Media Covergae

I was fortunate to be part of a workshop organised by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, held from the 13th to the 14th of May. It emphasised the need for journalists to be factual and not sensationalise the news, but give the public the facts as they have them and the importance of interpreting data correctly.

CTO facilitator JohnRose Johnson encouraged local journalists to write for the people and not politicians or big businesses. He also encouraged participants to look at various angles and be impartial in their coverage of issues.On how to handle pressure from the editor or interest groups who want to dictate how to treat a story, Johnson reiterated the need for media personnel to publish facts. Johnson said media personnel have a duty to report what is actaully happening and not their perceptions.

The workshop was very informative and taught journalists the importance of using the latest technology and "citizen journalists", who are usually at the scene of a breaking story.