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"When you buy local, you build your economy. You keep more people employed and create a better quality of life"

This is the argument put forward by the Trinidadian businessman, Lee Yuen, as he urged the public to support local goods. He made reference to the millions of dollars which are dedicated to foreign produced goods every year and associated this loss with the lacking demand for local goods. However, what accounts for such a lack of interest and trust in these local goods?

Sharon Rowley suggested that these goods are often viewed as inferior and reassured the public that they meet "international standards". This can be seen as the long term psychological effects of the primitive label placed on Caribbean civilization. According to Colin Clarke, with the arrival of the Europeans, pre-Columbian economies were marginalized or even eliminated and the order of society became based upon white supremacy. Today, Caribbean populations continue to regard western products as hegemonic and those who are unable to afford such goods are often ridiculed. Based on observations made from a visit to a local supermarket, shelves holding imported goods are bare when compared to those holding the equivalent local good. Evidently, these goods are being pushed to the background for foreign produced goods.

However, recently there has been a lot of "buy local" movements as the governments of the various Caribbean territories attempt to remove this syndrome of dependency on the metropole. One example of this being the Jamaican Made Christmas event at the AC Hotel in Kingston which is being held to display the various talents of the island and offers individuals the opportunity to purchase these locally produced goods as opposed to the norm of foreign goods

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The history of religion in the Caribbean is mainly a story of the struggle between the dominant ideas of the Europeans and those of the colonized people. However, religion has truly seen the dominating power of the Europeans who brought religions such as Christianity. Furthermore, although the introduction of institutions such as slavery and indenture-ship saw the rise of hybrid religions, today those dominating faiths continue to originate from the Empires. This means that any religions existing outside of these are marginalized and met with some suspicion and mistrust.

Take for instance the Spiritual Baptists who were long outlawed in the colonies due to their association with slave resistance. Whilst it seems that progress has been made with the removal of the ban on their ceremonies and the introduction of a national holiday in Trinidad and Tobago, Spiritual Baptists are still marginalized today. In a discussion carried out by the Baptist Board, it was expressed that "fundamental Baptist churches have gotten a bad rap from the Gossip circles within Christianity". Clayton Blackman explained that Baptists are still ridiculed within society and this causes many individuals to be ashamed to be a member of the faith.

In a similar way, any practices which are promoted and do not prescribe to the values of these religions are criticized and ostracized by society. In fact, the religious leaders themselves are usually the loudest to critically voice their concern and intolerance for such acts. An example of this is the LGBTQ movement which seeks to represent those individuals who are marginalized within society due to their sexual preferences and gender orientation. This group has promoted pride across the world despite going against the norms which are deeply rooted in religion. In 2006, the Time Magazine labelled Jamaica as "The Most Homophobic Place on Earth" due to it's close affiliations to Christianity as a former British Colony. Likewise, in 2018, the beggary law in Trinidad and Tobago was deemed unconstitutional since it fueled a tradition of homophobia within the island arising from a predominantly Christian background. However, in a newspaper article, the Archbishop, Jason Gordon, called on the government to revise the Marriage Act in order to prevent same sex marriages and pleaded that no changes take place in the Equal Opportunity Act which would allow the inclusion of  the LGBTQ community. Therefore, it can be concluded that religion has been a major source of intolerance and mistrust within the Caribbean region.

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Our identity accounts for the manner in which we respond to any situation or perceive anything presented to us. It may be defined as the way in which we as individuals view ourselves and the values which dictate the choices we make everyday. These values also affect the way we view others and by extension, how we treat them. These perceptions are shaped  by the ideas that we have been exposed to and the things that we have experienced in our lives. In the words of Charles Swindoll, "you are not born prejudice, you are taught it" and this learnt idea usually stems from our history. With that being said, Caribbean history is characterized by migration, colonialism and European rivalry which continues to plague the people of the region. In this way, we discuss some of these instances of mistrust and intolerance within the Caribbean society which are quite prevalent today.

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For many groups in the Caribbean, development of the region means liberation from the European powers. Throughout history, these groups have been undermined by the Elites within society and have been used and abused at the very least by these powerhouses. From the Encomienda system to the indenture-ship scheme, they were duped into accepting an offer which promised them a better life. With this regard, the exploitation of labour has truly underpinned the foundation upon which the mistrust for those in power rests within the Caribbean.

One example of this is the mistrust for the justice system. The political system is based on the idea that citizens entrust power to their representatives to make decisions that defend and uphold their rights, freedoms and interests. However, the justice system in the Caribbean evolved out of a history of colonization, resistance and independence and many believe that it continues to entrench inequities, discrimination and quite ironically, injustice within society.

During the independence period, the police in the Caribbean became more militarized in the face of serious gun crimes and narcotic trafficking through the region. Throughout the years, there has been a rise in police brutality and police involvement in crimes peaking the mistrust and anger of the citizens. In 2018, three police officers appeared before the Port-of-Spain Magistrates' Court, Trinidad, on accusations of false imprisonment, kidnapping and assault. Instances like these have sparked outrage in society and have prevented citizens from assisting the police in their investigations due to the simple lack of confidence in the institution.

Another aspect where such mistrust is quite prevalent is the media. Caribbean media has always been the source of public information, especially in the post independence years. However,  there has been great controversy with regards to the intentions of the media and the various biases contained within their reports.
In an in interview on The Morning Brew, political commentator, Ralph Maraj, describes the state owned media station, TTT, as "the mouth piece of the political administration". This certainly emphasizes the political affiliations of many media stations which have contributed to the doubt attached to information received by media houses.

An example of this is the situation which occurred between inspector Roger Alexander and the former CNC3 crime show host, Ian Alleyne. In a clash between the two rivals, a video of the ordeal was posted by CNC3 which edited the video in Ian Alleyne's favour. When this was highlighted by the inspector, CNC3 released a statement apologizing for misleading the public. Situations like these perpetuate the mistrust for the media as a reliable and sound outlet for public viewing.

In short, questions continue to surface about the reliability of the information being presented by the media and this arises from a long history of misrepresentation by those who were given a voice. This may be dated back to the colonial times whereby the history of many groups were told by the people who exploited and deceived them. In fact, this has affected the region to such an extent that historians are still attempting to rewrite the history of those who came before us and to this day, little to no trust is placed in the information divulged from those in authority.

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"The Media, at least the traditional mainstream part of it, is not a clear glass window, giving an unobstructed view into the society; it is rather, a lens. It can serve to focus and direct public attention to specific areas of national life and equally, to obscure or obfuscate other areas.

"It can filter news and information so that the public receives a message in a particular way..."

Dr Terrence W Farrell v The Media: The second and final part of the economist's sizzling World Press Freedom Day address at the TTPBA dinner, which addresses T&T Media corruption and failings but also points the way forward:

Evaluating the Media presents some unique problems. First, the Media is pre-eminently the place where other institutions and their leadership are held to account. But who holds up the mirror to the Media itself?

Second, whose standards and which standards are to be applied in holding the Media to account?

It is sensible to deal with the second question before the first. Standards are applicable to what are generally accepted as the functions of the Media in a democratic society.

These functions are: (1) informing the public; (2) scrutinising the Government; (3) exposing wrongdoing by individuals, corporations and government; (4) providing a stage for public debate and discourse.

The Media, at least the traditional mainstream part of it, is not a clear glass window, giving an unobstructed view into the society; it is rather, a lens. It can serve to focus and direct public attention to specific areas of national life and equally, to obscure or obfuscate other areas.

It can filter news and information so that the public receives a message in a particular way. Filtering should be determined by public interest considerations, for example, standards of decency, or the protection of children.

News and information ought to be filtered for accuracy and truth, or as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein have termed it: the "best obtainable version of the truth."

Traditional or mainstream media have editors to perform the focusing and filtering function and it is this that distinguishes traditional media from social media.

Viewed this way, all media in every country is 'biased'. Societies accept reasonable 'filtering' and 'focusing' in the public interest, but reject distortions of news and information in the interest of Governments, of media owners, or indeed, of any particular section of society.

The Media in Trinidad and Tobago would claim that it subscribes to the standards of journalism embraced in Western democracies: Truth-seeking, Accuracy, Integrity, Fairness. It would lay claim to being 'responsible'.

Indeed if we look at the One Caribbean Media Statement of Editorial Principles, the Trinidad Publishing Company write up on the Ansa McAl website or I 95.5FM website, we find the same or similar words and sentiments.

However, public opinion does not generally regard our Media as upholding these standards, at least not consistently. I think it would be true to say that many persons are of the view that the media thrives in sensationalism; that its economic and financial reporting-with the exception of Anthony Wilson-is weak, as is generally its reporting on technical or complex matters. Some have charged the media with promoting division in the society and with being Port of Spain-centric.

Given inconsistent upholding of standards, how well or badly does the Media do in achieving its functions-public information, uncovering wrongdoing, scrutinising Government and staging serious public debate?

I would argue that serious investigative journalism is virtually non-existent-the efforts of Camini Maharaj notwithstanding. News analysis is weak and conducted mainly by commentators or paid columnists.

Debate and discussion on radio is generally poor, and on TV, it is severely limited and constrained by time and lack of advertising support. Television which is a much more powerful medium for debate, performs much worse than the newspapers in that regard.

But if you discount my views, Raymond Ramcharitar in his 2005 book dismissed the entire mainstream media as the 'People's National Media' arguing that the media was in the thrall of the PNM.

It is not clear whether he would maintain that position today though it is unlikely that he views the media any more positively now.

Owen Baptiste, having returned home after a long sojourn in China-in the Introduction to his 2012 book which reproduces his Benedict Wight columns-maintains an unflattering view of the Press.

Media suffers from the same "We Like It So" syndrome as other institutions in our society.

Media leaders are ambivalent. They know and understand the standards of the profession to which they should adhere. But in this society in which Masquerade is the norm, the very meaning of those standards may be contested.

The messenger always looms larger than the message, and the society is always asking: Where is he/she coming from?

The Media is supposed to give voice; but here in our country, a strategic silence from certain quarters, may actually promote and sustain misinformation and even mischief.

Media leaders are no less status-seeking. It is important to be seen to have access, and to walk in the corridors of power. This is problematic when advertising is required or may be withheld in order to suppress or promote a particular story.

There is corruption. Some media workers position themselves for government housing, and accept gifts from government people at 'media receptions'.

Media owners deliver discounts on advertising to certain favoured political parties. Editors suppress or bury stories or alter journalist's submission so that the story is materially changed.

Editors pander to the society's penchant for hyperbole and 'robber talk' and hence foster conflict, bacchanal and sensationalism. You know the ghost of Patrick Chokolingo haunts the mainstream media when they draw and reproduce stories from the weeklies and from social media.

And intergenerational thinking? What is the state of the Express and Guardian archives which must be digitised?

I know the archiving project from the government stations has been proceeding. But what is in our newspapers and on television today becomes the historical record of this society tomorrow, and these media become part of the country's heritage which must be preserved and not torn down and discarded or left in ruins.

Fortunately for our democracy, the Media here has not collapsed despite a very challenging socio-political context. Paradoxically, it is in the interests of the elite to keep it going because it remains the most effective way of influencing opinion and providing information.

Social media can be a two-edged sword wielded indiscriminately by anybody.

From my perspective as an economist, I am clear that the capability to uphold standards requires money-that is, the industry must be profitable. A profitable media industry in a small economy will need to have fewer players.

Ideally, a media company should be a 'pure play' and not part of a conglomerate. But pure play media companies are not likely to be well-capitalised and hence may be unviable. And fewer players may mean that fewer voices may be heard and it would be easier to suppress particular segments of the society depending on who owns and controls the media.

On the other hand, hyper-competition leads to an inevitable dilution of standards and the Media fails or underachieves in that regard.

So what is the answer?

On balance, I think some consolidation of the Media industry is warranted. The plurality of voices allowed by over 35 radio stations, several local television channels, three daily newspapers and several weeklies has not in my view, created more light and more debate, but has contributed to more noise, heat and conflict, and lowered standards generally. We are likely to gain more than we lose by consolidation.

Media owners and publishers should recruit and train the best editorial people they can find and seek to maintain a creative tension between the needs of the business as a business and the standards of Journalism-the kind of creative and productive tension which Ken Gordon and Owen Baptiste managed to achieve at the Express, and which, by contrast, the Guardian was never able to achieve.

I am not in favour of state-owned media involved in news gathering and dissemination. The private sector is perfectly capable of doing that and the prejudice hurdle is too high for government-owned media houses.

In addition, state-owned media houses simply don't know how to make money. But the state can support the viability of private media houses in several ways-capital allowances for plant and equipment, exemptions on duty and VAT and on other taxes for equipment related to digitisation projects, and even a lower rate of corporation tax for media companies.

But perhaps the most effective use of state resources would be to support a quantum increase in high quality local content and the utilisation of television, radio and social media to increase engagement and education of the society on a variety of local, regional and global issues using independent professional facilitators and presenters.

I am not in favour of restricting access to foreign content. That is a battle already lost. But we can embrace the creolisation of the media by promoting strong local content which interacts with foreign content to produce media products which might even resonate with markets abroad, including the West Indian diaspora.

But we are here to celebrate excellence in the Media tonight. This may appear contradictory after all that I have said. But the Media has not collapsed.

It is underachieving like other institutions in the society.

And just as Trinidad All Stars can produce the brilliance of 'Curry Tabanca' or 'Unknown Band' in midst of Pan Trinbago bacchanal, just as Justice Peter Jamadar could produce his Trinity Cross judgment, and Helen Drayton, Anthony Vieira and other independent senators can stand up and fearlessly criticise bad legislation in our bacchanalian Parliament, so too our media practitioners can and do produce excellence from time to time.

It is fitting that those who do are recognised and honoured since it will send a signal to the Media industry and the society at large that we can do better.
Editor's Note: Click HERE to read part one of Dr Terrence Farrell's address on the Media, which deals with the T&T Media in the wider context of local society.

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We like it so! Farrell points to corruption and bias in T&T Media but also successes - Wired868

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"The Media, at least the traditional mainstream part of it, is not a clear glass window, giving an unobstructed view into the society; it is rather, a lens. It can serve to focus and direct public attention to specific areas of national life and equally, to obscure or obfuscate other areas.

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Caribbean society has always placed strict expectations on individuals based on their biological sex. These roles are socially constructed ideas that determine the position that the person takes within society. It affects every aspect of their lives such as the way they speak, dress and think and generally, mankind is quite intolerant to any behavior that opposes to these ideologies.

From the time of the Neo-Indian population to today, gender has always been an important principle which defines the way society is organized. We have seen the tradition of a patriarchal society where boys are educated as opposed to girls, the practice of polygamy but the prohibition of polyandry and the sexual division of labour.  Today, males are still portrayed as the "voice of authority" and young boys and girls are taught how to behave and fulfil their roles within society from a very young age. Whilst this is slowly evolving, women are expected to raise the family and instill the values and norms and as such, men who take up this role within the family are usually criticized and are viewed as less of a man. This suggests that within the male sphere alone, there is stratification which is defined based on hegemonic masculinity. This means that  there are certain attributes which the male must satisfy in order to be the Alpha of the pack. Some of these include heterosexuality, financial independence and the lack of fear.

By the same token, there are only a few women who are in managerial or supervisory positions due to the "glass ceiling" which prohibits women from taking up leadership positions within organizations. This is due to the patriarchal nature of many Caribbean societies which perpetuate today and as such, male supremacy and dominance is promoted. The religious aspect of these stereotypes must certainly be highlighted since the dominating religions preach female subordination as the basis of life.

It can be seen that society is quite unwilling to accept those individuals who surpass or even vary from these stereotypes and most often, it breeds animosity amongst the population. However, there has been some progress within the Caribbean region with Trinidad and Tobago recognizing their first female president in 2018 and Barbados, their first female Prime Minister also in 2018.

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A major challenge of the Caribbean region is the tradition of viewing one island as "better" off or more influential than others. It usually comes down to the bigger islands versus the smaller islands as they try competing against each other in areas such as tourism. This mindset has bred widespread regional mistrust and the inability to unify as one body. This is quite unfortunate since globalization and the World Trade Centre has made it difficult for these individual islands to successfully compete globally.

Over the years, the region has witnessed many conflicts between the different islands of the region which has maintained an insular mindset.  In an interview with the former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, she stated that her country is "not an ATM card" for the Caribbean following the request to fund a national security programme for CARICOM nations. Interestingly, in another interview, the president of The Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ) responded that "Jamaica has been Trinidad and Tobago's ATM" since they support the goods exported by the country. Such bickering has been the norm in the region and has fostered conflict between the citizens.  In another instance, a dozen Jamaican nationals were banned from entering the twin island when they were "deemed likely to become charges on public funds". These situations definitely display the issue of self-interest within the region which directly affects the process of regionalism.