De media give and we tek

Barbados has traditionally been known as little England since the culture and society has been influenced so greatly by its former colonizers. For the rest of the region this is the same, except the colonizer may change to France or Spain. But today, when I turned on my Facebook page I was forced to wonder if we are drifting so far away from this, and our own identity as the Caribbean and becoming a replica of North America.

There's nothing wrong with engaging in global activities, in fact I fully endorse it. I just want to point out that this drive is being pushed by the media and in some instances it may not always be good. Today is Superbowl Sunday, and yes that apparently means something to us here in the Caribbean. It's the big showdown finals of the best in American NFL Football. And since we are being bombarded by American ideologies, policies, culture and lifestyles through the different media we consume, we might as well be bombarded by their sports and adopt it too.

Nearly every post on my Facebook page, from various Caribbean countries was about the Superbowl. Needless to say, a few weeks ago we staged the Caribbean T20 Cricket Tournament, and those updates weren't nearly as forthcoming. So are we happy to forget about our own and adopt theirs? I would say its not so great being globalized sometimes.

Now you see that the direction our society is travelling is guided by the media and what they give to us which we so happily take.

Trini vs Bajan... the battle continues

An article in The Nation Newspaper today in Barbados, basically stated that there is a noticeable decline in the amount of Bajan music being accepted in Trinidad since the 1990's, possibly due to lack of quality, economics and timing but not a direct attempt to push out Bajan soca.

The Nation Newspaper is owned by One Caribbean Media, which is based in Trinidad.

Firstly, I live in Trinidad and I cannot turn on my radio or go into a store  and not hear Bajan soca. I would definitely say there is a Bajan presence. Maybe not as strong as in the 90's but it is really here. And that is not the idea the article gives. Lil Rick, Alison, Edwin, Biggie Irie, Hypa Sounds and I can continue are all making waves. I'd say a little more research would've been great, because the Trinidadians have been quite receptive to our Bajan music in recent times.


                           Lil Rick's Guh Down Remix feat Machel was a HIT and still is in Trinidad!

Secondly, there is a direct attempt to push out Bajan music in my opinion. Maybe not a level like the radio level or the fete level because good music is good music and it will get through. But if the journalist would have done more research, she would find out that since Biggie Irie made history by winning The Groovy Soca Monarch in 2007 with "Nah Going Home", quite a few Bajans who have come down here and competed have been greatly challenged. I have witnessed it for myself and have been a part of the Bajan team here who have encountered unnecessary challenges on a competition level. But maybe the journalists do know that but can they say that? NO! Because again, The Nation Newspaper is basically Trinidadian owned!

After Biggie, those to follow below had many "challenges" in Trinidad.....were these challenges intentional?
                                                             

                                          TC the first female double crown monarch- 2009

                                                     Blood- Tripple Crown Monarch 2010

                                                        Khiomal- Former Party Monarch

 Depending on who owns the media, you'll get a totally different message. They either omit, twist, slant or have a blatant disregard for the truth. So be mindful of what message you're getting.

Are you getting the entire message?

How much media do you consume in 12 hours? Do you really stop to think about who is sending you the message and what hidden agenda they may have? This is something you can try, document your media consumption over 12 hours, and see what you come up with. Here's how I did mine.

Date: Monday January 30th (9:00am-9:00pm)

Medium: Television
Station: CNN
Background:  The show was called “Road to Rio” which was an investigation of measures different countries are implementing to go green and reduce their carbon emissions 
What caught my attention? 
To catch my attention, several pictures and models were used of a complex being built in The United Arab Emirates. There were also live interviews, simulations, and tours of wind farms. 
How would others view the message? 
Americans who believe their country is the megapower of the world or is at the top of innovations might disagree with the message in the show that China is much further ahead of The USA in terms of minimizing their carbon footprints and being able to bring to life creative solutions. 
Main Points of the message: 
1. The USA is far behind in energy efficiency and environmentally friendly practices 
2. Countries in the Middle East and Asia have surpassed the USA 
3. Countries must take responsibility for their carbon footprint and reduce it in order to slow down Global Warming. 
Why is the message being sent? 
The message is being sent in order to inform people about what different countries are doing to go green and ways their country and help reduce the carbon emissions. Also the message is intended to shed light on how far behind the USA really is in the fight against global warming. 
What was omitted? 
The fact that the USA did not sign the Kyoto protocol and hence have different priorities and goals in terms of reducing the impact of Global Warming was not mentioned as CNN is a U.S station and it would show that their ideals as a nation should be challenged.

Medium: Radio
Background: Call in program discussing issues in Trinidad
What caught my attention? The caller was using Barbados as an example to compare Trinidad to and as a Barbadian I was interested in what he was saying.
How would others view the message: The older generations would probably agree with him that the vandalism of signs should be blamed on the youth and persons who do not understand the reasons why Barbados has so many signs as opposed to Trinidad which is not tourist-oriented.
Main points of the message:
1. The youth in Trinidad are responsible for vandalizing the sign posts
2. There are not enough signs in Trinidad
3. Other islands such as Barbados which are smaller have more adequate signage
Why is the message being sent? To appeal to authorities to erect more signs, or to young people to stop vandalizing signs
What was omitted? 
The caller and the program host failed to acknowledge that Barbados and Trinidad are two different societies and thus the importance of signage in Barbados from a tourism perspective is not the same in Trinidad. Also they made a generalization of young people, instead of saying some of them.