Dear Editor,

The Father of our Nation, Dr Cheddi Jagan, said, “In a general way, the democratisation of our society must be matched by, and mirrored in, a similar democratisation of the media.

“I do not expect to see in such a setting a subservient media. Far from it: the media must be vibrant, critical and analytical.  They must also report the views and conditions of the ordinary people. They must report the struggles of the average Guyanese to make ends meet, and to improve their quality of life.

“The media must be open to the opinions and concerns of every stratum of our people. They must reach out beyond parties, politics and policy-makers and must, in a balanced way, inform, educate and entertain.

“As for me, I have always engaged the media in polemics and I have always invited you to ask questions and to seek out answers. That this is so is perhaps because there is a journalistic side to my career, having contributed to newspaper columns and broadcasts consistently over the past fifty years. In a special way, then, I see media-workers as partners in the search for solutions…” (1992)

This government has and continues to promote the freedom of the press, but there hasn’t been the necessary reciprocity on the part of media houses to demonstrate the responsibility that has come with this new found freedom (I say new found because we only got it in 1992); prior to that a free media was inconceivable. [Ed note: Stabroek News began in 1986.]

Some media houses that have aptly been labelled ‘the new opposition’ for obvious reasons need to understand that irresponsible journalism can breed untold damage. The untold damage can result when the media choose to deliberately misinform and skew the interpretation of facts either in an effort to increase sales, for personal reasons or for political preferences. Therefore it is important and necessary that we understand that such a duty should come with the strictest responsibility to report accurately and fairly.

Media practitioners first of all need to see themselves as citizens of Guyana with an ethical obligation. We need to acknowledge how far we have progressed as a nation from the dark days, while today in some countries if you follow a certain religion or belong to a certain group you may be hounded, kidnapped, tortured, raped and even killed. Then there is the infamous rendition. Our society is free of these evils, and we have to credit ourselves for this achievement; however, we have to be of cognizant of the fact that there are some who are seeking power by any means necessary and are using the media to achieve this end.

Yours faithfully,
Cedric Lord