BBC announcer: Media has role in peace among ethnicities

BBC announcer Neil Nunes says the media has a role in the peaceful co-existence of people of different ethnicities as stated in the words of TT's national anthem.

He was speaking on Wednesday night at University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) cocktail reception held at the home of the British High Commissioner, Maraval following the last day of the university's two-day media symposium Freedom, Facts and Fake News.

"And so we would like to thank you for that and look forward to your efforts in helping Trinidad."

Nunes, a British Jamaican, said there is a beautiful line in the TT national anthem – where every creed and race find an equal place.

"And those words are very significant. Because you know from an international journalistic standpoint you can see so much friction and ethnic clashes and for different people to co-exist peacefully here, the media has an important role in that."

British High Commissioner Tim Stew in his remarks said the university's symposium was well timed.

"Sadly we see media freedom under attack across the world. In 2018 80 journalists and media workers were murdered for simply doing their job. We also see the increasing use of restrictive laws by some countries to stifle freedom of expression and prevent the functioning of an independent media.

Around 350 journalists were detained last year. Such actions threaten the lifeblood of our democracy, a key principle of which is access to fair and accurate media reporting."

Stew said protecting media freedom is a challenge and it has be done by partnering and in collaboration.