It is welcome news that the University of the West Indies, in conjunction with the two major media conglomerates in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean, the Ansa McAL Group and One Caribbean Media, have featured in at least financing the programme of journalism study at the St Augustine campus. The one-year certificate programme is designed for newcomers to the media and for those who are already on staff but require a measure of formal training to bring to their practical experience of working day-to-day on the news beat. "Information is the lifeblood of democracy. And we understand our responsibility to provide the best information to our people," said Anthony Sabga, the chairman emeritus of the Ansa McAL Group, in presenting the company's $600,000 contribution to the course of study. It is a contribution matched by the OCM.
The two corporations and indeed all other media houses in T&T and the Caribbean and most of all the consumers of media have a direct interest in the training and development of quality young reporters.
One of the constant criticisms of the output of media has to do with accuracy of reporting and competence in the understanding of matters, especially technical ones, that come up for reporting. The expectation must be that the one-year training programme will better equip young reporters for the very rigorous task of reporting accurately on a range of difficult and at times controversial issues. Moreover doing so within the very stringent deadlines of media; for as is well known people are increasingly reading, watching and listening to media output with very discriminating eyes and ears.
The reality is that it is only credible, balanced and fair media reporting which will increase audiences and allow media content to inform and perhaps influence their lives and activities. The programme has an excellent balance of input: the university bringing its relatively long and strong academic background to achieve rigour in the academic disciplines to be pursued by the students, and the media houses contributing over the years to strengthen the programme in its practical detail to achieve the objective of enhancing the skills base of reporters. Understandably, there will be the coordinators of the programme who have the responsibility to guard the integrity of the training and preparation so that graduates will become marketable, as a result of at least entry skills into journalism. And we make the point of "entry skills" knowing that it is the demanding work day of the reporter which eventually produces the tough street-smart reporter who is not easily taken for a ride by competing interests in the world of news and opinion.
One other major value of the university training is that in the hurly-burly of the day of a reporter, training is often a casualty of the need to "get the story" and often that leads to the cutting of corners. The recent and ongoing experience of the Murdoch media empire in England demonstrated that even at the highest level of journalism, competition to get the story ahead of the rest becomes the overriding imperative.
While nothing can replace individual integrity, journalistic principles imbued into young reporters have a chance to keep reporters "honest," aware that all means do not justify the ends. It is expected that over time, the expertise, experience and millions of man hours accrued on the job in the environment of the region by Caribbean journalists will be utilised in the training programme. And this is an important point as too often we deny ourselves the opportunity to learn from the experiences of our passage through the ever-evolving Caribbean society.