#Bahamas, November 15, 2017 – Nassau – About 40 persons representing the journalism and mass communications profession have entered their work in The 2017 Bahamas Press Club Media Awards.

The Black Tie event is being held under the Patronage of Her Excellency Dame Marguerite Pindling, Governor General of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, on Saturday, November 18, at 7pm at the British Colonial Hilton.

Keynote speaker is Dr the Hon Hubert A Minnis, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

The Awards event this year is in part, a Powered by Aliv sponsorship, and the Silver Sponsors are The Bahamas Power and Light Company Ltd (BPL) and the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas (ZNS).

Three new awards have been added to the growing list of categories. They are: The University of The Bahamas Journalism Award (For UB Students), the PAHO-WHO Excellence in Health Promotion Award, sponsored by the Pan-American Health Organization-World Health Organization, and The Press Club Person of the Year Award (to be chosen by The Press Club).

Here are the Nominees in 14 Categories:

THE KENNETH NATHANIEL FRANCIS AWARD FOR NEWSPAPER DESIGN AND COMPOSITION

Nominees:

1 – Ayhisha Small – Paginator, The Nassau Guardian

2 – The Tribune Newspaper

THE BURSELL BRADSHAW PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Nominees:

1 – Kermit Taylor – Photographer

2 – Terrel Carey – Photographer, The Tribune

3 – Shawn Hanna – Photographer, The Tribune

4 – Torrell Glinton – Photographer, The Nassau Guardian

5 – Eric Rose – Photographer/Senior Information Officer, Bahamas Information Services

THE ERIC WILMOTT AWARD FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

Nominees:

1 – Natario McKenzie – Reporter, The Tribune

2 – Rashad Rolle – Reporter, The Tribune

3 – Taneka Thompson – News Editor, The Tribune

4 – Clint Watson – Editor, Producer, ZNS

5 – Sancheska Dorsett – Reporter, The Tribune

6 – Ricardo Wells – Reporter, The Tribune

7- Khrisna Russell – Deputy Chief Reporter, The Tribune

8 – Ava Turnquest – Chief Reporter, The Tribune

9 – Karissma Robinson – News Anchor/Journalist, ZNS

THE CYRIL STEVENSON AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING POLITICAL JOURNALISM

Nominees:

1 – Taneka Thompson – News Editor, The Tribune

2 – Ava Turnquest – Chief Reporter, The Tribune

THE LEON TURNQUEST AWARD FOR SPORTS PRINT JOURNALISM

Nominees:

1 – Renaldo Dorsett – Sports Reporter, The Tribune

2 – Randy Smith – Sports Reporter, The Nassau Guardian

WEBSITE OF THE YEAR

Nominees:

1 – Natario McKenzie – Reporter, The Tribune

2 – Ianthia Smith –Freelance Journalist

SOCIAL MEDIA AWARD – BLOGGERS, PODCASTERS, LIVE STREAMING, ETC.

Nominees:

1 – Natario McKenzie – Reporter, The Tribune

2 – 10^th Year Seniors

3 – Frecinda S. Mullings – Writer, Producer, Social Media Comedian

4 – Ianthia Smith –Freelance Journalist

5 – Stephen Hanna – Journalist, Social Media

6 – Rossano Deal – Video Editor, The Nassau Guardian

7 – Timothy Bain – Instagram Reporter et al

THE AWARD FOR BEST TELEVISION NEWS STORY

Nominees:

1 – Kyle Walkine – Reporter, Our News/The Nassau Guardian

2 – Genea Noel-Ferguson – Reporter, ZNS

3 – Karissma Robinson – News Anchor/Journalist, ZNS

THE LESLIE HIGGS FEATURE WRITER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Nominees:

1 – Alesha Cadet – Reporter, The Tribune

2 – Jessica Robertson – Journalist/Marketing/Advertising/PR

3 – Jeffarah Gibson – Writer, The Tribune

4 – Jayme C. Pinder – Reporter, The Nassau Guardian

5 – Travis Cartwright-Carrol – Reporter, The Nassau Guardian

THE PAN-AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION-WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION EXCELLENCE IN HEALTH PROMOTION AWARD

Nominees:

1 – Ava Turnquest – Chief Reporter, The Tribune

2 – Shavaughn Moss – Lifestyles Editor, The Nassau Guardian

3 – Shenique Miller –  Journalist/Talk Show Host – Guardian Radio

4 – LeDaunne Davis – National Anchor/General Assignment Reporter, ZNS

THE AWARD FOR BEST TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY

Nominees:

1 – Andrew Burrows – Director of Special Projects, the Broadcasting Corporation of The

Bahamas  (ZNS)

2 – Prof. Winston Mitchell – Professor Media Journalism, University of The Bahamas

THE AWARD FOR BEST EDITING FOR TELEVISION NEWS STORY OR DOCUMENTARY

Nominees:

1 – Andrew Burrows – Director of Special Projects, the Broadcasting Corporation of The

Bahamas (ZNS)

2 – Rossano Deal – Social Media Editor, The Nassau Guardian

3 – Winston Mitchell – Professor Media Journalism, University of The Bahamas

THE P. ANTHONY WHITE AWARD FOR COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR

Nominees:

1 – Inigo ‘Naughty’ Zenicazelaya – Columnist, The Tribune

2 – Alicia Wallace – Columnist, The Tribune

UNIVERSITY OF THE BAHAMAS BEST FEATURE STORY AND BEST HARD NEWS STORY TV/RADIO (UB Students Only)

Nominees:

1 – Dawn Munroe – Student, Media Journalism, University of The Bahamas

2 – Leah Cooper – Student, Media Journalism, University of The Bahamas

3 – Andrea Darville – Student, Media Journalism, University of The Bahamas

For more information contact: Lindsay Thompson, Secretary, The Bahamas Press Club 2014 at: (242) 434-5643. For Ticket sales: (242) 824-2924. Facebook: The Bahamas Press Club 2014. Website: bahamaspressclub.org

Other corporate sponsors are being encouraged to come on board and to strengthen ties with the media.

Shasha Lightbourne – ALIV Media Champion said that the communications company is happy to partner with The Press Club in recognizing the work of the Bahamian media, as a Powered by Sponsor.

Equally as excited to come on as a Silver sponsor, Diana-Lynn Sands, Manager Corporate Communications BPL, Silver Sponsor, indicated its intention to enhance relations with the media

And Dr Esther de Gourville, PAHO-WHO Country Rep for The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands underscored the importance of that organization promoting healthy lifestyles throughout the Caribbean region. Hence, its sponsorship of the health promotion segment, within the Press Club Media awards this year.

Anthony Capron, president of The Bahamas Press Club 2014 shed light on particulars of the night, which is being billed – the go to event of the year.

“Today, we are here to promote the 2017 Bahamas Press Club Media Awards Banquet, to be held Saturday, November 18^th, in the Windsor Room of the British Colonial Hilton. Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling is again our patron and Prime Minister Dr the Hubert Minnis will be the keynote speaker,” Mr. Capron said.

The theme for the evening will be “Uncovering The Bahamas.”

“Often you may hear phrases being bandied about that the press is the watchdog of society. And, indeed, it is. But you may also hear that the media is not doing a good job, and sometimes that it is not doing its job, period.

You always hear what the press is not doing. The good goes unspoken, and unrecognized by the critics.

We in the media know that we are not all good. But, we also know, that we are not as bad as the naysayers try to paint us.

And so, it is up to us to recognize our worth and to give ourselves the necessary pat on the back.

However, we note that with the advent and the spread of social media, a burden has been placed on the traditional media, like never before. More than ever now, we need to be very careful of our sources and to remember our tenets. Check and recheck. Ensure that we have the facts and to jealously guard against being the purveyors of what today is heralded as “fake news”.

Mr. Capron noted that the awards were first held in 2015 when the pioneers in media were honoured, namely, Eileen Dupuch Carron, Kenneth Francis, Wendall Jones, Henry Saunders, Silbert Mills, Anthony Ferguson and the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas (ZNS).  Mrs. Carron, the long serving editor and publisher of The Tribune, was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Bahamas Press Club’s Media Awards 2016 covered and a wide range of working journalists who were nominated, judged and given awards for the fruit of their labour over the previous year. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to veteran broadcaster Calsey Johnson, the recent Bahamas High Commissioner to Canada.

The standing awards are:

• The Leon Turnquest Award for Sports Print Journalism
• The Bursell Bradshaw Award for Press Photographer of the Year
• The Kenneth N. Francis Award for Newspaper Design and Competition
• The Cyril Stevenson Award for Political Journalism
• The Best TV Documentary Award
• The Best Television News Story Award
• The Leslie Higgs Award for Feature Writer of the Year
• Website of the Year Award, and
• The Etienne Dupuch Lifetime Achievement Award

Also this year, the recipient of the Pioneer Award is Joan Albury, of The Counsellors Limited.

A distinguished panel of judges will adjudicate the submissions. They represent a balanced mixture of expertise in journalism and mass communications:

Hadassah Hall,

Judy Terrell,

Quincy Parker,

Duke Wells,

Ray Munnings, and

Dr Esther de Gourville, PAHO-WHO Country Rep for The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Members of the media and their publishers, editors and managers throughout the country were emailed a package consisting of the Awards Criteria and Submission form, which is to be filled out indicating the award category they are entering and emailed to: thebahamaspressclub@gmail.com. Submission forms and information regarding the awards can also be found on the Press Club’s Website: www.bahamaspressclub.org and The Bahamas Press Club 2014 Facebook page.

“I would also add, excitedly, that The Bahamas’ very own Celebrity Artist and political cartoonist in The Tribune, Jamaal Rolle has been commissioned to produce The Press Club Person of the Year portrait, which will be unveiled at the Awards Banquet,” Mr. Capron said.

The awards night is promising to be exciting – the MC is Mr. David Wallace himself – local politician, playwright and comedian. There will be gifts, prizes and surprises. Tickets for the Awards Banquet are on sale.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Bahamas Press club is not meant to be just another group of civil society, or nonsensical advocacy gathering. The Bahamas Press Club is supposed to fathom the aspirations of all the people who would seek to make The Bahamas a model country, where there is honesty and transparency in government, and where it is easy for investors to do business,” Mr. Capron said.

“We All know that the FNM administration that came in 2007 passed a freedom of information bill but in the end failed at enactment. It never became law,” he added.

In the 2012-2017 term of a PLP administration, another FOI bill was passed, but still, there is no law. This present FNM administration, under the leadership of Prime Minister Minnis, is again promising to enact Freedom of Information.

“And, in that regard, the Bahamas Press club will continue in the pursuit of having the government implement the FOI, which will ensure that not only the media but the general population would have free access to information,” he said.

For more information and for ticket sales contact Lindsay Thompson at: thebahamaspressclub@gmail.com  Telephone: (242) 434-5643 or  (242) 557-0862

Caption:

The Bahamas Press Club 2014 held a press conference Thursday, October 26, 2017 at The Shoal Restaurant on Nassau Street to announce its media awards banquet. The Black Tie event will be held Saturday, November 18, 2017 at the British Colonial Hilton. Pictured from left are Dr Esther de Gourville, PAHO-WHO Country Rep for The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands; Anthony Capron, president, The Bahamas Press Club; Shasha Lightbourne, Media Champion, ALIV, Poweredby Sponsor and Diana-Lynn Sands, Manager Corporate Communications BPL, Silver Sponsor

(PHOTO/BPC)