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Guyana rises in press freedom ranking

-concerns persist over use of laws to silence ‘opposition’ journalists

April 20 2019

Source

The conclusions were similar to those made by RSF last year, when the country moved from 60 to 55.

At that time, the Guyana Press Association (GPA) had said there were still “significant hurdles to be crossed before Guyanese can feel that an improved ranking really matters.”

Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and the Dominican Republic were the Caribbean countries which ranked above Guyana, while Norway for the third year is at the top of the index and Turkmenistan is ranked last.

Meanwhile, the RSF assessment noted that a cybercrime bill that was passed into law in July, 2018 in Guyana took into account amendments it proposed regarding provisions that could have posed a threat to press freedom if used to penalise journalists for publishing reports deemed critical of the government or that are based on information from confidential sources.

“However the bill remains imperfect,” it said.

Further, it was pointed out that the members of the media regulatory authority are appointed directly by the president. “This restricts the freedom of certain media outlets, which are denied licenses,” it added.

And recent attempts to improve regulation of the broadcast industry involved no consultation with any broadcasters, according to the report.

It also said that journalists are still subjected to harassment that takes the form of prosecutions, suspensions, and intimidation.

Globally, RSF noted, the 2019 World Press Freedom Index “shows how hatred of journalists has degenerated into violence, contributing to an increase in fear.” It was noted that the number of countries regarded as safe, where journalists can work in complete security, continues to decline, while authoritarian regimes continue to tighten their grip on the media.

While Norway is ranked at the top for the third year running, Finland (up two places) has taken second place from Sweden, which fell one place due to an increase in cyber-harassment. In Africa, the rankings of Ethiopia (up 40 at 110th) and Gambia (up 30 at 92nd) have significantly improved from last year’s Index.

But the report said that many authoritarian regimes have fallen in the Index. They include Venezuela (down five at 148th), where journalists have been the victims of arrests and violence by security forces, and Russia (down one at 149th), where the Kremlin has used arrests, arbitrary searches and draconian laws to step up the pressure on independent media and the Internet.

At the bottom of the Index, both Vietnam (176th) and China (177th) have fallen one place, Eritrea (up one place at 178th) is third from last, despite making peace with its neighbour, Ethiopia, and Turkmenistan (down two places at 180th) is now last, replacing North Korea (up one at 179th).

According to RSF, the degree of freedom available to journalists in the 180 countries is determined by pooling the responses of experts to a questionnaire it devises. “This qualitative analysis is combined with quantitative data on abuses and acts of violence against journalists during the period evaluated,” the press body explained.

It further revealed that the criteria evaluated in the questionnaire are pluralism, media independence, media environment and self-censorship, legislative framework, transparency, and the quality of the infrastructure that supports the production of news and information.

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Django posted:
Prince posted:

Isn't Guyana a dictatorship country according to Nehru and Yuji? 

and...Drugb..the Demerara River swimmer.

Me da wheelchair bound colostomy bag shyte spraying slayer, no swimming here. 

FM
Drugb posted:
Django posted:
Prince posted:

Isn't Guyana a dictatorship country according to Nehru and Yuji? 

and...Drugb..the Demerara River swimmer.

Me da wheelchair bound colostomy bag shyte spraying slayer, no swimming here. 

That was the days before strapped to the wheel chair, that chap had a lot of prowess, beat Nuff at running challenge, remembered D2 said you have spindly legs, looks like them legs give up on you.

Django
Django posted:
Drugb posted:
Django posted:
Prince posted:

Isn't Guyana a dictatorship country according to Nehru and Yuji? 

and...Drugb..the Demerara River swimmer.

Me da wheelchair bound colostomy bag shyte spraying slayer, no swimming here. 

That was the days before strapped to the wheel chair, that chap had a lot of prowess, beat Nuff at running challenge, remembered D2 said you have spindly legs, looks like them legs give up on you.

Like yuh slow bai, dat is a dead man dat I purchase he handle. 

FM
Drugb posted:
Django posted:
Drugb posted:
Django posted:
Prince posted:

Isn't Guyana a dictatorship country according to Nehru and Yuji? 

and...Drugb..the Demerara River swimmer.

Me da wheelchair bound colostomy bag shyte spraying slayer, no swimming here. 

That was the days before strapped to the wheel chair, that chap had a lot of prowess, beat Nuff at running challenge, remembered D2 said you have spindly legs, looks like them legs give up on you.

Like yuh slow bai, dat is a dead man dat I purchase he handle. 

Well that fella used to tell  them aging posters,they got one foot in the grave, looks like he kick the bucket before them.

There is a saying " be careful wishing others"

Django
Django posted:
Drugb posted:
Django posted:
Drugb posted:
Django posted:
Prince posted:

Isn't Guyana a dictatorship country according to Nehru and Yuji? 

and...Drugb..the Demerara River swimmer.

Me da wheelchair bound colostomy bag shyte spraying slayer, no swimming here. 

That was the days before strapped to the wheel chair, that chap had a lot of prowess, beat Nuff at running challenge, remembered D2 said you have spindly legs, looks like them legs give up on you.

Like yuh slow bai, dat is a dead man dat I purchase he handle. 

Well that fella used to tell  them aging posters,they got one foot in the grave, looks like he kick the bucket before them.

There is a saying " be careful wishing others"

Bai, you started a nice thread here but you yourself are derailing it. Focus on press freedom, not on Drugb. 

FM
Gilbakka posted:

Bai, you started a nice thread here but you yourself are derailing it. Focus on press freedom, not on Drugb. 

Well that bhai, that bhai know how to derail, notice his first post.

Django
Last edited by Django
Bibi Haniffa posted:

Whoever did this evaluation needs a serious mental health check up.  Those stories in the Chronicle wreak of misinformation, misrepresentation, and bias.

 

https://rsf.org/en

Suh you saying these people cuckoo

Django
Django posted:
Gilbakka posted:

Bai, you started a nice thread here but you yourself are derailing it. Focus on press freedom, not on Drugb. 

Well that bhai, that bhai know how to derail, notice his first post.

Noted, but you don't have to respond to every comment he makes. Silence is golden and keeps you on high ground, saving you from rolling down low to the gutter.

FM
Bibi Haniffa posted:

Whoever did this evaluation needs a serious mental health check up.  Those stories in the Chronicle wreak of misinformation, misrepresentation, and bias.

Seriously, people who constantly say that, needs it the most. There is an old saying that it takes a madman to know another madman. 

Mitwah
Gilbakka posted:
Django posted:
Gilbakka posted:

Bai, you started a nice thread here but you yourself are derailing it. Focus on press freedom, not on Drugb. 

Well that bhai, that bhai know how to derail, notice his first post.

Noted, but you don't have to respond to every comment he makes. Silence is golden and keeps you on high ground, saving you from rolling down low to the gutter.

Gilly is right. Let him swim in his slop.

Mitwah
Mitwah posted:
De man is a lawman like you. Can you sing like him?

He's doing good but will never replace the mighty Mukesh Chand Mathur.   

FM
Last edited by Former Member
Mitwah posted:
Anan posted:

 

De man is a lawman like you. Can you sing like him?

I had the opportunity of hearing him sing recently at a religious function at someone’s home.  He is quite good and is very aware of the musicians tone in accompanying him.  He interrupted one of the songs to instruct them.

Bibi Haniffa
Bibi Haniffa posted:
Mitwah posted:
Anan posted:

 

De man is a lawman like you. Can you sing like him?

I had the opportunity of hearing him sing recently at a religious function at someone’s home.  He is quite good and is very aware of the musicians tone in accompanying him.  He interrupted one of the songs to instruct them.

He was in a Kirtan Group in Toronto before returning to Guyana in 1997. He and his group performed at a couple of my functions.

K
Bibi Haniffa posted:

It was interesting that 95% (or more) of the people who were at that function didn’t know who Charrandass Persaud is.  He is an interesting character.  

They certainly aren't posters here. 

FM
ksazma posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

It was interesting that 95% (or more) of the people who were at that function didn’t know who Charrandass Persaud is.  He is an interesting character.  

They certainly aren't posters here. 

It was an eye opener for me.  I thought every Guyanese on this planet knew of him by now.  

Bibi Haniffa
Last edited by Bibi Haniffa
Gilbakka posted:
Django posted:
Gilbakka posted:

Bai, you started a nice thread here but you yourself are derailing it. Focus on press freedom, not on Drugb. 

Well that bhai, that bhai know how to derail, notice his first post.

Noted, but you don't have to respond to every comment he makes. Silence is golden and keeps you on high ground, saving you from rolling down low to the gutter.

Trying to advise DJ is like throwing water on duck back. You must be commended for trying!

Z
Bibi Haniffa posted:
ksazma posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

It was interesting that 95% (or more) of the people who were at that function didn’t know who Charrandass Persaud is.  He is an interesting character.  

They certainly aren't posters here. 

It was an eye opener for me.  I thought every Guyanese on this planet knew of him by now.  

Dem Seh love may be blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener. 

 

Mitwah

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