Editorial
Guyana Chronicle
March 6, 2001

MEDIA that have firm evidence of foul deeds, things going wrong and similar matters that are against the public interest, have a right to expose these ills.

Being a watchdog in the interest of the public is one of the functions of the media.

But when, under the pretence of keeping watch for the public, some people operating in the media fly off at the mouth so often, making wild accusations and outlandish claims, something has to be done to keep them in check because they then begin to operate against the public interest.

Commission Chairman, Major General Joe Singh had cause to comment on exactly this kind of media behaviour yesterday because the excesses are becoming too much.

In the face of the claims by these media `watchers', Major General Singh found himself categorically denying that the commission is in "any jeopardy".

"We are optimistic that we are on schedule and that the elections will be run off on March 19...we do not have anything stolen or missing or any break-in at the Elections Commission," he stressed.

The Chairman found himself pleading for the media to help maintain the confidentiality of Commission workers and not allow them to be set up as targets.

He said he has been receiving reports of TV `talk show' hosts targeting members of staff/individuals involved in the elections process.

He said the comments by these `hosts' are "extremely subjective and damaging and in fact threatening to the individuals who are involved in the process."

This was exactly the kind of extreme behaviour some senior media managers stressed should be checked when the Elections Commission was last year in the process of drawing up a Media Code of Conduct for the elections due this month.

They had pointed out that while the established media were subject to the laws of libel and extremely close scrutiny, the TV `talk show' hosts operate as a law unto themselves and often dare anyone to do anything about them.

The state media are regularly under scrutiny for purported unbalanced reporting but they cannot be said to be deliberately stirring up trouble, or behaving irresponsibly.

Those who are doing so are getting away with extreme excesses. They did it in 1998 during the political troubles in the streets of Georgetown and are on the same path again.

In a joint statement yesterday, Anglican Bishop of Guyana Randolph George and Catholic Bishop of Georgetown Benedict Singh lamented "the low level of real content of some of the talk shows, and the encouragement given to those persons who use these shows to heap abuse on other citizens."

Bishop George and Bishop Singh said they share the concern of the media monitoring groups and "call on those persons responsible for these talk shows to try hard to be objective and factual".

More and more people would have to begin to speak out against these excesses which are plumbing new depths.