Monday, January 29, 2007

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (GINA): Withdrawal of government advertisements from the Stabroek News based on its declining circulation has been used as a yardstick by some to measure the country’s press freedom. Sections of the media have labelled it as a direct attack on this freedom.

Head of State, President Bharrat Jagdeo at a press conference held on Thursday at the Office of the President, said such claims are disturbing and unbelievable.

“I am very disturbed, only warped minds could make this an issue of freedom of the press. Now listen to the perverseness, if we advertise with Stabroek News then we are respecting freedom of expression and so it means if we take back some of the ads Kaieteur News is getting and we give it to Stabroek News it means that there is freedom of expression in this country. That is the logic of it, can you understand it, that you have to advertise with a particular entity to ensure freedom of expression!”

The Head of State explained that the government’s policy is to advertise in two dailies, the state owned chronicle and private newspaper. He explained that advertisement placement in the private paper in dependant on the circulation of the said newspaper.

“If you have to advertise in one private daily you have to look at where taxpayers’ money will be best spent. Now that brings you around to circulation. How many homes are the newspapers getting into?” he queried.

The Head of State said if many other critics were in government’s shoes they would do the same and advertise in the papers that had the widest circulation, thereby getting more for their dollar.

“In spite of their dwindling circulation you need to spend taxpayers’ money to preserve freedom of expression. We have enough freedom of expression in this country, you look at the television, the newspapers, you don’t have this government threatening anyone,” President Jagdeo said.

The Head of State labelled some of the critics as ‘bandwagoners’ all jumping on the issue because it’s another way of criticising the government.

“I am not subscribing to that for a moment,” the President said, “We will be responding to some of those people.” The Permanent Secretary of the Office of the President has been fingered by the Stabroek News as the person who gave the Government Information Agency (GINA) the directive to withdraw the advertisements.

“My Permanent Secretary is going to take legal action against some of these entities that have tainted him,” the President said.

GINA, the entity responsible for the placement of government advertisements, recently reviewed its advertising policy, in an effort to garner maximum returns on the administration’s advertising dollar.

Based on the circulation and reach of the Stabroek News, a decision was taken to re-assess the placement of advertisements in the news paper.

  Most popular articles: viewed, printed and e-mailed

  Printable version