Media houses will be allowed to record and broadcast the MV Barima Commission of Inquiry’s public hearings in full and stream proceedings with a two-hour delay, the Guyana Press Association (GPA) has announced.
The arrangements follow an October 15 meeting between the association and the commissioners, after journalists were initially told that livestreaming would not be permitted.
According to the GPA’s statement, Secretary to the Commission Javed Shadick confirmed the arrangements in writing. Permission to record and broadcast the hearings remains subject to restrictions the commission may impose from time to time.
The statement did not explain the reason for the two-hour delay or specify the circumstances in which further restrictions might apply.
Kiskadee Watch reported on October 14, when public evidence-taking began, that media representatives had been told they could record the hearings but could not livestream them. The new arrangements allow delayed streaming while retaining the restriction on real-time transmission.
Public access has been a significant issue for an inquiry concerning families and survivors living far from its hearing venue at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal.
At the commission’s preliminary opening on October 7, Chairman Godfrey P. Smith had emphasised the public’s legitimate interest in understanding the disaster and the importance of transparent proceedings.
He said the commission intended its website to provide access to hearing timetables, key evidence, witness statements, rulings and transcripts. The website was not ready at that time, he acknowledged.
The commission’s procedural rules also provide for public hearings, media access and the publication of transcripts and exhibits.
The inquiry is examining the July 18 capsizing and sinking of the state-owned MV Barima during its voyage from Georgetown to Port Kaituma. Seventy-three bodies were recovered and others remain missing.
Its mandate includes determining the causes of the disaster, examining operational and regulatory failures, assessing the search-and-rescue response and recommending measures to prevent a recurrence.
Discussion