President Bharrat Jagdeo lambasted journalists yesterday for not reporting the news accurately and for distorting the facts to make the government look bad, labelling them the “new opposition.”
He was at the time speaking at the 12th death anniversary of the late President of Guyana and leader of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr. Cheddi Jagan held at the Babu John Crematorium at Port Mourant, Corentyne.
He said a few reporters go to the press conferences and “coordinate their questions” and that “no matter how much information you give their job is to go back, take something and distort it.”
He said “some do that because of lack of understanding or to make the government look bad. They are the new opposition. Some of them do that routinely.” Further he pointed out that, “There are many good reporters so I don’t want them to say I criticize all the reporters. But some of them are like that and some papers are like that.” According to Jagdeo, “I get so frustrated sometimes at press conferences; I guess it is the ignorance that comes out. What I am frustrated about is that these are the people who have to educate the people….”
[Note to the mighty raging king Jagdeo: Now I'm not a psychiatrist, but your obsession with the image of your government being portrayed by the media is disturbing. It isn't their job to show you and your government in a favourable light, especially when it appears there is much to be desired about your leadership and governance of Guyana. Is this an attempt to divert, intimidate, or both?]
MEANWHILE, here's Kaieteur News columnist, Freddie Kissoon's response to Jagdeo, which underscores Jagdeo's disturbingly skewed focus on his image at a time when he and his government should be focusing on clarifying the CLICO mess to the Guyanese people. Here also, AFC leader, Rafael Trotman raises questions about a possible conflict of interest in van Beek's management of CLICO.
