Dear Editor,
Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy, with major responsibilities in Public Affairs Management, for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government, rightfully denounced the latest RSF Report, saying that “I have taken note of the recent ‘false assertions’ made by Reporters Without Borders, regarding the state of media freedom in Guyana, and unequivocally reject the report in its entirety as ‘deeply flawed, misleading, and rooted in outdated and unsupported assumptions.” This made me stop and think, as, after reading the report, I realised quickly that the Minister was ‘well within’ his right to ‘broadside the whole thing, the document, as well as those involved in presenting it.
First, I have a few comments regarding RSF (the French abbreviation really), as this body has questionable integrity, if not for its methodology, for sure, at least one of its leading personnel. For example, going back to July 2020, turmoil erupted over Founder Robert Ménard, the current mayor of Béziers. This ‘character’ is well-known for his highly questionable and controversial, ‘security-focused’ policies and for using the town, Béziers, as what is called a “laboratory” for far-right initiatives. I ask readers to get a grasp of what are ‘far-right’ initiatives and to see why, when we used the ‘white supremacist,’ tag for Ménard, it aptly fits. It is well-established that he has been fined for ‘inciting hatred regarding comments on Muslim children in schools and has faced criticism for policies on immigrants. Some of his actions included arming the municipal police, launching controversial poster campaigns, and challenging local school demographics.
This biased man is congenitally flawed and I cannot associate anything of integrity and veracity with him.
Let me add a word now on the WPFI (World Press Freedom Index), as this table seeks to assess the ‘degree of freedom’ available to journalists, news organizations, and netizens in each country, along with the extent of governmental efforts to respect and uphold this freedom. However, it specifically ‘focuses on press freedom’ and does not evaluate the quality of journalism or broader human rights conditions in the countries assessed.
I emphatically declare that there is no fear in Guyana, even when a supposed news outlet is in perpetual anti-governmental fabrication mode. So indeed, Mr. McCoy was right when he took note of “… the recent false assertions made by Reporters Without Borders regarding the state of media freedom in Guyana and (thus he) unequivocally rejected the report in its entirety, as deeply flawed, misleading, and rooted in outdated and unsupported assumptions.”
Editor, let me comment briefly on what is termed ‘Judicial Harassment’ since the RSF and the GPA (Guyana Press Association) have highlighted the use of massive defamation lawsuits, such as a GYD 600 million suit against ‘journalist’ Leroy Smith, that they describe as a “chilling” tactic. Face facts, since ‘fact finding’ is the essence here. Then how about in mid-2016, when then Minister of State, Joseph Harmon slapped Kaieteur News with a letter for its coverage of stories relating to his China trip and role in the matter between the Guyana Revenue Authority and the BaiShanLin. The newspaper was given a 24-hour ultimatum within which it had to apologize, offer a retraction of the stories, pay a stipulated sum to an identified organization, or face a libel suit.
I can go on and on interminably, but suffice to say, Guyana, even if a hostile debate unfolds, remains fear-free when issues unfold, amidst even when the most propagandistic ‘supposed’ pursuer of truth is at work, as in the case of Travis Chase.
Travis Chase was most cordially accommodated by Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, when the People’s Progressive Party/C was in opposition. This was during the ‘attempted stealing’ of the 2020 Guyana Elections.
Shocked am I that RSF speaks of Chase and Smith. By the way, Kaieteur News has an outstanding record of ‘backing down’ and ‘apologies.’ So, without rehashing the Minister’s eloquent and ‘crystal clear ’response and his debunking of the latest report, I too call on RSF to ‘clean up’ and ensure that “… analyses are balanced, fact-based, and reflective of current realities, rather than shaped by selective narratives that do not withstand scrutiny.” Guyana does stand firm in its commitment to a free, independent, and responsible media. PPP/C is leading the way and this will continue to be its mantra.