Dear Editor,
The Guyana Oil and Gas Governance Network (OGGN) and Transparency Institute Guyana Inc. (TIGI) condemn the ad hominem attacks on female journalists, most recently on Davina Bagot and Nazima Raghubir, on social media websites. The attacks are not about the substance of the news reports; rather they are attacks on the reporters themselves. Chillingly, the attacks place a target on the backs of reporters.
In its 2022 Report showing the status of its Press Freedom Index, the organization Reporters Without Borders (RWB) noted: “An increasingly toxic environment in Latin America. Across the continent, journalists continue working in an increasingly deleterious and toxic environment … Distrust of the press, fueled by anti-media rhetoric and the trivialisation of politicians’ stigmatising discourse – especially in Brazil (ranked 110th in the Index), Cuba (173rd), Venezuela (159th), Nicaragua (160th), and El Salvador (112th) – has gained ground. Increasingly visible and virulent, these public attacks weaken the profession and encourage abusive legal action, smear and intimidation campaigns – especially against women – and online harassment of critical journalists” (https://rsf.org/en/classement/2022/americas).
In contrast, Guyana is ranked at 34 of 176 countries and had a global score of 76.41 in RWB’s Index for 2022. In the CARICOM region, only Jamaica (#12) and Trinidad and Tobago (#25) rank higher than Guyana in Press freedom. Guyana should celebrate, uphold and aim to improve its relatively high ranking, rather than expose journalists to a climate of fear.
The attacks on journalists should be roundly rejected by those in authority and by all Guyanese alike. As an oil-producing country, Guyana should aim to safeguard and expand its democratic freedoms and safeguards for all citizens and visitors within national territory. Our Press freedom is in Article 146(1) of our National Constitution –
“Except with his own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of expression, that is to say, freedom to hold opinions without interference, freedom to receive ideas and information without interference, freedom to communicate ideas and information without interference and freedom from interference with his correspondence.”
And we remember from the assassination in July 1979 of Father Bernard Darke, S.J., what can happen when an authoritarian government over-excites its supporters.
Yours faithfully,
Vincent Adams
Andre Brandli
Janette Bulkan
Frederick Collins
Darsh Khusial
Mike Persaud
Ganga Ramdas
Joe Persaud
www.oggn.org/about
