Regional Journalists Set to Improve Crime Reporting Skills

Journalists from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, St Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago have received specialized training on trafficking in persons through a collaboration between the Media Institute of the Caribbean (MIC) and CariSECURE 2.0 – a regional project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

This initiative is designed to support the ethical and accurate reporting on trafficking in persons, ensuring that media narratives are both fair and informed by sound data.

The training sessions will address the findings from a comprehensive media assessment recently undertaken by the project and conducted by MIC to examine whether journalistic coverage on these critical issues is fair, ethical, and data-driven.

The training kicked off with a virtual session on 5 June and continued this week with in-person workshops on 10-11 June in Trinidad and Tobago.

The workshops, led by regional and international journalism experts and researchers, covered critical topics such as legal and ethical issues, constructive journalism, data journalism, investigative and human-interest reporting, and digital/multimedia reporting.

“The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is thrilled to support this journalism workshop in Trinidad and Tobago. This initiative is vital for strengthening journalistic integrity and promoting accurate, unbiased, data-driven reporting in the region. Through these efforts, we aim to empower journalists with the skills and knowledge they need to navigate the ever-evolving media landscape and contribute to a more informed and engaged society,” said Regional Representative, USAID/Eastern and Southern Caribbean, Mervyn Farroe.

Resident Representative for UNDP Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Limya Eltayeb, emphasized the broader impact of this initiative.

“Responsible and ethical journalism is essential to stimulate public discourse and inform policy and programming. This media training therefore not only equips journalists with the tools to tell these stories accurately and empathetically but also contributes to the overall goal of a safer and more just Caribbean.”

President of the Media Institute of the Caribbean, Kiran Maharaj, remarked on the importance of both the media assessment and subsequent training.

“This report is significant in that it proves the need for more robust perspectives on issues around trafficking in persons and citizen security. We know that relevant and innovative reporting techniques employed with solutions and constructive journalism can create traction for meaningful change, while investigative and humanitarian journalism casts the spotlight on societal implications.