Bermuda Media Analysis by Jess Byrne https://padlet.com/jbyrne06201911/37efui3vq9x3y5sa Uncovering the way in which media structures in Bermuda are interconnected and shaped by national social, cultural and political landscapes. en-us 2020-10-13 19:54:53 UTC 2025-10-25 20:40:41 UTC hello@padlet.com As small nation, Bermuda has a population of 63,000 people. The island currently only has ONE print source of news: The Royal Gazette. It was originally called the 'Bermuda Gazette', but has been circulating as 'The Royal Gazette' since 1828. jbyrne06201911 https://padlet.com/jbyrne06201911/37efui3vq9x3y5sa/wish/826508355 2020-10-13 19:59:51 UTC https://padlet.com/jbyrne06201911/37efui3vq9x3y5sa/wish/826508355 Social media has enabled innovative types of reporting and facilitates independent, grassroots journalism in Bermuda such as Media Maya which emerged in 2020. It operates on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and on its own pending domain. jbyrne06201911 https://padlet.com/jbyrne06201911/37efui3vq9x3y5sa/wish/826519358 2020-10-13 20:03:43 UTC https://padlet.com/jbyrne06201911/37efui3vq9x3y5sa/wish/826519358 The Bermuda Gazette played a role in supporting the colonial attitudes of the island. Evidence of its affiliation with the dominant white elite population are still available in the online archives. The below is a clipping from 1784: jbyrne06201911 https://padlet.com/jbyrne06201911/37efui3vq9x3y5sa/wish/826537052 2020-10-13 20:10:00 UTC https://padlet.com/jbyrne06201911/37efui3vq9x3y5sa/wish/826537052 In 2010, 'Bernews' – an independent, online news website' offering 24/7 news coverage of the island – was introduced to meet the demand for rapid reporting via digital media. Bernews quickly became the nation's leading source of information. jbyrne06201911 https://padlet.com/jbyrne06201911/37efui3vq9x3y5sa/wish/826545338 2020-10-13 20:13:12 UTC https://padlet.com/jbyrne06201911/37efui3vq9x3y5sa/wish/826545338 Following the rebrand, the Royal Gazette continued to support the social and cultural "norms" of the colonial time. The below is a clipping from 1829, a year after the renaming of the paper. The Royal Gazette continued to dominate the media industry in Bermuda, up until recently. jbyrne06201911 https://padlet.com/jbyrne06201911/37efui3vq9x3y5sa/wish/826568676 2020-10-13 20:22:31 UTC https://padlet.com/jbyrne06201911/37efui3vq9x3y5sa/wish/826568676 The emerging forms of grassroots journalism on social media offer a different perspective to the The Royal Gazette & Bernews, each which have a connection to opposing and often polar political parties. jbyrne06201911 https://padlet.com/jbyrne06201911/37efui3vq9x3y5sa/wish/826579540 2020-10-13 20:26:50 UTC https://padlet.com/jbyrne06201911/37efui3vq9x3y5sa/wish/826579540 Key questions: What kind of media structure does Bermuda have? What are the implications of having only one source of print media, one which is publicly known to have a history of strong colonial ties? How does Bermuda's media support and facilitate open and free discussion amongst its citizens? In what ways does the emergence of competing digital media have potential to change current media structures and affect the political landscape? jbyrne06201911 https://padlet.com/jbyrne06201911/37efui3vq9x3y5sa/wish/826608507 2020-10-13 20:38:05 UTC https://padlet.com/jbyrne06201911/37efui3vq9x3y5sa/wish/826608507 'The News Network' (TNN) is another grassroots digital news source which has emerged as result of local citizens taking reporting into their own hands. A small population means initiatives such as these can amass audiences quite quickly. jbyrne06201911 https://padlet.com/jbyrne06201911/37efui3vq9x3y5sa/wish/826723547 2020-10-13 21:35:15 UTC https://padlet.com/jbyrne06201911/37efui3vq9x3y5sa/wish/826723547