The Guyana government has blamed “some media practitioners” of orchestrating the country’s poor ratings in the global press freedom index by the international watchdog, Reporters Without Borders, (RSF) that was released to coincide with World Press Freedom Day, recently.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo told a news conference that the Guyana Press Association (GPA) played a role in the 26-point dip in the RSF global press freedom index that also indicated disinformation and online violence had deteriorated in countries where the political landscape is less unstable.
It said the use of disinformation and propaganda, often associated with online verbal violence against journalists and media, is being normalized and becoming an integral part of political leaders’ strategy in seeking greater control over the public narrative.
Jagdeo said that everything the GPA states was reflected in the international accounts of the state of press freedom in Guyana.
The Office of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has also been paying attention to recent press freedom concerns in Guyana.