Dear Editor,
Stabroek News was launched in 1986 as Guyana’s only independent daily newspaper at that time. This development was an important aspect of our own “glasnost and perestroika,” which had been initiated by President Desmond Hoyte. It was a period of both economic and democratic renewal.
Over the last forty years, Stabroek News has played an invaluable role in nurturing the renewal begun by President Hoyte. Stabroek News, and later Kaieteur News, not only kept us informed about happenings in the Guyanese community but also exercised journalistic oversight of the government of the day. Corruption was exposed and bureaucratic excesses highlighted. Stabroek News also provided a platform for independent voices through your letters to the editor and regular contributions from Anand Goolsarran, Chris Ram, Ralph Ramkarran, Rawle Lucas, Al Creighton, Ian McDonald, and the diaspora through Alissa Trotz.
The fact that the newspaper has clashed with various governments over the years is surely a sign of journalism done fearlessly and well. While the newspaper has dispelled the notion that the government’s debt to it caused the closure[1], one must wonder whether the government’s denial of a radio licence did not hasten its demise. This PPP government has not been shy about trying to control the media. Independent media are stifled, and many journalists have been co-opted with cushy government jobs or contracts for their outlets. It is a terrible irony that Stabroek News, launched at the start of our glasnost, is now closing as the PPP government deploys state resources to suppress information across media platforms.
Editor, I must be honest and confess that I have, at times, felt unfairly targeted by your newspaper. Notwithstanding the slight hurt, I mourn the closure of your paper. This closure is, quite simply, a massive loss to our democracy. The hill just became much steeper for those of us fighting for equity, transparency, accountability, and good governance. However, while the odds are great, rest assured we will prevail.
Finally, as I reflected on almost four decades of your newspaper, the words of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” flooded my mind: “And now the end is near And so I face the final curtain My friend, I’ll say it clear I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain I’ve lived a life that’s full I traveled each and every highway And more, much more than this, I did it my way.” You and your team at Stabroek certainly did it your way. I, and all Guyana, are thankful for your role and effort in the project of building a better and more democratic Guyana. God bless you.