The Association of Caribbean MediaWorkers (ACM) has launched a campaign focused on the plight of journalists and other media workers in some Caribbean countries affected by Hurricane Irma.
A relevant committee led by veteran Barbadian broadcaster, Julian Rogers, and including ACM president Wesley Gibbings, ACM executive member, Denis Chabrol and others, has been convened.
Several regional and international journalists with support from the Barbados-based Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) are also engaged in the fact-finding, planning and fund-raising activities of the campaign.
Primary objectives of campaign
The ACM says the primary objectives of the campaign are to conduct an assessment of the professional/equipment needs of media workers in islands affected by Hurricane Irma. A report will be submitted to the ACM for onward submission to the ACM partners in the Global Forum for Media Development and also deliver some minimum relief to those in need.
The project is also intended to establish a system for relaying news and information on the situation regarding media and journalists in the affected countries via the CMC network.
The countries and territories included in the survey are Anguilla, Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands (BVI), Turks and Caicos and St Martin/Sint Maarten, The ACM is engaging the attention of its regional and international affiliates and some fund-raising activities to facilitate the mission.
Least we can do
Gibbings said the campaign “is the least we can do at a time like this to ensure there are functioning media operatives in the islands most affected by the hurricane.
“One key component is providing a platform for the telling of stories of journalists and how they have been affected,” he said.
Hurricane Irma has been blamed for causing more than 40 deaths and leaving millions of dollars in damages when it roared through the Leeward islands last week with winds in excess of 185 miles per hour.
