A three-week extensive training programme for media practitioners is underway in Anguilla. The trainer is Mr Orin Gordon a prominent radio, television, print and online journalist who continues to have a long-standing career with the BBC in London.
Mr Gordon’s assignment in Anguilla was initiated by Mr Keith Stone Greaves, a former BBC colleague, now Programme Manager at Radio Anguilla, with funding by the Governor’s Office. The training has also been extended to personnel in the Police, Disaster Management and the Environment Departments.
“We have a responsibility to be fair to everyone and enable fairness to everyone – fairness to the Government, the Opposition, the representatives of the Crown, the man in the street,” Mr Gordon told media representatives at Monday’s opening ceremony. We have power and we have influence. Let’s undertake to use them both fairly.”
Speaking to the gathering in the Chamber of Commerce Board Room, the Guyana-born, Mr Gordon, Chief Executive Officer of Media Consulting, Analyst and BBC World Service Business News Anchor, continued: “I am here to challenge you to think big. Think about nothing less than the re-casting of your relationship with journalism, with the practice of your media skills – nothing less than the re-casting of your relationship with these. Take your media practice to another level where someone who has been away from Anguilla can hear [and see] a clearly discernable difference in the quality of the output in the weeks and months to come.”
The London-based Journalism Trainer, who will be operating from Radio Anguilla, will be travelling to all the other media houses for sit-down training exercises with personnel. “I urge you to embrace this programme fully and, if we both play our cards right, this could be the beginning of something significant and meaningful a long time from now for you, personally, and for the society which you serve which is Anguilla.”
Mr Gordon’s training programme in Anguilla was welcomed by a number of speakers. Mr Kenneth Hodge, Principal Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, who chaired the opening ceremony, said in part: “We look forward to three weeks of interesting and stimulating training. At the end of it we (and I include myself in the media) can take a fresh look and gain a new perspective on our respective roles and responsibilities with the media fraternity in Anguilla.”
Mr Keith Stone Greaves was extremely delighted that the time for the training had finally arrived after having worked towards arranging the event for some two years. “I think it is very imperative to have an active, vibrant, robust media here in Anguilla,” he said. “People are demanding a lot more of us, and we find ourselves in situations where we have to make judgment calls each day – whether the print and broadcast media – and media generally.”
He credited the Governor’s Office “for seeing it fit, proper and in order, to sponsor this particular media training initiative.” He went on: “It is just the beginning…but I think out of this will flow a lot more. Hence, I want to use this opportunity to say that the time has come for us, media practitioners in Anguilla, to finally launch our Media Association. I think this too is very important.”
Governor Christina Scott said a key element of the training was “to underline the importance of a free, strong, powerful press in any democracy.” She continued: “I have been really impressed, since arriving in Anguilla, about the strength and commitment and the number of radio stations in particular that we have here; the vibrancy of those and the energy that goes into ensuring good quality output. I think it is really hard to underestimate the importance of that in a democracy, and the check and balance on those of us who are in positions of authority, providing us with the day to day challenge that we need to make sure that we are continuing to do the right thing for the people of Anguilla.”
The Governor also stressed that the media had a responsibility to ensure balance and fair reporting and to raise issues in a way that would support constructive dialogue. She added that in doing so the media should “hold the feet to the fire of those people with the authority to do something about those issues.”
Mr Jerome Roberts, Minister of Home Affairs with responsibility for Information and Broadcasting, described the training as “timely” and “most welcome at this time.” He was grateful to the Governor’s Office “for giving its blessing to this project proposal, providing the finances and underscoring its importance in our tiny democracy.” He also welcomed Mr Gordon to Anguilla and for sharing his expertise with the media.
The Minister said media development in small islands, like Anguilla, was absolutely necessary, and he hoped that the establishment of a Media Association would be one of the outcomes of the training. He stated that there was a need for trained media personnel “who understand what it is to be fair, balanced and objective reporting of all the issues… without taking sides.” He added: “As a Government, we put a high premium on good governance, openness and transparency. We therefore see the media as the main watchdog in our society, serving as the eyes and ears of the general public.”
Ms Farrah Banks, Director of Information and Broadcasting, delivered the Vote of Thanks.
There was a brief meeting with the media practitioners during which Mr Gordon outlined the way forward for the training.
