Go Pokémon Go
Sep 07, 2016 , http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....09/07/go-pokemon-go/
Every afternoon there is a gaggle of young men and women who can be seen outside the Umana Yana. They are not liming. They are engaged in a major sport – Pokémon Go.
A reporter in a recent interview with the President asked him whether he knew about this new craze that is sweeping the world, including having grown men running all over the place trying to catch various Pokémon.
Many people thought that it was a stupid thing for the young reporter to do. I disagreed. I thought it was insightful of the young man to recognize and to point out to the President the benefits which can result from various sites in the country being designated as Pokestops. I think it is novel way in which tourism can be promoted in Guyana because there are certain places where only certain Pokémon can be found.
The President recognized this and even said that he hoped that Iwokrama could be a place where the visitors could come to. Who knows, if the company that is promoting this worldwide game can designate some area species of Pokémon which can be found only at Iwokrama, then that location could become a major tourist attraction, because people will come from all corners of the globe to catch a particular Pokémon Go. Video game addicts take these games seriously.
Pokémon Go has many benefits. It has been proven to be good for business. After all, if you go to a location to catch some Pokémon, and if there is a shop around there, it is likely that people will make some purchases.
It is also good for health. Pokémon Go is moving video game players from out of the comfort of their rooms, couches and bed and into the outdoors. Couch potatoes are getting more exercise since it is game in which you have to be constantly on the go. So it good for relaxation, it is good for exercise, it is good for business, it is good for tourism.
Against this backdrop, it is hard to understand why some persons would have had a problem with a young reporter asking the President if he ever heard about Pokémon Go.
Everyone has a right to their own opinion and if their opinion is that it was a foolish question, then that is their opinion. It should be respected.
I find it hard to understand how someone can face sanctions for questioning the questioner. I find it befuddling that a comment on social media about the question can constitute an indiscretion. I am refusing to believe that this contributed to someone being sent on leave.
What is happening at NCN is part of a wider problem facing the local media. The organizational structure of a media entity has to be different from the organizational structure of other organizations. It has to be different for the simple reason that we are dealing with the right to free speech and therefore media workers are usually not managed by administrative heads.
Media organizations, particularly those that report on news, usually have what is known as an Editorial Board. The Editorial Board sets the editorial policy. The editorial policy is used to guide the work of the reporters and journalists. The editorial staff if headed by an editor.
It is the editor who has to pronounce on the indiscretions of staff, not the administrative manager. It is the editor who is supposed to be in charge and who reports to the Editorial Board and it is for the Editorial Board to determine whether any reporter should be sanctioned. It is for the Editor or Editorial Board to make a recommendation to the management about this.
A reporter facing an allegation has to be given due process. He or she has to be told about the offence, allowed to lead a defence, and be given the opportunity to respond to any adverse findings. Even before sanctions are applied, the accused has to be given the chance to show why he or she should not be punished.
NCN should, if it does not already have this, put an Editorial Board in place, so as to avoid decisions relating to media workers being taken by administrative personnel.
If it has to take Pokémon Go to make a company realize this, then all the better for this latest craze that is sweeping the world.
