Dear Editor,
President Ali held a live broadcast Press Conference on Wednesday last (12th July, 2023), broadcast on NCN TV and online at 10:00 am and rebroadcast at prime time that evening. I moderated the Press Conference.
Eleven media organizations and the Department of Public Information attended. There was no restriction against any media organization attending but, because of previous practice where one media organization would take up space with as many as three reporters and seek to dominate the Press Conference, the media were invited in advance to nominate the name of one reporter and cameraman to attend.
The President addressed the Press Conference and, at the same time, the nation, with a comprehensive opening statement intended to provide a detailed report on the policies and performance of his government, including specifics and data on foreign affairs and individual ministries in the context of the international community in which Guyana must now function as a primary oil and gas producing nation.
The statement took some time to deliver, longer than he intended, and longer than is usual for a Press Conference, about which some media houses have complained.
Nevertheless, I ensured that every reporter present who wished to ask a question did so with a follow-up question and one reporter managed to slip in 4 questions. Altogether, 25 questions were asked by the media and answered by the President, yet the media complained that they did not have sufficient opportunity to ask questions.
Not surprisingly, the reporters were not interested in asking questions about the development and progress, or lack thereof of the country, which should have been their primary concern. Instead, the majority of the questions were solely on the matter of former Minister Nigel Dharamlall’s resignation and the circumstances surrounding it and on the recent Mahdia tragic fire.
All were answered frankly, honestly and comprehensively.
In my view, the media have nothing really to complain about and themselves failed to fulfill their responsibility to the nation.
The video and sound management of the Press Conference was not perfect and steps will be taken to get this right.
Yours sincerely,
Kit Nascimento
Consultant