Caribbean Development Bank and Caribbean Broadcasting Union inks agreement.

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

August 18, 2023 – The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has signed an agreement with the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) for the improvement of the work of regional broadcasters and journalists. It will last for an initial period of one year according to CDB.

This comes following CDB’s ardour to partner with CBU to provide training, in efforts to upskill reporters, editors and content creators to use digital channels more effectively for presenting development and financial data in engaging ways. This was pointed out by Dr. Hyginus “Gene’ Leon, CDB President,

Leon also highlighted that they at CDB, are confident “in the work of regional media and want to promote a stronger role for development communications.”

He continued to say that “Over the past eight months, the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF), a financial instrument of the bank, has focused on increasing its visibility in the Caribbean as well as developing a knowledge management and communications strategy to guide a sustainable approach to information sharing.”

Additionally, he informed that as a part of the goal, the BNTF has collabed with the CBU to sponsor a category of its annual media awards focusing on BNTF strategic areas, such as gender, poverty alleviation, education, health and climate change, which would be run across multiple platforms such as print, television, radio, and digital.

The award extends to members in over 20 countries, an approximate reach of 4.8 million people.

Furthermore, Leon says the sponsorship will be revealed at the 2023 media awards “and will culminate at the 2024 media awards ceremony.”

He maintained that the award is anticipated to up media coverage and “visibility on BNTF in all nine participating countries.”

As BNTF is heavily fixated on video production, as part of its visibility goal, the CDB president says “In addition to sharing these videos on YouTube, social media, and traditional media, BNTF will share these videos with the CBU so that they can be made freely available to CBU’s membership for broadcast. This broadens the scope of dissemination and visibility of the BNTF as well as increases awareness of the social justice and development agenda.”

Furthermore, he stated that CDB has other plans in the making, saying they they are working to develop “other knowledge products for the CBU to disseminate on its share portal — at no charge to members of CBU — to engage our audiences in conversations on development and the future of this region. ”