Differing views of same events in Stabroek News, Chronicle - Media Monitoring Unit report Stabroek News February 8, 2001 It is becoming clear to the Media Monitoring Unit (MMU) that the two daily newspapers in Guyana present significantly different views of current events. In its second report the MMU took as an example the coverage of the elections petition ruling by the Guyana Chronicle and the Stabroek News: "The front pages of the Guyana Chronicle and the Stabroek News of January 16, offered an even more compelling example that these two papers treat the news in very different ways. Those who read the front page headlines in the Chronicle were told that the High court 'upheld' the results of the 1997 elections. Those who read the Stabroek News were told that the 1997 elections were 'voided.' Our job is not to conduct an independent investigation into the truth, but if we agree that the ruling might have been confusing and subject to various interpretations, we would hope that a newspaper would at least present the several different arguments completely and honestly. The Stabroek News did a better job at this on January 16. Its front page included headlines that summarised the reactions of both main political parties and GECOM and pointed the reader to several stories dealing with a variety of aspects of this important decision ..." The MMU gave another example of varied coverage: "On January 16, the Chronicle chose to cover the PNC rally of January 14, in a page 10 story focusing on a statement by PNC leader Desmond Hoyte, which was critical of (St Lucia PM) Dr Kenny Anthony. The headlines and lead to the story were very different than those relating to the same events covered in the Stabroek News. While we do not believe it is our place to tell the Chronicle or the Stabroek News what is newsworthy and what is not--this is a legitimate role that reporters and editors must play every day-- this is a clear example of an instance when Guyanese voters received a significantly different view of the news depending on which paper they read." Follow the goings-on in Guyana in Guyana Today