Newsday Tobago - The proof is on the paper

SITA BRIDGEMOHAN

Newsday Tobago Editor

On November 2, Newsday Tobago will celebrate its third anniversary. The wholehearted welcome Tobagonians first gave it has grown over the years into proud ownership of a newspaper in which, from Crown Point to Charlotteville, they can see and read about themselves, and get news and information that impact on their lives.

Mr Samuel, a regular reader, said: “I enjoy reading the Tobago Newsday because it’s informative and highlights things that are happening in Tobago.”

Another reader, who goes by the name of “Pickerlow,” also finds the newspaper informative, confessing, however, that “If I don’t get the chance to read it, my wife will tell me all about it, ‘cause she loves this papers!”

Those who wondered in the early days at the ambition of producing an almost daily newspaper – Monday to Friday (with Friday as a weekend edition) – and whether there was enough news in Tobago to sustain it, need wonder no more. The proof is on paper.

In its short years on the island, Newsday Tobago has become a newspaper of record. It has captured the historic Tobago House of Assembly elections of 2017, which saw Orville London giving up leadership after 16 years, and Kelvin Charles taking up the mantle as the new Chief Secretary. Also, a new party, the Progressive Democratic Patriots, led by Watson Duke, captured two constituencies, ensuring an opposition in the House for this term.

And, of course, the historic Scarborough-to-Toco attempted swim by Duke and fellow PDP assemblyman Farley Augustine, to highlight woes on the seabridge, is there for eternity in the pages of the newspaper.

Newsday Tobago also provided a ready forum for Tobagonians from all walks of life to voice their trials and tribulations with inter-island travel, a major problem for the island dating back more than a year, with economic consequences for not only the tourism industry but also the business sector, especially small businesses, and therefore for the whole island.

It has not only been woes, though.

Readers have celebrated achievements and accomplishments of Tobagonians – in culture, education, sports – most notable being the warm welcome home for Paralympian Akeem Stewart after his record-breaking gold-medal throw in the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Jazz, Carnival, the Heritage Festival, Blue Food, village harvests, church events – cultural life is celebrated in the pages of Newsday Tobago.

Though its main focus is providing Tobagonians with local news about people, events and happenings, the newspaper also delivers a selection of national news, focusing on its relevance to Tobago life. Such news can range from crime to politics to economics to health, and even social events.

In its 32 pages, readers can also find international and regional news, commentary, a public affairs section, a features section, comics, and activity pages, and sports.

There is always room for improvement – and readers are not shy about offering suggestions.

“Tobago Newsday says a lot about what’s happening in Tobago, but it should also implement an events section, so people will know where to hang out when they come to Tobago,” said Kevin Prescott of Whim.

We take our readers’ suggestions seriously, so as of July 27, we began an events section, to appear weekly in the weekend edition.

In making Newsday Tobago a daily reality, thanks must go to the people of Tobago who have welcomed and embraced the paper as a voice for their concerns and woes, joys and celebrations.

Much credit also goes to the staff at the newspaper’s Tobago office at Shirvan Plaza – reporters Kinnesha George-Harry, Olive Gonzales, photographer Vidya Thurab, and classified clerk Camille Samaroo, whom visitors will know as the face of Newsday Tobago.

Special mention must be made of the contributions by freelance/occasional photographers, contributors and writers who have helped broaden and widen the newspaper’s range of content, bringing information and news from the length and breadth of Tobago.

Newsday Tobago is a production of Newsday, and much of the work to produce this newspaper actually goes on behind the scenes – in the Pagination department, Printing and Distribution, among others at its Trinidad offices. So kudos goes out to the whole Newsday team.

As Newsday celebrates its 25th anniversary, it can be justifiably proud of its vision and faith in its ambitious undertaking: Newsday Tobago, delivering all the news that’s fit to print, and more, to the people of Tobago.