Here’s What They’re Saying
The media: responsible or not
Guyana Chronicle
January 28, 2004
The role of the media is to inform, educate and entertain. In recent weeks, sections of the media in Guyana have exhibited a clear lack of journalistic ethics, especially in dealing with allegations about the existence of death squads and the implication of public officials.
There are several ethics in journalism that some local reporters have either failed to observe or are unaware of. These include; seeking the truth and reporting it, being accountable, minimizing harm and acting responsibly.
The Government Information Agency (GINA) spoke to several persons who give their views on the manner some sections of the media report the news.
Here is what they had to say:
Maurice King: “More than once I have seen and heard reports of events that happened in this country and the media wrote up a lot of different things and half of the information disseminated was not true. It was quite contrary to what really happened and for that I really don’t believe some sections of the media!”
Dexter Davis: “What I find is that some of the newscasts, they just get the information from persons without verifying the information and they just run with that. Also I think they sensationalize some topics.”
Neil Khan: “I think some of them need to do some investigation. They just take evidence from people by word-of-mouth instead of investigating the matter. The media houses need good investigative journalists, that are the only way they can have accurate information. Some of them only get rumors and then they go and report it. That is not good journalism at all!”
Jarrod Mc Intire: “Journalists have a responsibility to get the news. I believe there’s a lot of advantages and disadvantages in journalism. I understand they have a job to do but they also have to be responsible in reporting to the public. They do not have to look at who is in power or who is in the Opposition.”
Nankishore Ramroop: “Some newscasts tend to not show both sides of the coin and that is what is lacking in the media today in Guyana, objectivity. And that is what they (the media) should really try and investigate their stories before airing them.”
Simone Sam: “What we need is accurate reporting and not reports based on opinions and rumors and that some of the media houses are guilty of.”
Lynette Singh: “To me some sections of the media need to do some more investigation because they tend to make mistakes, which in a way just creates a tension in the society. Especially with some of the sensitive topics not reported objectively and accurately.”
(Government Information Agency)