BARJAM Statement to observe World Press Freedom Day 2024

The Barbados Association of Journalists & Media Workers joins with our colleagues in the
region and around the world to celebrate World Press Freedom Day 2024, being held under the
theme: ‘A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the Environmental Crisis.’
As journalists and media workers in Barbados we exist in one of the most climate-vulnerable
regions in the world.

We live in a country that, due to no fault of our own, is susceptible to the slightest change in
climate, which means that a potential environmental crisis is constantly lurking on our doorstep.
We have observed the evidence in real time, with the sharp changes in weather patterns, from
record heat to excessive unseasonal rainfall, which have directly impacted everything from our
national food security to our coastal infrastructure.

And as we all prepare for the start of what is predicted to be a busy 2024 Atlantic Hurricane
season from next month, the island’s media workers will once again be on the front-line to
ensure timely dissemination of information both before and after any weather events.

While the quality of local reporting on climate-related crises has improved over the years,
BARJAM is concerned that the number of practicing journalists remaining in the island’s
newsrooms to adequately research and cover these and other important issues is decreasing.
We have observed that over time, several of the younger people who have entered mainstream
media within the past five years have been opting to choose different career paths in recent
times, to the detriment of the overall numbers available in newsrooms.

We have been informed that the reasons given for some of those departures include mental
health concerns, inconsistent contractual arrangements, and in some cases concerns about
excessive workloads not commensurate with the level of remuneration.

What has resulted is additional pressure on the remaining employees at our media houses, as
we also understand that the number of students opting to pursue mass communication and
other journalism-related studies has been declining.

We understand that the traditional media environment has been forced to change over the past
five years, especially due to the impact of social media. Notwithstanding that more demanding
environment, as it relates to the immediacy of news, we want to urge media owners and
managers to exercise greater sensitivity for the mental and physical health and well-being of
those under their charge.

The now eight-month long inactivity of Barbados’ oldest newspaper – the Barbados Advocate –
due to ongoing legal wrangling has not helped the situation. In fact, it has left a gaping hole in
the already very limited traditional media landscape.

We continue to be concerned about the situation at the Advocate and call on those with the
relevant authority at the newspaper to complete the process of compensation for affected
workers who were forced to seek alternate employment due to its dormancy.

Finally, BARJAM once again urges authorities to give some urgent attention to the
establishment of a Freedom of Information Act. This has been our cry for a number of years.

We believe that it will only serve to complement the very important Integrity in Public Life Act.
We are aware that work still has to be done to establish an Integrity Commission in support of
the Integrity in Public Life Act but we also believe this period of transition to that next step, is
perhaps the opportune time to start to advance our Freedom of Information legislation from the
draft stage.

We take this opportunity to wish all media workers a Happy and Productive World Press
Freedom Day!