Kaieteur News reporter sacked

…after objecting to editor ‘twisting his story’

Leon Jameson Suseran, a reporter attached to the Kaieteur News media outlet, was sacked by the company after he voiced his concern over the newspaper’s distorted version of an article he had written about the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Albion Rally on Sunday.

Taking to social media to express his outrage over the situation, the reporter explained that the Kaieteur News’ headline article in its Monday, April 20 edition was titled “Jagdeo spreads fear at Albion to win back Berbice” and the story took a completely different angle from what he had originally written.

Suseran furiously related in his Facebook post that his entire story was altered to inject what he termed as “feelings of discord, hate and anger” against former President Bharrat Jagdeo into the reading populace.

Upset about the twist in the article on Monday, Suseran explained that he called the editor on duty the night of the rally, Michael Jordan and related his concerns over the matter.

Subsequently, the reporter received a call from the Editor-in-Chief Adam Harris,“…the Editor-in-Chief of the Kaieteur News telephoned me to verify certain pieces of information in the article and said that I should not fear anyone since what the article mentioned was nothing but the truth.

He then went on to say that nevertheless, as the paper had agreed, they will “ease you (me) off” and “will talk to you (me)” again after the elections.

That, to me, sounded like another suspension/dismissal. I was suspended twice before by the paper, for other unrelated matters,” the disturbed reporter mentioned in the post, indicating that the newspaper is in the habit of practising victimisation and discrimination if one does not have mutual perceptions of a situation.

“…this presents the bigger picture of my victimisation and discrimination especially if your views are not in sync with a certain group,” Suseran noted. Following these episodes, the reporter took to social media to expose the controversial media outlet for its wrongdoings and clarify the chain of events leading up to the publication of the distorted article, which Suseran indicated, brought much embarrassment and damage to his reputation.

He explained that he emailed his story along with a few photos on the evening of the rally to the editor on duty, Michael Jordan. Upon receipt of the email, Suseran related, Jordan phoned him to verify the contents of Jagdeo’s speech concerning the military, to which he replied in the affirmative.

However, the reporter declared that he was shocked to see a completely different article in the Kaieteur News the following day, for several reasons.

In addition to the entire essence of his story being distorted, Suseran said the photo he attached did not accompany the article, the manufactured article bore a byline with his name incorrectly spelt and there was an insertion of a “choice phrase” under the “salacious” headline.

Modified

“It wasn’t until the seventh paragraph of the ‘modified’ article that my original article began, entirely from there on, until the end…I discovered that information was added to my piece, including a photograph of estate trucks bearing the caption, ‘Trucking? Several supporters were reportedly trucked from far and near to attend yesterday’s Albion rally’,” he explained.

He mentioned that, usually, when his stories are edited or more information is added, the article would not carry a byline since it was a piece that was contributed by either another reporter or the editor on duty.

The reporter then explained that he received several calls and comments from individuals, groups and members of the PPP hierarchy about the unethical article – which he pointed out, had no input from him.

Boiling in anger over the situation, Suseran said he posted a comment on his Facebook page distancing himself from the additional information in the story, the headline and the photograph. He later contacted the editor on duty, related his concerns and then sometime after, he received the call from Adam Harris.

The reporter noted that after working with the company for some four years, he always tried, despite the circumstances, to be a fair and balanced journalist. He said he has been conducting television interviews for the PPP/C since January and he was chosen as an independent journalist with no affiliation to any political party.

“I have both criticised and lauded this present administration in the past, through my writings and even editorial letters…I can no longer take pressure to deliberately be hostile to the Government in specified articles and writings. The PPP/C’s message at the Albion rally was clear to the people of Berbice and Guyana, but this message, as usual, in my view was heavily distorted. I cannot stand for this,” he concluded.