UK advisor John Beverley who has worked with the police on media relations.