April 13, 2015 · By Stabroek News – Editorial
During the turbulent sixties, the PPP often accused the private media and in particular the Chronicle of inflammatory reporting intended to provoke strife and mayhem. An objective analysis would bear out some of the PPP’s concerns about the reportage and this has been deeply embedded in its version of the history of that period. In later years the Chronicle became state-owned and when it entered office in 1992, the PPP/C was unwilling to countenance privatisation of the state media on the grounds that the party had been targeted ruthlessly by the private media in the period leading up to the disturbances of 1964 and felt that it was important for the government to retain control over the state-owned newspaper and radio.
It is all the more disconcerting therefore that in recent years, the PPP/C government has mercilessly commandeered the newspaper to campaign for it. This has extended to placing of particularly divisive editorials which appear intended to stir up racial, political and other cleavages in the interest of the electoral fortunes of ruling party. In this charged electoral season, the Chronicle has continued the placement of inflammatory content in its columns undoubtedly under the draconian control of the government. Continue reading →
