By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News
Despite a recent appeal from the France-based media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urging the Guyanese government to end hostility toward journalists and prioritize press freedom, the administration appears unwilling to heed the call.
The RSF report outlined three key recommendations: ending hostility toward journalists, refraining from personal attacks or insults, and avoiding rhetoric that could incite supporters against the press. However, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has openly dismissed the organization’s concerns.
Jagdeo, speaking at a recent press conference, criticized sections of the local media, referring to some reporters as “fraudsters” and “people with criminal pasts.” He accused certain journalists and online media houses of using press credentials as cover for partisan or personal agendas.
“They are pure criminals. Some of the people there have criminal pasts. I can point out quite a few of them who have had a criminal past and have nothing associated with a reporter,”
Jagdeo stated.
While RSF has urged the administration to take steps to rebuild its relationship with the media and demonstrate a commitment to transparency, Jagdeo indicated instead that the government intends to “expose” certain media actors internationally.
“You’re going to hear them say the government is hostile to reporters again… We now have to spend time to expose these people to the international community,”
he declared.
The Vice President, who has long been a dominant voice in Guyana’s political landscape, went further in his remarks, bluntly asserting:
“We are not going to be kissing the ass of reporters who are hostile to us.”
Guyana currently ranks 73rd in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, but its political indicator stands significantly lower, at 111th, reflecting concerns about government influence over media operations and editorial independence.
RSF has continued to urge the Irfaan Ali administration to embrace a culture of respect for journalists and independent reporting as a cornerstone of democratic governance.
