Mcdonald

WESTERN BUREAU:

Trinidad-born journalist Sir Trevor McDonald's three-part television series portraying Jamaica as a poverty-stricken country blighted by violence and drugs has come under heavy condemnation from the Ministry of Tourism and the Caribbean diaspora in the United Kingdom.

The production, tagged Secrets of the Caribbean, which was aired on British television channel ITV on Sunday night, describes Jamaica as the most vibrant country in the Caribbean, but also the most violent island in the whole region.

"It has a dark side, and I arrived at the Kingston airport full of anticipation, but also trepidation as to what I would discover," said the broadcaster, whose programme could have a devastating effect on the island's lifeblood industry, tourism.

Outraged

Since its airing to millions of homes in the UK, the Caribbean diaspora has been outraged by the overly negative portrayal of Jamaica, including statistics on the unemployment rate in the capital city, Kingston.

Shocked by McDonald's depiction of a people dependent on tourism, Jamaica's tourism ministry responded that it was appalled that a Caribbean national could do such a derogatory piece about one of the countries of the region.

No local interviews

The series featured Cuba, Barbados, The Bahamas and Jamaica with McDonald speaking glowingly, except when it came to Jamaica.

He spoke of a Jamaica that has regions of extreme affluence, "Like the Beverly Hills district with its luxurious mansions, but in the valleys, life is very different. Debts run up in the 1990s have spiralled out of control and the country is in economic ruin. Many areas have been plunged into poverty and are run by dangerous gangs, resulting in a soaring murder rate which is 30 times higher than it is in Britain."

Berl Francis, the ministry's director of communications, expressed dis-appointment at the portrayal.

"He never attempted to speak to the ministry, and offers of assistance were turned down. Moreover, he speaks of social conditions which are prevalent throughout the region," said Francis, who noted that the matter was first brought to the ministry's attention earlier this year by Jamaica's public relations agency in the UK, McCluskey International.

"They have been working with ITV in an effort to manage this project. We were advised that ITV worked with Sarah Manley as their local production company for logistics, etc," said the communications director.

Describing the programme as a clear sign of colonial conditioning of "divide and conquer", Diane Flemming, a national of St Kitts and Nevis, in a letter to the Jamaica Tourist Board's visitjamaica website, said she was gutted by the portrayal of Jamaica.

Divide and conquer

"How such a professional, celebrated journalist could present such a biased, unbalanced view of Jamaica while pitting it against the perception of idyllic utopia of wealth and luxury of The Bahamas and Barbados, as if no crime, and/or poverty driven activities exist there, were clear signs of our colonial conditioning of divide and conquer," she said.

Another concerned member of the diaspora, Chantal Miller, said after looking forward to the hotly anticipated programme for weeks, she was utterly disappointed at what was aired.

"Have I somehow misunderstood the purpose of the programme or perhaps the word secret has misled me ?" she asked.

"The Caribbean is so much more than sun, sand and sea and Jamaica is certainly more than a haven for drug pushers/con artists and gang warfare," she noted, adding that McDonald and ITV had succeeded in letting her down and, most important, the Caribbean.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com

'He never attempted to speak to the ministry, and offers of assistance were turned down. Moreover, he speaks of social conditions which are prevalent throughout the region.'

Berl Francis

Director of communications

Ministry of Tourism