The Guyana Press Association (GPA) yesterday warned of an attempt by the government to take it over or failing that to establish a parallel body.
The GPA made the accusation in a release in recognition and observance of World Press Freedom Day which is celebrated annually on May 03. This year’s theme is “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights.”
The release noted that this year’s World Press Freedom Day is being observed at a time when there appears to be a “creeping intolerance” to media when answers are sought especially from the political directorates across Guyana’s major political divide. It stressed that this resort to defaming the character of journalists on a politically-aligned social media page or the expletive-laced response to a journalist are themselves a violation of Article 12 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights that protects people against attacks upon their honour and reputation.