Jamaican Information Minister “impressed” with Guyana’s media landscape

Jamaica’s Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Information, Robert Nesta Morgan on Thursday said he is “very impressed” with Guyana’s private and state media landscape.

The minister and his delegation are on a visit to Guyana to advance bilateral cooperation in the information and communication arena.

“I’m very impressed by the quality of work that is being done in the private and public broadcasting sector here. I’ve just toured [NCN], and this is an excellent facility. I’m seeing motivated staff and a very strong focus on technology and development,” the minister said following his assessment of the agency.

The minister pointed out that the Caribbean has been moving towards integrating technology in the information and communications landscape.

According to him, Guyana is leading this charge.

“I think that this is one of the areas that we need to push harder on, and I believe that Guyana is leading the way in many areas, as it relates to how they are structuring they are structuring their public and private media,” he explained.

Underscoring the vast potential for media cooperation between the two nations, he expressed his enthusiasm to explore these avenues and solidify the bond between media communities.

“We can definitely exchange ideas on how to manage the whole issue of disinformation and misinformation, and how to use social media and new media to get more information out to the people who need it,” the Jamaican minister outlined.   

Guyana is already taking a targeted approach to tackle these social ails with a rigorous training programme for new and current media practitioners.

The Office of the Prime Minister’s Media and Communications Academy is one such initiative. Currently, its fourth cohort is undergoing training.

This academy was brought to fruition in 2022 and seeks to equip media practitioners with the relevant tools to practice reliable journalism.

The programme also bolsters the media workforce with recruits.

Participants are exposed to exercises in a wide range of topics, including digital marketing strategies, journalistic storytelling techniques, visual media production, and emerging technologies.

These engagements signal a government committed to empowering the information sector through capacity building and knowledge exchange.

The Jamaican delegation consists of the Chief Technical Director at the Office of the Prime Minister, Nicola-Ann Brown Pinnock, Chief Executive Officer of the Jamaica Information Service, Enthrose Campbell, Deputy Executive Director of the Jamaica Broadcasting Commission, Nicole Walford, and Senior Photographer at the Jamaica Information Service, Yhomo Hutchinson.