President Ali declares; “I believe in the full freedom of the press’’

President Dr Irfaan Ali reaffirmed his belief in the full freedom of the press during his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the World Press Freedom Day 2022 National Conference and Symposium, held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, on Tuesday. Ali also made it clear that he is open to constructive criticism and is very accessible to the media.

“…I would reposition this message that this Government that I lead, and this President that sits here has been the most accessible Government; unprecedented in the media anytime in the history and that will continue that way,” the President said. The President said that freedom of the press, is not without responsibility and must be practiced within the confines of rules, laws and the constitution that exists in democratic societies.

“What constitutes laws and construct of constitutional frame in some other societies that are not democratic has limitations that are not necessarily part of the collective goal of freedom,” Ali explained. President Ali noted that he hope that the participants in the two-day symposium will “spend some time understanding, fundamentally, these concepts and how they’re changing”. The Head of State pointed to the importance of adhering to the basic principles of journalism, including fairness, responsibility, objectivity, balance, knowledge and understanding, truthfulness, accuracy, respecting the rule of law and impartiality.

ABSOLUTE NEED FOR ACCURACY

President Ali reiterated the need for shedding preconceived notions and biases when crafting and relaying messages. He used the pandemic as an example of how information flow can create severe hardship on a fundamental matter like public health. “What is information versus sensationalisation? What is news versus marketing?… What is speed versus responsibility?,”  he questioned.

GOOD GOVERNANCE

The President disclosed that another important aspect the conversations should address is good governance; this he said is not only applicable to the executive of a country. Good governance, he explained, can only occur when institutions and systems in the country, whether at the very local level, the regional level, the private sector level, institutions, organisations, all agree to conduct themselves within a framework that promotes good governance- which includes accountability and fairness.

Ali acknowledged the Government’s responsibility in protecting the media and the importance of partnerships, particularly since the state needs the media to disseminate information. “The Government in a democracy must be able to protect those who operate with the objectivity, impartiality, and the responsibility and decency in which they carry out their trade. The Government has to ensure that they (media workers) are protected and ensure that they are able to practice their profession, that they are respected even when the views are different,” Ali stressed

PARTNERSHIPS

The President said too that it was “absolutely necessary” to have information sharing, which is in turn linked with education and educating journalists about the development path of the country.  President Ali pointed out that he was also pleased to see “young faces” at the event since it is this younger generation who will be tasked with manoeuvring through a rapidly changing environment and promised them that Government would ensure that they are able to practice their craft with impartiality.

“…My hope is for us to begin a movement in which every citizen understands the true nature of freedom, the importance of freedom within the construct of a democratic society,” he said. It was noted that scores of media representatives, members of the Diplomatic Community and Government officials were also at the opening of the two-day event hosted by the Department of Public Affairs under the theme, ‘Journalism under Surveillance- Partnerships in Communication for Development –C4D’.

Public Affairs Minister, Kwame McCoy and the UN Resident Coordinator in Guyana Yesim Oruc also delivered remarks.