-state entities permitted to remain
Members of the independent media have raised concerns over unequal treatment while covering the aftermath of the MV Barima tragedy, with government-aligned media houses being granted access to some areas while independent journalists were denied entry.
The concerns arise from separate incidents on Sunday and Tuesday involving Kiskadee Watch reporter Mia Anthony, who said she was removed from the Essequibo Technical Institute while covering survivors of the tragedy and later denied access to an area at Charity Wharf.
The MV Barima tragedy, which claimed the lives of numerous passengers, has left survivors and grieving families searching for answers as search, recovery and identification efforts continue.
On Sunday, Kiskadee Watch visited the Essequibo Technical Institute, where survivors of the tragedy were being temporarily accommodated before being transported to their respective villages and communities.
During a meeting with survivors, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony outlined arrangements for returning passengers to their homes or allowing them to remain temporarily, as several raised concerns that relatives were still unaccounted for.
While recording the interaction, the reporter said she was instructed by the minister to stop filming and was subsequently ordered to leave the building. She protested the directive, arguing that she was carrying out her duties as a journalist covering a matter of national importance.
Government-aligned media outlet News Room was however allowed to remain inside the facility throughout the interaction, filming and interviewing survivors and relatives without interruption.
The Kiskadee Watch reporter said she refused to leave the compound and two police officers were then instructed to remove her. During the encounter, she told Kiskadee Watch that two female police officers warned her “not to make it harder on yourself” after she questioned why she was the only journalist being asked to leave.
She further said that while she was being escorted from the compound, she overheard one of the officers saying over a cellphone, “the problem has been taken care of.”
Despite the incident, the reporter said she remained outside the compound where she was able to interview several survivors about their experiences aboard the vessel.
On Tuesday, as search and recovery operations continued at Charity Wharf, where bodies recovered from the MV Barima tragedy were being brought ashore, Anthony said she again encountered restrictions while attempting to cover developments.
She said she requested permission to proceed beyond a police barricade after observing personnel from the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN) inside the restricted area alongside President Irfaan Ali and members of the recovery operation.
According to Anthony, the police officer stationed at the barricade declined her request, stating that he was “working with strict instructions.”
When she questioned why NCN personnel had been granted access while she was denied entry, Anthony said the officer indicated that he was unable to explain the difference in treatment.
On Sunday, Kiskadee Watch reporter Shuntel Glasgow was also ordered out of the Umana Yana where the families of victims of the tragedy had gathered while NCN and the state-run Department of Public Information were allowed to remain.
As emotions ran high, relatives convened with journalists to recount the final moments they shared with their loved ones.
Upon arriving at the communication centre, government ministers initially observed the environment quietly. Then recognizing the presence of independent media personnel, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame Mc Coy, took notice.
Subsequently, police ranks and Mc Coy informed media representatives from Kiskadee Watch and Kaieteur News that they were not permitted to remain on the premises. As a result, the journalists were escorted beyond the gate, effectively barred from accessing the site of the gathering. The journalists remained outside of the Umana Yana and continued interviewing relatives.
The incidents have prompted renewed concerns among members of the independent media over equitable access to official events and disaster scenes, particularly during matters of significant national interest.
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