GPA Condemns Intimidation of Journalists Amid Jagdeo’s Continued Attacks on the Press
By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News
General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has continued his verbal assaults on the media, targeting journalists and outlets whose reporting he finds unfavorable. The Guyana Press Association (GPA) has expressed deep concern over what it describes as escalating attempts to censor and intimidate journalists by both government officials and political supporters.
At his most recent press conference, Jagdeo again criticized sections of the press over online stories critical of the PPP/C. In the past, he has singled out privately-owned newspapers such as Kaieteur News and Stabroek News, accusing them of bias and dismissing their reporting standards. These attacks, the GPA notes, have now become a weekly occurrence.
The GPA emphasized that such hostility undermines the work of journalists, particularly during an election season, and echoed findings from the U.S. Department of State’s 2024 Human Rights Report, which documented local journalists facing discrimination and hostile verbal attacks.
In a statement, the GPA reminded all political leaders and their supporters that the role of the press must be respected: “We are fully aware of the repercussions recent allegations and acts of intimidation can have on our members professionally and personally. Journalists should be able to work without fear, intimidation, or self-censorship.”
The association also urged its members to maintain the principles of objectivity, transparency, and balance, even as they confront mounting pressures linked to coverage of sensitive issues such as corruption.
