Guyana Media
The 1980 constitution guarantees freedom of the press, but the
government owns the nation's largest publication and exercises
indirect control over other newspapers by controlling the
importation of newsprint. Administrations have also stifled
opposition by making frequent charges of libel against the editors
of opposition newspapers. The newspaper with the largest
circulation is the government-owned Guyana Chronicle. The
PNC's New Nation has the second highest circulation. Smaller
newspapers include the PPP's Mirror, the independent
Stabroek News, and the Catholic Standard, published
by the Roman Catholic Church.
The government's influence over the press has lessened, and
increased criticism has been allowed under President Hoyte. The
opposition Stabroek News, which started out as a weekly,
increased publication to six times a week in 1991. It has become
widely regarded as the only reliable and nonpartisan source of news
in Guyana. At about the same time the Stabroek News expanded
operations, the PPP's Mirror was allowed to import new
presses and increase its size from four to sixteen pages per issue.
Data as of January 1992
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