Jamaica National's senior executive of marketing & distribution, Emile Spence (centre), shares a proud moment with JN/Carimac awardees for print journalism, Wendy-Ann Brissett (right) and Chantal Crooks (left) representing her sister Karetta Crooks, winner of the radio entry in the 2005/2006 media awards. Students are rewarded with trophies and media attachments which also take them to media houses in other Caribbean Islands, compliments of BWIA.
THE GROWING concern of the role women play in Jamaica's rising crime rate was the subject of this year's winning radio public service announcement produced for the annual UWI/Carimac media awards for 2005/2006.
The radio public service announcement (PSA) was written and produced by final year degree student in mass communication at the UWI, Mona campus, Karetta Crooks. She walked away with the first prize in this category and was rewarded for her effort at a presentation hosted by sponsor, Jamaica National, at its Constant Spring Road head office.
Already running on 10 of the mainstream radio stations in Jamaica on a daily basis, the PSA is generating much interest. It addresses the concern over women who knowingly shield and protect their men who are out there committing the crime and violence. Entitled 'Silent Killer,' it calls on women to disassociate themselves from crime and not to be a 'silent killer' but to speak out against the criminal acts of their men. It calls on them to stop enjoying and sharing the fruits of their men's evil deeds.
The winner in the area of print journalism is Wendy-Ann Brissitt, who has since been assigned editorial assistant at Skywriting Magazine. She placed first for her article titled 'Keeping the Faith Foregoing the Rights'. The article also addresses the role of women in the Muslim and Rastafari movements. The award for social marketing was shared by Christine Senior, Dahlia Harris, Dara Smith, Denise Walters and Kimberly Whyte for their joint production, titled 'Clean Hands Healthy Kids'. This campaign was designed to promote the need for proper hand washing among pre-schoolers.
INCENTIVES
One of the incentives to the students who enter the JN/Carimac media awards is the opportunity to have their winning production aired on radio or television/cable and their winning print entry reproduced in local and regional newspapers/ magazines. Students are also given attachments to various media houses, trophies and plaques from Jamaica National, as well as airline tickets which are sponsored by BWIA, to the Caribbean including places such as Antigua, St. Maarten and Guyana. Carimac also receives an attractive cash award to be used to upgrade the institution's equipment.
The JN/Carimac media awards is now in its twelfth year. It provides the opportunity for hands-on training for students in all the media techniques offered by Carimac. Students are requested at the start of each academic year to select issues of national concern and to produce public service announcements as in the case of radio, television and full campaigns for those in public relations and social marketing. Print media students have to research and write indepth
articles which are coordinated and presented in a University magazine called the Carimac Times.
A PANEL
The entries are then submitted to the various heads of the media techniques and are then put before a panel of judges which comprises senior media personnel from the participating media houses. Judges are drawn from RJR, Hot 102, Irie FM, TVJ, CVM, The Gleaner and Jamaica National. The media awards competition provides an opportunity for media managers to interact and to identify the new emerging talents coming through the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communications at the UWI, Mona campus.
The programme is conceptualised and produced by Lois Grant of Corporate Image Communications, and is sponsored by Jamaica National, Carimac and BWIA.
