The Media Association of St. Kitts and Nevis (MASKN) sends its greetings to our colleagues in the Federation, regionally, and worldwide on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day 2024. This year’s theme is “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the Environmental Crisis,” which highlights the global concern of climate change and its impact on small island developing states like ours. We express our concern that the level of journalism and media coverage on this crucial subject in the region is inadequate, and we believe that training on environmental reporting is essential. Therefore, MASKN, in partnership with our regional and international partners, will provide training opportunities for our members on climate change reporting and environmental journalism. We urge NGOs, local and international partners, and government arms in St. Kitts and Nevis to collaborate with us in providing opportunities for media workers’ training.
We also use this occasion to evaluate the level of press freedom in St. Kitts and Nevis. The Freedom of Information legislation is a welcome development, and we encourage our members to use this provision in performing their duties. Although freedom of the press is mostly enjoyed in St. Kitts and Nevis, we are concerned about the rise of misinformation and disinformation on popular digital platforms. While we encourage free expression, media workers must distinguish themselves from these outlets by being responsible in what they publish and following the ethics of good journalism at all times. It is essential that the public can rely on the good journalistic practices of mainstream media to identify accurate information, especially on this very important subject of climate change.
Additionally, we reflect on the MASKN’s work over the past two years. Our executive was re-elected unanimously in our executive elections in February of this year to serve another two-year term. We have accomplished quite a lot in our first term, but there is still much work to be done. We hope to improve the standard of journalism and media work in St. Kitts and Nevis through our partnership with our membership, the government, and the wider public, while simultaneously educating the masses on the role of the media. We wish our colleagues a Happy World Press Freedom Day.