Dear Editor,
The Guyana Times deems itself the “beacon of truth”, but in reality it operates just as effectively as a flashlight during high noon.
The newspaper published, in its March 4, 2016 edition, an article under the headline “Reduce GPL’s electricity tariffs by 30% – Opposition economist…says company’s operating expenses, fuel saving warrant move”. At the conclusion of the article, it is stated: “When contacted for a comment on the matter via his mobile, Minister Patterson declined, saying, “You could write whatever you like… I always have a ‘no comment’ for you”. Minister Patterson went on to instruct this newspaper to write his secretary for any replies that may be needed.”
The article continued, “He has been one of the most uncooperative members of the Granger Cabinet, especially with respect to divulging reliable information about the entities and their activities which fall under his portfolio, despite the continued admonition of President David Granger that his Government must be open and transparent as well as answerable to the media and populace.”
Indeed, there have been occasions when I have refused to speak with reporters from Guyana Times. However, this decision was not a rash one, and was born out of distrust and a slowly accumulated loss of respect for this news entity.
Since being appointed as the Minister of Public Infrastructure, I have aimed to be as transparent and accountable as I possibly can. I can be contacted via my mobile at any time; and, if regrettably unavailable, questions can be directed to my secretary, public relations officer, or senior officials within the P.I Ministry. Minister within the P.I Ministry, Annette Ferguson, is also available, and also aims for transparency.
While, on one hand, we at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure understand the importance of interacting with the media, we also firmly believe that media workers must understand and respect the importance of accurate and factual reporting. This principle does not apply just for politicians, but for every citizen. No one deserves to be misrepresented, or have their comments misconstrued in the public domain.
Fortunately, the Guyanese media have, for the most part, aimed to report accurately; and the entities that respect journalistic ethics have my full cooperation. Guyana Times, however, has been given several opportunities to do the right thing, but have, to date, failed to do so.
As a serving member of Government, it is important for me to inform the citizenry of what is happening within my ministry. However, Guyana Times misinforms more than it informs. This is a dangerous practice, and one which I can no longer tolerate.
Often, comments given to this newspaper have been misrepresented, and sometimes fabricated; and requests to have inaccurate information retracted or clarified are ignored by Guyana Times.
While the situation is regrettable, it is one I fear must continue due to Guyana Times’ unchanging nature. Its reporters are nonetheless free to attend press conferences, and send in questions via email, so interactions can be clearly recorded.
Yours sincerely,
DAVID PATTERSON
