BRIDGETOWN, Barbados– The Barbados-based Caribbean broadcasting Union (CBU) said it has entered into a new partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to address misinformation and disinformation affecting the Caribbean.
The announcement by the CBU president, Mrs. Kayleaser Deveaux-Isaacs, comes ahead of this year’s World Press Freedom Day on Tuesday, which is being observed under the theme “Journalism Under Digital Siege” and which examines the challenges to media viability in different regions and media sectors, identifying viable solutions without compromising the integrity and editorial independence and explores the importance of professional practices.
CBU president, Mrs. Kayleaser Deveaux-Isaacs
CBU said that in keeping with the theme of World Press Freedom Day, it is launching a new project designed to bolster the capacity of Caribbean media houses to apply media and information literacy approaches in the production and publication of news and current affairs content.
“The role of MIL is even more critical now, given the increase in disinformation and misinformation correlated to the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. We hope that through strategizing, the exchange of experiences and tools, and collaboration amongst news, current affairs, and public service agencies, we can navigate this “Infodemic,” said Mrs. Deveaux-Isaacs.
The CBU said that the list of activities includes an online two-day training workshop as well as the development of training and resource materials that are relevant to the Caribbean experience,
A highlight of the project calendar will be a joint session involving top representatives of UNESCO and the Public Media Alliance (formerly the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association) during the Conference Day of the CBU’s 53rd Annual General Assembly.
The Conference Day of the Assembly on August 16 is being presented in collaboration with the Latin America and Caribbean chapter of the UNESCO Global Alliance on Media and Information Literacy.
The Assembly is being conducted in partnership with the Tobago House of Assembly from August 15 to 17 in Trinidad and Tobago.
The CBU is a 37-member association of publicly and privately operated broadcast, print, and digital media serving twenty (20) countries and territories in the Dutch, English, French and Spanish Caribbean.
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