INDEPENDENT

REFEREEING

PANEL

Overseeing Guyana's Media Code of Conduct

Opening remarks by Lennox Grant

at Independent Refereeing Panel's

media seminar, Georgetown club,

27 July 2006

Good morning, I am Lennox Grant from Trinidad and Tobago and I welcome you on behalf of Wyvolyn Gager of Jamaica, who is the other half of the Independent Refereeing Panel. Wyvolyn and I are your hosts this morning.

This is the second time, since April this year, that we are meeting in plenary session, as it were. But we have met over the months with many sections of and players in the Guyanese media, the institution which collectively summoned us here, under terms of the Code of Conduct for reporting and coverage of Guyana elections 2006.

As of yesterday, the campaign has finally taken off into spheres of the unknown, with all the anxieties that attend such a journey.

That is where we are, and why we are here, and once again, welcome.

1.     As of Nomination Day yesterday, at least two signatories of the Media Code of Conduct, have become candidates in the August 28 election. That speaks for itself as an illustration of the challenge before all of us in staying faithful to Code of Conduct for the Media taken as a solemn pledge of performance on 7 January 2006.

2.  That may be allowed to speak for itself, but whatever else it should say to us, it should certainly heighten our understanding of size of the task before us-or should I say the rest of us who are not running for something-in keeping to heart the commitments sworn to in that historic process that culminated six months ago at the Le Meridien Pegasus.

3.        The occasion could hardly be more timely to come together, as you have done today on the invitation of the Independent Refereeing Panel, for the purpose of revisiting the Code of Conduct, now that the election campaign to which it is addressed is well and truly launched. Under rubric of Maintaining a stable society and journalistic integrity, the Code in article II sub section (B) 6, binds signatories to "hold themselves independent and free of any or all control and direction from any of the political parties officially registered to contest the elections."

4.  How is that consistent with running for elections? We already have our hands full, it seems, and it is heartening to see so many hands on deck, so to speak, this morning.

5.    Since the Code was signed, we have had periodic reports on media performance by the Media Monitoring Unit. This outfit continues doggedly to record and evaluate, quantitatively and qualitatively, and to document media output in relation to provisions of the code. Let us recognize the conscientious efforts of the MMU staffers under the guidance of media advisor Tim Neale. We have also had three visits of the Independent Refereeing Panel, culminating in this current visit extended to the end of the campaign.

6.       The Media Monitoring Unit and the Independent Refereeing Panellists have both have given credit where credit was due, and condemned or questioned violations when those have taken place, and will continue to act in this even-handed, but fearless, way.

7.    It is the media of Guyana, however, which have set themselves, yourselves, the noble and historic mission of subserving the "desirability for a fair, peaceful and well-regulated election and the avoidance of the aggravation of ethnic tension and unnecessary political discord, ensuring that voters make an informed choice." So the code's preamble says. And that is the ultimate objective of this morning's exercise which we have entitled "Campaign 2006: The Media Agenda".

8.      I wish to welcome to this morning's proceedings, in spirit and happily also in person, the Association of Caribbean Media Workers, which has sought involvement in the mission and journey on which their Guyanese colleagues are now embarked. The ACM leadership has appointed its vice-president to extend greetings and convey solidarity, and, I extend a special welcome, in that capacity, to the one and only and the ever popular, Bert Wilkinson.

9.      For the support and assistance in putting on this event, we also want to thank the international donors, especially the UNDP in Georgetown, and especially programme Officer Nichelle Foo.

10.     A short list of the shortcomings cited by the Media Monitoring report would include:

* Ethical unawareness;

* Failure to seek input for balance;

* Under-supply of research to presenters;

* Presentation of unsupported assertions;

* Tendentious language capable of incitement;

* Absence of controls against unwanted _expression;

* Lack of editorial alertness against damaging statements.

We are hoping that our work this morning will help, to the extent made possible by the time we have, in raising consciousness of such shortcomings, and in working in practical ways to correct them.  Today's proceedings, which we want to be interactive, and for which we will be welcoming your input, will consist of a PowerPoint presentation delivered by Wyvolyn Gager.

This is an occasion of sharing, and we'll be inviting you to share your experiences and observations, with a view to furthering the process of improving media performance under terms of the code.

We'll also be distributing, for discussion in the first instance, a short compendium of practical guidelines for election coverage, and we hope later to issue, for use of all journalists, a handy reference guide for covering Guyana elections 2006.
Once again, welcome. And let the show begin.

-Independent Refereeing Panel 2006