This Is The Year That Was – 2015 belongs to Quality Service & ex-Missing Person(s), plus Bajans abroad and more…
The Bajan Reporter came into being on 23rd December nine years ago – today we reflect on 2015 and what was hot at this popular web locale… 2015 will be special for many for many reasons – regular readers are aware at Bajan Reporter the statistics for year-enders is based on shares from Facebook, up to 2008 it was based on the number of comments an article got, by switching to a website caused more readers to be circumspect in their views or in other words; I will not tolerate anonymous vitriol.
If you’re searching for all the events which unfolded sequentially in January, February, etc. then forget it… It’s not that type of reminiscence, this is a Tally based on Social Media voting, esp. Facebook shares and likes, this also applies to the cartoons or memes I designed – and? We’re off!
JIVING AROUND WITH 2016 – CARTOONS, OR EVERYBODY STILL HATES CHRIS?
Both concentrate on the Minister who says his back is broad, had a major weight loss in February and has so far kept it away…
- September 7th is a day the Twin Island Republic won’t soon forget, Kamla Persad-Bissessar was replaced by Keith Rowley as PM in one of the longest lead in’s to voting. But the real sport was Barbados’ gubernatorial reaction?
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TRINIDAD’S NEW LEADER PRAISED FOR RESTRAINT IN FACE OF BARBADOS’ INEPT FINANCE MINISTER SUGGESTING HOW TO OPERATE
“– Many Trinis admired how Keith resisted telling Chris that his mother arrived; alias “Paul, You Mother Come” or another popular street refrain?”
This editorial cartoon pulled 15 Likes.
- (APOCRYPHAL) CHRIS SINCKLER ADDRESSES MEDIA BEFORE WORKSHOP, GREEN CLIMATE FUND AT GRAND SALLE
(Sinckler) explained how experts made a credible argument this island’s rate of decline of GDP was not significant enough to justify the decline of the revenue collection rates. He pointed out the tax base was shrinking because some people were escaping the net, and insisted this anomaly had to be halted.
This is in stark contrast to Vance Amory, who had his $193 million Budget pass Unopposed and said taxes already present would be more stringently enforced and any businesses seeking to sidestep will feel the weight of such a mistake…
The strong counterpoint is the illustration which chooses to adopt a jovial stance that I photographed while Sinckler was haranguing local media for some item which he claimed he was misquoted. The MP would never dare try that with me, as I record audio and video and am not afraid to re-broadcast as Raw Footage – This editorial cartoon pulled 10 Likes.
- #10 – FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND PRESS FREEDOM IN BARBADOS: DID IT EVER EXIST OR IS IT A NEW CONCEPT?
Corruption is not necessarily Government or Business outrightly controlling where a story can probe, it can also be when Media is treated as less than a Second Class citizen or a piece of furniture and the reporters accept it, when buying into this behavior it is allowing not only others but yourself to limit your full potential.
(FILE IMAGE, DEMO ONLY – NO ASPERSIONS CAST) If you are not storytelling at peak capacity, then why are you functioning? Let companies or Government(s) do their own gig and close up shop! Which, in fact, many concerns may actually prefer… In this way, more underhand events or clandestine deals which can adversely affect the majority of Barbadians can be completed without interference in order to fatten a few pockets…
This story examined if the powers of the Governor General are over-inflated and if press accepts too much ramrodding in the guise of etiquette and/or guidelines when really (Un)Common Sense need only be everyone’s pathfinder? The item earned 27 Likes and spread through just as many of Zuckerberg’s networks…
At Bajan Reporter, we try to pride ourselves on allowing most views once expressed with decorum and no hatred – while many may feel the item smacks of delusion and/or too much science fiction as reality, they are entitled to their beliefs. This one pulled 39 Facebook responses plus 3 other networks.
- #8 – “A BARBADIAN IN SIERRA LEONE – FIGHTING EBOLA ONE DAY AT A TIME“
A simple example how a Community item can generate a lead story when least expected… The Queen Elizabeth Hospital was looking at special conference examining germ standards before, during and after a stay – but I suddenly realised this Bajan was right at the heart of where there was an Ebola outbreak so I chatted with him and got an exclusive, which the Nation picked up on almost a week after the fact! 😉
“Alvin Hart, is a Registered Nurse who works with the Infection Control and Prevention Dept of the World Health Organisation, he is in Barbados for a brief interlude…”
This item generated 40 Likes plus 1 in another network other than Facebook.
- #7 – “Barbados Bu’n-Bu’n” RECOGNISED AT “Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in China“
Rosemary Parkinson is one of my most avid readers and an ardent contributor so when she earns her own spot I am truly chuffed to include her among my fans and guest authors…
Understandably annoyed, this was one of the unsung accolades this year for a Barbados event and Rosemary is still wounded – Government did not issue plane fare so Rosemary could collect in person, no BGIS nor any media attended when she got an award recognised for Self Publishing everywhere else on the planet.
The only person to assist in promoting the book was the BTMI’s Petra Griffith-Roach who made sure JetBlue’s Mint clientele got a debut flight never to be forgotten, the two volume set was a gift for the inaugural passengers on board the flight.
This review got 46 Likes in all..
2015 marks 5 years that Honey Jam has been in Barbados… The item (which was a press Release and not an Original as are most of the others) got 57 Likes.
#5 – Finance Minister accuses Barbadians of acting hastily before hearing Cahill Energy out
A situation which is becoming all too common now, I suggest let’s approach a Minister on a given issue and the response is he will get annoyed and stop speaking to the rest of the media – so what? Is that not a story in itself? Why so guarded? What are you hiding?
In showing initiative, I ended up with a comment NONE of the others had yet all could have gained easily, if their own shadows did not terrify them so? (CLICK FOR BIGGER)
I tried to get the Advocate, CBC and Starcom to follow, but no avail – only the Nation and BGIS were present but apparently failed to use their versions (Barbados Today was late, they arrived as I was concluding).
This story is actually a sequel for #3 and this pulled 54 Likes…
The dead tree media needs to realise as we are in the Information Age, there are so many ways for Knowledge to pass you by, unless you know how to look or have others scan for you… (CLICK FOR BIGGER)
All I did was follow a hint to check the trust’s Facebook page and so said? So done! It was not mentioned in the newspapers until almost 2 weeks later? Regardless, congrats again to Lennox Honychurch and his promotion earned a hefty 79 Likes!
- #3 – Cahill Energy proposed Waste To Energy is a Waste of Time – NOT BARBADOS!
Between Barbados Underground and here, we have done a good deal to show Bajans what is wrong in this project, now it is very low keyed in Government affairs? So Far…
“… some of the team are staying at Royal Pavilion which is not cheap!“
The panel’s idea of Q&A was very rudimentary and whoever was their PR dropped the ball in not having all of their group engage with a thorough debriefing and rehearse the most difficult and uneasy questions possible.
This was fun, I did digging like I had not done in ages and the results showed in the tally, which was 93 Likes plus 10 other networks shared with! The numbers get smaller and the issues are more popular…
#2 – “FINDING KAREN HARRIS: AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME CLOSER TOGETHER OR TO GO FURTHER APART” BY SHANI S. ALLEYNE
I had a former colleague chase me on WhatsApp arguing this story created unnecessary racial tension, now while the Author says we’ll probably never know the whole thing, and he’s right… The fact she was “fired” after recovered made for still further coverage which the dead tree media ignored – I guess the ads paid for their silence? (CLICK FOR BIGGER)
There has never been a significant problem that has gone away without discussion or by denying its existence. What I have seen in the past few days is people being shut down completely for expressing their opinion. I am not talking about the “she went looking for man” group I am talking about “It feels like the response was greater because it was a white woman” group.
There it is, friends and family screamimg how they need privacy and leave it alone yet at the same time newspaper ads are blaring all over the place that quite possibly a messy divorce is on the way? (CLICK FOR BIGGER)
Even the embedded Soundcloud clip with the WhatsApp voicenote earned a massive 750 hits but this story was 360 Likes, what could eclipse THIS?? Would you believe Bajan Reporter’s own Facebook group? With a Good News item?
(Adrian) told me he noticed a brake light wasn’t on, he asked if I would press my brakes so he can verify. I did, and he said a brake light is only $5.50 and he can replace it for free… I paid for the gas and the light but made sure I rewarded his astute observation.
The old adage claims “No Good Deed Goes Unpunished,” however in this case – Adrian got a visit fromn the head office with an incentive reward which included a new cellphone and he thanked me very much.. I was stunned!
I asked why he did it… He told me; “It is too easy for Police to say if a brake light isn’t working and then you get a fine. Why not tell a customer their light isn’t working and that way, the money wasted on a fine can be used in making sure the car is running better!”
By highlighting praise instead of blame, the story earned 1,656 Likes and 370 Shares – his Manager said the story got visitors to the petrol station who never attended before just because of my item… That is no tear in my eye, just me squinting in the afternoon sun finishing my review of 2015, that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it! 😉
