Barbados gets its own public relations association
Theorists claim that when an industry has an association of its own, that’s the day it becomes a profession. Well, the Barbados public relations industry will soon take that big step in heightening its profile, and creating a forum for public relations practitioners to network, collaborate, and access resources that will enhance their skills.
Members of the online forum, www.BajanPR.ning.com, will host their inaugural face-to-face meeting at 6– 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 8, 2008 at the Small Business Development Centre on Fontabelle to discuss the establishment of an association. For the past seven months, these local corporate communications and public relations practitioners have been convening, as an Internet community to discuss matters relating to the profession and now are seeking to further the benefits of their collective association.
”The agenda for the meeting will include a discussion on establishing a local chapter of an international communications association and the election of a board of management including President, Vice President/ President-elect, VP Communications, VP Finance/ Administration, VP Professional Development, VP Membership/ Marketing,” says Christal P. Mc Intosh, a Corporate Communications Specialist with the Barbados Tourism Authority, who is leading this historic campaign.
Not many Caribbean islands have public relations or communications associations. While professional bodies in other regions such as America and the UK have developed steadily, those in the Caribbean have a different story to tell. Only two countries, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, have professional associations. The Public Relations Association of Trinidad and Tobago was formed in 1972, and the Public Relations Society of Jamaica in 1981. Both associations have had intermittent periods of development, and continue to strive to create a thriving, supportive network for practitioners. The Caribbean Public Relations Association was formed in 1984, with members from Barbados, Jamaica, the Netherlands Antilles and Trinidad and Tobago, but it eventually fizzled.
In 2000, the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) created a presence in the Caribbean with the establishment of a Jamaican Chapter by Jamaican communicators, known as IABC Caribbean. In Trinidad and Tobago, entrepreneur and public relations consultant Judette Coward-Puglisi founded the IABC Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) Chapter with 22 other practitioners in July 2006. The IABC T&T Chapter once fell under the ambit of IABC Canada, but in 2007 it was reassigned to the Southern Region, joining Jamaica, and 25 American states (from Florida to Colorado).
Coward-Puglisi, President of the Trinidad and Tobago IABC Chapter will be a guest speaker at the Barbados Public Relations Association’s meeting.
All attendees will be required to pay an admission fee of $20 to cover the costs of the meeting and refreshments. For further information or to confirm attendance, contact Christal McIntosh at christalpm@gmail.com or (246) 230-8784 before 12 noon on Wednesday May 7, 2008. you can also visit www.bajanpr.ning.com.
To read more about public relations in the Caribbean, click this link, and look out for my article on social media in the Caribbean in the May-June 2008 issue of the IABC’s Communications World Magazine.
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Film-making in Trinidad and Tobago
Sometimes as communications professionals we tend to think in a vacuum. When we think of media we think print as in newspapers (and sometimes magazines), radio (advertising, news, and talkshows), and television (as in news, talk shows and advertising). But what about film or full-fledged shows outside of the “talk” arena?
In Trinidad and Tobago, the majority of our television programming comes from North America, whether on local TV or cable/ DirecTV. Apart from talkshows, few of our TV stations create local programming. Hence, local producers such as Danielle Dieffenthaller have had trials; Danielle had her own set of financial challenges with the highly acclaimed, soap opera WestWood Park, sourcing funding, which would aid the series’ development. I am one of those people who belong to the school of thought where if you start a business, get the funding yourself. But when it comes to areas such as developing local art, and stimulating intellectual capital as it related to local television programming, I believe that the corporate sector – as well as TV stations - should find a way to support these sorts of initiatives.
In today’s Trinidad Guardian, writer Bobie-Lee Dixon wrote about Danielle’s experience. Part from it being a well-written piece, it also gives insight into the local producer experience. Film is just as much a part of communications as any other component, and it has the ability to influence our societies. Check out Danielle’s story below.
We can make it if we try
By Bobie-Lee Dixon
Trinidad Guardian: www.guardian.co.tt
Ahhh! How refreshing it was to sit and chat with local filmmaker/producer, Danielle Dieffenthaller. A true winner in every sense of the word, this determined mother of one (soon to be two), poured me a cup of her passion as she shared her success and her trials of choosing such a career path.
Dieffenthaller, sister to popular soca ariste Kees Dieffenthaller, is the second of six children.
Being the first in her family to do film, she said she broke the barriers of “you want to do what?” These words coming from her mother an artiste.
Laughing as she gathered her thoughts, Dieffenthaller said: “My dad was just a home grown comedian,” she recalls. “But it was mostly extended family members who always thought I should have studied law or take interest in some profession of the sort.”
Danielle said as early as age six she knew what her passion was, reflecting on the times when she would orchestrate the neighbourhood children to play television personalities such as Muppet Babies’, Miss Piggy, and Twelve and Under’s Aunty Hazel (Ward), she said: “Oh, we would impersonate just about everyone, I would make a screen out of a box and that would be our television.”
A passion manifests
A graduate of Ryerson Polytechnic Institute, in Toronto, Canada, as it was called back then, (now Ryerson University), Dieffenthaller gained a Bachelor of applied Arts in Radio and Television which she would soon put to use. Retracing her footsteps though, she recalls attending school in Kenya, Niarobi, where, on the first day of her A Level class, students were asked to write down what profession they would like to get into. “I immediately wrote down my love for wanting to become a film director,” said Dieffenthaller.
She also boasted, that because of the very practical course Ryerson offered at the time in television, radio and film production, it was easy to find work afterward within the field. “I mean you could walk out of there and get a job immediately,” she quipped.
Danielle’s passion eventually took her to London where she worked with Bandung Production runned by Darcus Howe and Tariq Ali. Returning home she found herself working with Banyan Production Company as a freelance associate producer/script supervisor/production manager on an adaptation of Wide Sargasso Sea, a book written by Jean Ryhys. The production was done for a UWI project.
Thank you uncle Horace
Not wanting to forget her roots or the people who held her hand and showed her the way, Dieffenthaller credits her growth and finding herself in filmaking to the late Horace James. While working at TTT in the news department, which wasn’t really her thing, according to Dieffenthaller, she met James who at the time was directing the local soap opera No Boundaries.
Eventually James took her under his wing where she became his production assistant, script writer, wardrobe advisor and later production manager for the soap opera.
Finding her thing
“Being comfortable is important to me.” says Dieffenthaller. She recalls initially wanting to be in front of the camera once she got the hang of it but later conceding to her lack of confidence she decided to work behind the scenes. “I eventually got over it though,” she added. “After a while I just realised it was more fun to work behind the camera; I had so much more control”.
Dieffenthaller’s work
Before starting her very own production company two years ago entitled Different Style Films, Dieffenthaller, together with Walt Lovelace and Georgia Popplewell, created the environmental series, Earth TV and Eco Watch.
In 1997, she produced Westwood Park, a soap opera that has gained momentum in the regional and international market. Apart from these accomplishments, she has also done corporate videos, music videos and commercials.
More recently, Dieffenthaller’s work would have been seen in the Caribbean Magazine television programme Irie Vibe, and we await her new soap opera—The Reef—soon to be aired on one of our local television stations.
Challenges
When asked about the problems and challenges local filmakers encounter Dieffenthaller with great precision said funding. “Funding is always the problem, I don’t like to call it sponsorship because it is not a charity,” she says. “Think of it as an investment.”
Stating that television and film equipment is not cheap, nor is marketing, Dieffenthaller adds, in order for it (film making) to be viable it must be exportable and able to stand up to the international competition.
She recalls reading an article that had been written by Louis Tucker in 1932 and published in the Port-of-Spain Gazette speaking on the issue of film making and the lack of co-operation from the corporate sector. Dieffenthaller said as a result of their (corporate) absence in the film industry this has forced some of our best filmakers to to leave T&T in pursuit of making a living for themselves in the field. “It is not lucrative here (Trinidad),” says Diffenthaller. “The sky is the limit with proper investment, because we have the talent, the skill and the qualified persons to make it happen,” she added.
Stating that she does not understand how the corporate sector can’t recognise how much we want to see ourselves Diffenthaller said: “We need to get over self hate and love who we are—we have staggering beauty in these islands that people want to see.”
We can make it
Quoting the old adage, “He who controls the images has the power,” a smiling Diffenthaller as her mobile kept ringing said she credits her mother for always instilling in her that the power was in her to make it happen. “Choose either to be positive or negative,” she said.
Borrowing words from David Rudder’s popular composition, Calypso Music, which I’m sure she’ll give back, Dieffenthaller, as she places her hands on her stomach, declared: “I know that I know in my heart and soul, and in my Caribbean belly, that we have what it takes to make it and we will be on a world stage.”
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Graphic designers wanted for MACO Caribbean Magazines
Toute Bagai Publishing Limited, publisher of MACO Caribbean Living and Destinations magazines, as well as MACO Caribbean Homes and MACO Interiors Sourcebook, currently has two vacancies for graphic artists, and is encouraging all graphic designers (newbies and experienced alike) to apply.
The positions are as follows:
1. Intern - Graphic Artist
2. Graphic Artist experienced with In Design, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
Send your application letter and CV to:
Neysha Soodeen
Editor-in-Chief
info@macomag.com
MACO Magazines - MACO Caribbean Living and Destinations - have an international following and is arguably two of the Caribbean’s best magazines with distribution throughout the Caribbean, US, Canada, UK, Central America and countries such as Australia, Greece, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, Taiwan, and Poland, among other countries. Destinations focuses on the most sought after travel destinations in the Caribbean and Central America. Discover great shopping, unique hotels, wedding and honeymoon destinations, festivals, great escapes, private islands, adventure, and island gastronomique. MACO Caribbean Living is the epitome of Caribbean elegance, creativity and style, showcasing the region’s finest architecture, art, landscaping, and gastronomy. Each issue of MACO comprises architecture – showcasing intriguing homes by acclaimed architects and designers from the Caribbean, fine art from the Caribbean’s rising artists, noteworthy gardens and rare flora throughout the Caribbean, real estate – offering industry-savvy perspectives on major developments as well as ad estate listings, and entertainment and cuisine – featuring the finest restaurants, indigenous and Caribbean-inspired dishes.
Please spread the news, if you know someone who would be a perfect fit for MACO’s Graphic Design Department.
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Two Ps of PR
Great public relations is based on performance and personality. Is this a brilliant, new or mind-blowing deduction? No. But it’s worth repeating because some people or organisations still think that they can gain positive media coverage or change public opinion by just throwing about nice statements, and try to do just that.
For example, a company that offers deplorable customer service, but has the gall to talk about its great customer service will certainly draw a steups (akin to an “oh please, get out of here”) from people. Compare this, however, to a company who talks about its serious effort to improve customer service, customers actually seeing and experiencing these positive changes, the resulting word-of-mouth verification and grapevine, and the media seeing that hey, they really are making a change. Now that demonstrates performance – things may not yet be perfect but they sure are changing, and personality – a commitment to making change and putting it into action.
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Profiling Caribbean Public Relations - Interviewing Jamaica
Cloreth Greene (Third from left, in heavy discussion with her IABC colleagues)
Here’s the second instalment of the Profiling Caribbean PR interview series, featuring Cloreth Greene (Accredited Business Communicator), Managing Director of the communications consultancy Wild and Wonderful, and past President of the IABC Caribbean chapter (based in
Where do you work, and what does your job entail?
Tell me about your background, and how you came to be in the public relations field.
Locally, are public relations, marketing, advertising and related fields respected as professions?
Describe the public relations industry in your country, its history, reach etc?
Are there any local, professional associations?
What’s the media landscape like?
Social media has influenced how people view various, traditional, communication channels, and has given target publics free and easy ways to express themselves. How does this affect integrated communications?
Do you think that blogging and other social media tools will become mainstream media for your countrymen/
What are the critical elements needed to build a successful PR campaign within your country’s/ the
What are the challenges that practitioners face?
What advice would you give to practitioners abroad who have to communicate with the
What advice would you give to someone wanting to enter this profession?
What educational or training opportunities are there locally for communications professionals?
Communicators may access tertiary academic training (baccalaureate and post graduate programmes) via our universities. Professional development courses are possible by way of professional organizations such as the IABC and Toastmasters International.
Any last thoughts about PR in general?
You can read the previous interview with