The Guyana Press Associa-tion (GPA) supports the view that universal access to information must be pursued as Guyana continues to be challenged by the government monopoly over the granting of radio licences.
“In this country there are still challenges to the free and unfettered distribution of information by governmental policy that has prohibited the operation of any other radio stations other than those owned and controlled by the government,” the GPA said in its message to mark World Press Freedom Day today. The reluctance to open the airwaves over the years has resulted in the stifling of creative talent and has hampered, if not retarded the free access to information.
The GPA urged the government to break the monopoly that it has over the electromagnetic spectrum, particularly with regard to the granting of radio station licences and to allow other televisions stations to expand. “We believe that a National Broadcasting Authority must be established as soon as possible to ensure that Informa-tion can be disseminated by a variety of sources throughout the country. We endorse the position that universal access to information must be pursued especially in rural, remote and insular areas,” it added.
The GPA also noted that “It is interesting that in this age of social media, texting and tweeting that Guyana is still holding out that its radio frequencies cannot be allocated to anyone else other than those who control the corridors of power.”
According to the GPA, Guyana also needs to examine whether economic leverage particularly in the withdrawals or placement of advertising must be used to enforce editorial positions on media houses.
The GPA is confident that most journalists operating in Guyana have conducted themselves with dignity and in an environment that is mostly safe. Citizens must not be deprived of their right to be able to understand their society, for which an independent press, including both state-run and privately-owned media – remains crucial, the group said. “We encourage journalists to continue to pursue the news without fear or favour, affection or ill-will and to ensure that they are sufficiently well-informed about a subject before attempting to inform the public in a fair, balanced, accurate and truthful manner,” the GPA said.
