Page One Comment
THE sudden dismissal two days ago of Mr. Frank Pilgrim, Editor-in-Chief of the Chronicle has come as a shock to those who had interpreted his appointment in May 1987 as evidence of an intention by the government to take a second look at the relationship between government officials and the editorial content of the newspaper and to improve the quality and image of the paper.
On Thursday, Mr. Pilgrim received a letter dated December 14, from the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, terminating his services immediately. He had earlier been asked to resign but refused to do so. Observers questioned the propriety of the letter coming from the Ministry of Information as Mr. Pilgrim is not employed by that Ministry but by Guyana National Newspapers Limited; publishers of the Chronicle, a separate private company the shares in which are owned by the government with its own board of directors. It is felt, indeed, that the notice may not be legally effective.
It is understood that no reasons have been given in the letter for Mr. Pilgrim’s dismissal. Informed
sources indicate that Mr. Pilgrim and Minister of Information Mrs. Yvonne Harewood-Benn have not seen eye to eye on the handling of certain stories appearing in the Chronicle and differences have arisen between them. Mr. Pilgrim took over last year from Mr. Courtney Gibson who had also been removed from his job.
Diplomatic and other sources have expressed concern at this development coming, as it does, at a time when, judged by recent speeches, there seems to have been a sudden hardening of the government’s position on other matters. It was also widely believed that Mr. Pilgrim had enjoyed the confidence of the President and that he had been selected for the specific purpose of improving the image and style of the newspaper. Mr. Pilgrim has had a long and varied career in journalism here and abroad.,.
Other media sources expressed bitter disappointment at this unexpected development. Mr. Pilgrim had been seen, however gradually, as attempting to open up the Chronicle to freer and less biased reporting and his dismissal is inevitably being interpreted as a major step in the wrong direction.
In a lengthy interview with Stabroek News in June last year Mr. Pilgrim had responded as follows to two questions:
SN: Would you eventually advocate a movement towards the BBC model where the independence of the producers or the editor is expressly built in to the model so that although you have ownership by the state you have the actual producers protected from interference by the state – would you consider that, even if not feasible immediately, an ideal to ain at?
FP: I would and I feel it will have two very sobering effects. I think it would create a responsible type of journalist a more responsible type of media, and people with the right qualifications would not shy away from being a journalist as happens now. SN: Is there anything you would like to achieve? FP: I would like to show that the paper can be more wide in its coverage of news and can be accepted as a people’s paper and not a government paper and that people could rely on it as being honest and credible.
Regrettably, it now seems unlikely that Mr Pilgrim will have the opportunity to implement either these objectives.
It is understood, however, that Mr. Pilgrim is seeking clarification of his position and may be making representations to the Board of Directors and in other quarters.