Though Jamaican media is closely modeled after both British and US media, its different lingo is worth mentioning. Tact is used at a much lesser degree.
Upon reading Jamaican Observer headlines and stories over the past few months, I discovered that both the tone and language would be considered inappropriate in the US. The stories containing the most graphic language are those regarding violence and/or deaths, but it seems that censorship in violent content is overlooked. Jamaica is obviously considered to have a different dialect than American English, but is that to blame for its blunt reporting?
These two stories that were covered by the Jamaica Observer are examples of stories that contain harsh language. One was titled, "I Clobbered Him With the Hot Dutch Pot Cover", and another is called, "Man Chops Ex-Girlfriend's Family Then Hangs Himself"
The first story, interestingly, is written in the form of a feature story. It discusses how a woman's longtime experience causes her to "retaliate" against her abusive husband. The story even includes a clip-art-looking visual of a man and woman fighting. The tone of the article is light and borderline ridicules the topic.
The second story briefly covers a homicide and suicide. The headline uses the word, "chops" and forms of repeatedly throughout the article. I found this offensive, and I think the writer, editor and whole publication lacks sensitivity to violent subjects.
These stories illusstrate the biggest cultural differences in comparison with the US regarding the reporting of violence.
After researching more articles from different news sources, including the Jamaican Gleaner, The Star and RJR News, I found that it was only the Observer releasing such graphic headlines.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
The Impact of Media Conglomerates in Jamaica
As we know, the two main media conglomerates are The RJR News Company and the Gleaner Company. They own the largest percentage of media sources ranging from print, broadcast and internet news.
For those Jamaicans who have smart phones, which is where many people get their news nowadays, they will probably be downloading the application mentioned in my last entry, "Jamiaca". Also mentioned before is the fact that this application has access only to news sources from the conglomerate companies.
The impact that conglomerates have on the Jamaican public is not necessarily negative and seems rather worldly. Both companies strive to give an array of stories, topics and perspectives. Unlike many of our media giants in the US, these companies are not partisan. They may not show equally both sides of each story, whether political, economic or social, they cover stories and update them accurately and accordingly.
With these two companies giving a spectrum of information, unbiasedly, the objective of swaying the public is not really there, and they seem to have a true definition of free press.
The island being as small as it is, most of the top stories and headlines are based on local issues; violence, small businesses and very minimally based on politics and world news.
For those Jamaicans who have smart phones, which is where many people get their news nowadays, they will probably be downloading the application mentioned in my last entry, "Jamiaca". Also mentioned before is the fact that this application has access only to news sources from the conglomerate companies.
The impact that conglomerates have on the Jamaican public is not necessarily negative and seems rather worldly. Both companies strive to give an array of stories, topics and perspectives. Unlike many of our media giants in the US, these companies are not partisan. They may not show equally both sides of each story, whether political, economic or social, they cover stories and update them accurately and accordingly.
With these two companies giving a spectrum of information, unbiasedly, the objective of swaying the public is not really there, and they seem to have a true definition of free press.
The island being as small as it is, most of the top stories and headlines are based on local issues; violence, small businesses and very minimally based on politics and world news.
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