Reporters Without Borders calls on Ali to “reset” relationship with media

Last Updated on Saturday, 13 September 2025, 8:37 by Writer

The France-headquartered global press freedom watchdog, Reporters Without Borders/Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) has called on the new Irfaan Ali-led administration to end hostility towards the new media and instead make press freedom a priority during his five-year mandate.

The organisation issued three policy recommendations to help the Guyana government reset its relationship with the media. They are an end to politicians’ hostility towards journalists, refrain from personally berating or insulting journalists, or inciting their supporters to do so. “Clear signals that the harassment of journalists is unacceptable must come from the very top,” RSF added.

A number of media houses in Guyana have been branded as either pro-opposition or anti-government, based on their editorials, reporting what critics say or lines of questioning during interviews or press conferences. However, pro-government social media influencers and the state-owned and publicly funded media are allowed free reign against perceived government opponents.

RSF also recommended that the Guyana government codify rules to ensure the impartiality of government advertising to prevent it from being used to play favourites with the media, and provide transparent and timely access to the entire press corps. “Leaders must regularly offer availability to a plurality of voices in the media without giving favour to specific outlets, including state media,” RSF added.

The organisation also called on President Ali to match his pledge in his inaugural address on 7 September that “We recognise and respect the essential watchdog role of the media, and we will ensure greater transparency by instituting mechanisms in every ministry and department that provide the facts in a timely way.” “These positive words must be followed up with action,” RSF said.

Guyana ranks 73rd in the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index but its political indicator stands at 111th, largely due to the oversized influence the government exerts on the media. “Open hostility from the government towards the media has become a regrettable norm in Guyana. This culture of antagonism is directly holding Guyana back on the World Press Freedom Index. It doesn’t need to be this way. This election is an excellent opportunity for a reset. RSF calls for President Ali’s administration to help foster a more pluralistic media landscape, provide transparent and timely access to the entire press corps and treat journalists with respect. The free press must always be an essential part of Guyana’s democracy, and RSF stands ready to help facilitate a healthier relationship between the government and the media,” Clayton Weimers Executive Director, RSF North America was quoted as saying.

The recent vote reaffirms RSF findings. According to the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM), during the election, “The undue advantages of incumbency contributed to an uneven playing field. The media landscape was strongly politicised, giving voters fewer opportunities to access diverse perspectives. The digital space was dynamic but often hostile, with manipulative content spread by partisan actors.”

RSF noted that Guyana’s president directly appoints members of the Guyana National Broadcast Authority, which affects the independence of the country’s media outlets, as these allies of the president have the power to revoke broadcast media licenses.

According to the organisation, journalists in Guyana say they feel it in their jobs, with the government selectively granting interviews and advertising opportunities to favoured media outlets. Public officials, including President Ali, insult journalists, and politicians resort to defamation lawsuits to silence members of the media, RSF also noted.

A number of reporters attached to mainstream media have also been sued in the civil court for defamatory posts, some styled as news reports, on their private Social Media pages or websites.

Harassment by government supporters, RSF said, is commonly reported by the Guyanese journalists that RSF surveys each year as part of its data collection for the World Press Freedom Index.