People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Chief Whip Gail Teixeira has called the no-pay suspension of National Communications Network (NCN) Sports Editor Jocelle Archibald-Hawke an example of a double standard by government as she has been complaining to no avail about what she says are derogatory postings about her on a government advisor’s Facebook page.
“I find it extraordinary that an advisor to the minister is allowed free reign…and yet a sports editor on her social media makes a comment, that to me looks quite innocuous, and it becomes a huge problem of apologies and suspensions,” Teixeira told a press conference on Friday.
She said that she would not name the attacker.
Archibald-Hawke was suspended for one month without pay following a remark about her colleagues on Facebook. She removed the post when requested to and she was also asked to write letters of apology, which she did, but they were deemed insincere by NCN’s management.
President David Granger has since called upon the management of NCN to operate “in a more prudent and compassionate manner” when dealing with employees and he described the punishment meted out to Archibald-Hawke as “inhumane.”
The network is still to rescind its decision to suspend Archibald-Hawke.
Teixeira pointed to the punishment of Archibald-Hawke and questioned why her own complaints have fallen on deaf ears.
“I have formally approached a minister about a particular advisor, who consistently and constantly on his Facebook attacks me personally and another member of parliament and who makes racial comments about people who support the People’s Progressive Party. I have raised this issue formally with the Minister. I have shown him extracts of those Facebook posts, to show that this is not in-keeping with an advisor who is supposed to represent all Guyanese.
You are not supposed to be biased, and the minister has said to me that he will talk to the person,” Teixeira explained as she pointed out that to date nothing has come of the matter and the postings continue.
“I have backed off and the person continues from time to time. But I find it extraordinary that an advisor to the minister is allowed free reign… This is unacceptable and I hope that you young journalists will not allow this to continue… We don’t want to be the watchdogs of people’s social media. This is a new world of freedom of expression,” she asserted.
“My view is that an advisor to the president has to walk between the rain drops, has to in his/her public and private life be conscious of representing all Guyanese.
So there is a slight difference between someone who holds those positions versus an editor who makes a comment on social media,” she added.
