RJRGLEANER Group continues Caribbean media dominance

The RJRGLEANER Communications Group continued its dominance of the media landscape across the Caribbean, copping 16 awards and four special mentions at the 35th Caribbean Media Awards, hosted by the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) in Placencia, Belize, on Tuesday.

The occasion was made even more momentous for the group when the late Chairman Oliver Clarke was inducted into the CBU Media Hall of Fame. Arguably one of the most influential and renowned media magnates across the English-speaking Caribbean for close to 50 years, Clarke lost his battle with cancer on May 16, 2020 at the age of 75.

There was a record 484 submissions in 63 categories at this year's awards, sponsored by the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited, with the RJRGLEANER Communications Group winning the most awards, followed by Great Belize Productions (Channel 5) which won eight awards and two special mentions.

The Gleaner earned five awards and two Special Mentions; Television Jamaica won in four categories including best television investigative report; Radio Jamaica won six awards including for best radio investigative report and a special mention; THE STAR earned one special mention; and One Spot Media won for best digital sports story.

THE GLEANER TEAM

Sashana Small won the awards for 'Best Climate Change Investigative Report' for her probing piece 'These classrooms are furnaces'; and 'Financial Literacy Journalism' for the story 'Breaking the cycle of old age poverty'.

“The stories that I won the two awards for cover issues I genuinely care about – climate change and financial literacy. So I am very humbled and motivated to continue the work. I am thankful to God, to my editors and colleagues for their guidance, and to my family and friends who inspire me daily,” Small shared.

“I was also honoured to be present in Placencia, Belize, to collect all the awards on behalf of my colleagues in the RJRGLEANER Communications Group.”

For Tanesha Mundle, winning the award for 'Best News Story' for 'Piecing together a shattered world' served as a “beacon of motivation to continue doing our best”.

“Although awards are not a validation of the tireless work we put in daily, I am truly elated and honoured to have won another CBU award,” she said.

Mundle added with laughter, “Interestingly, I was watching when my award was announced and didn't realise that I was the winner until a colleague messaged me.”

This is Andre Williams' third year in a row copping a CBU award. On Tuesday, he took home the award for 'Best News Story on Poverty Reduction & Empowerment of Vulnerable Groups' for the piece 'Gulotta calls for removal of mentally ill persons from prisons'.

“I'm elated to win this prestigious regional award three years in a row,” Williams said.

“I must say, however, every win feels different, because they come in different categories and that is what makes hearing your name called on each occasion heartwarming. I'm happy and motivated with every recognition for my work in media. I'm also happy for my colleagues at The Gleaner who were victorious as well.”

Williams also got Special Mention in the 'Coverage of Healthy Nutrition Food Policy' category for his story 'Hungry belly children can't learn'.

Press Association of Jamaica's Journalist of the Year, Jovan Johnson, won the CBU award for 'Best Sports Story' for his investigative work 'Senior SSL officials knew of Bolt's Welljen account'.

“I'm thrilled at winning the award, and for a category many people, perhaps justifiably, wouldn't expect to hear my name called. But, that's journalism, it stretches you and takes you to places you didn't conceive of,” Johnson stated.

“Congrats as well to all my regional colleagues and thanks to the CBU. The work continues.”

Special Mention also went to Johnson in the category 'Financial Literacy Journalism' for 'Rita threw away nearly $1bn'.

THE STAR's senior reporter Simone Morgan-Lindo earned Special Mention at the CBU Awards for her story 'Seaview Gardens Jackson 5' in the category 'Poverty Reduction and Empowerment of Vulnerable Groups'.

“I feel extremely honoured that my name was highlighted on the big screen. This is my first regional recognition and the category itself means a lot to me as I am also a product of the inner city,” Morgan-Lindo shared.

TESTAMENT TO CLARKE'S LEGACY

The regional recognition of the work published by Jamaica's leading newspaper continued a legacy that blossomed under the leadership of Oliver Clarke, who served as chairman of The Gleaner for four decades from 1979 to 2020.

“With your financial prowess and strong business instincts, you turned around the fortunes of the grand dame of Caribbean print media, The Gleaner Company, establishing it as a financially strong organisation, now celebrating its 190th anniversary and boasting the accolade of being the longest-continuing publication in the Americas,” CBU said of Clarke.

The regional organisation also noted Clarke's campaign in the late 1970s to protect the free press, which he regarded as a critical pillar of democracy and his career-long advocacy for press freedom in the Americas.

JAMAICA MEDIA HOUSE CBU AWARDS WINNERS

THEME AWARDS (PRINT)

CATEGORY: Best News Story on Poverty Reduction & Empowerment of Vulnerable Groups

WINNER: 'Gulotta Calls for removal of mentally ill persons from prisons' – Andre Williams

MEDIA HOUSE: Jamaica Gleaner

CATEGORY: Best Climate Change Investigative Report

WINNER: 'These classrooms are furnaces' – Sashana Small

MEDIA HOUSE: Jamaica Gleaner

CATEGORY: Financial Literacy Journalism

WINNER: 'Breaking the cycle of old age poverty' – Sashana Small

MEDIA HOUSE: Jamaica Gleaner

SPECIAL MENTION: 'Rita threw away nearly $1bn' – Jovan Johnson (Jamaica Gleaner)

CATEGORY: Best Article on Land Degradation Neutrality

WINNER: 'Save the mangroves' – Romardo Lyons

MEDIA HOUSE: Jamaica Observer

CATEGORY: Coverage Of Healthy Nutrition Food Policy

SPECIAL MENTION: 'Hungry belly children can't learn' – Andre Williams (Jamaica Gleaner)

CATEGORY: Best News Story on Poverty Reduction & Empowerment of Vulnerable Groups

SPECIAL MENTION: 'Seaview Gardens Jackson 5' – Simone Morgan-Lindo (Jamaica Star)

THEME AWARDS (RADIO)

CATEGORY: Best News Story on Poverty Reduction & Empowerment of Vulnerable Groups

WINNER: 'Period poverty and climate change' – Giovanni Dennis

MEDIA HOUSE: Radio Jamaica 94FM

THEME AWARDS (TELEVISION)

CATEGORY: Excellence in Environmental Reporting on Mangrove/Seagrass Beds

WINNER: 'Protecting Jamaica's own' – Carol Francis, Marlon Samuels and Gabrielle Samuels

MEDIA HOUSE: Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica

PRODUCTION AWARDS (PRINT)

CATEGORY: Best News Story

WINNER: 'Piecing together a shattered world' – Tanesha Mundle

MEDIA HOUSE: Jamaica Gleaner

SPECIAL MENTION: 'Shameful' – Romardo Lyons (Jamaica Observer)

CATEGORY: Best Sports Story

WINNER: 'Senior SSL officials knew of Bolt's Welljen account' – Jovan Johnson

MEDIA HOUSE: Jamaica Gleaner

PRODUCTION AWARDS (RADIO)

CATEGORY: Best Documentary Programme

WINNER: 'The men in mental health' – Dadrian Gordon

MEDIA HOUSE: Radio Jamaica 94FM

CATEGORY: Best Drama Programme

WINNER: 'A Place Called Yaad' – Radio Jamaica 94FM

MEDIA HOUSE: Radio Jamaica 94FM

CATEGORY: Best Sports Story

WINNER: 'West Indies failure to qualify for the World Cup' – Jerome Foster

MEDIA HOUSE: Radio Jamaica

CATEGORY: Best Investigative Report

WINNER: 'White collar crime in Jamaica' – Giovanni Dennis

MEDIA HOUSE: Radio Jamaica

CATEGORY: Best News Story

WINNER: 'Crime puts damper on Christmas cheer' – Myesha Broadie

MEDIA HOUSE: IRIE FM

PRODUCTION AWARDS (TELEVISION)

CATEGORY: Best Investigative Report

WINNER: 'Who shall live: Dialysis dilemma' – Shemala Pullen, Uton West, Richard Brown, Milton Reid

MEDIA HOUSE: Television Jamaica

CATEGORY: Best Comedy Item

WINNER: '876 Comedy Club' – Dahlia Harris, Trevor Johnson, Judith Alberga, Garnet Lewis, and TVJ Studio Crew

MEDIA HOUSE: Television Jamaica

PRODUCTION AWARDS (DIGITAL)

CATEGORY: Best Sports Story

WINNER: 'The creation of a world champion' – Jerome Foster

MEDIA HOUSE: One Spot Media

CONTENT CREATOR AWARDS

CATEGORY: Best Sound Engineer (Radio)

WINNER: 'Behind the Headlines: Year in Review Part 4' – Giovanni Dennis

MEDIA HOUSE: Radio Jamaica 94FM

SPECIAL MENTION: 'Lights, Camera, Action' – Dadrian Gordon (Radio Jamaica 94FM).

CATEGORY: Best Producer (TV)

WINNER: Khadene Foote

MEDIA HOUSE: Television Jamaica

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD

WINNER: 'Decades of Christmas for Seniors (Romardo Lyons – Reporter; Ivan Shaw, Uton West – Editors)

MEDIA HOUSE: Television Jamaica