MEDIA INSTITUTE OF THE CARIBBEAN SPOTLIGHTS JAMAICA WITH PILOT STUDY OF UNESCO MEDIA VIABILITY INDICATORS

KINGSTON, Jamaica, May 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Media Institute of the Caribbean (MIC) recently published its Media Viability Indicators Study on Jamaica as the pilot project for UNESCO. The findings give insight to industry challenges and make recommendations for media viability which are relevant to both regional and global stakeholders.

The research study was supported financially by the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), as part of its ongoing work to promote national stakeholder action to save threatened media enterprises and stimulate new outlets.

Independent journalism and the state of the media globally are at the centre of democracies as societies continue to face the challenges of misinformation and disinformation. Adding to those challenges is the the topic signalled by the theme of this year's World Press Freedom Day: "Journalism Under Digital Siege".

This reflects the complications of the digital landscape which has created easy transmission of "fake news', cyber security threats to journalists, drowned out news and is capturing advertising that used to help fund the media.

The question of media viability must be defined contextually and culturally. As a small island developing state, there is a delicate balance in Jamaica between viability and sustainability. The strategies adopted by media entities in small economies are highly dependent on state advertising and those who have to grapple daily with self-censorship is a further complication of business models.

According to President of MIC, Ms. Kiran Maharaj, "There must be a collaborative stakeholder effort with specific initiatives to ensure media viability. The time is now. This study will be a benchmark and MIC stand ready to support the recommendations in whatever way we can. In addition, we are also prepared to help our colleagues regionally and globally to better understand how they can implement the indicators and share our learnings with them."

The Media Institute of the Caribbean will hold a stakeholder session in Jamaica in late May with the intention of developing an action plan which can be implemented.

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SOURCE Media Institute of the Caribbean