GECOM to resuscitate Media Monitoring Unit

GECOMGeorgetown: Four years after the Media Monitoring Unit (MMU) was disbanded by the Government of Guyana, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is looking to re-establish it.

The Unit’s objectives include monitoring of the media and reporting on breaches of the principles enshrined in the Media Code of Conduct and norms associated with international best practices in journalism, and encourages equity, balance and fairness in news reporting.

It also promotes the raising of professional standards in the media with regard to reporting on political, electoral, governance, and general social issues.

This was confirmed on Saturday by the Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) of GECOM, Vishnu Persaud, who in an interview told Guyana Times that GECOM has commenced discussions with international bodies with the aim of resuscitating the MMU.

Persaud explained that the unit will be on-stream in the run-up to any elections, since it is important to ensure media practices are up to par especially at that time.

Government in July 2010 disbanded the Monitoring Unit. Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, had recommended that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) halt funding to the Unit, for which it provided funds under its democratic governance projects