More Media Awards for Caribean Journalists

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Samira Cherrouk 202 296-9676
              scherrouk@counterpart.org

MORE MEDIA AWARDS FOR CARIB JOURNALISTS
 
WASHINGTON, DC (November 11, 2003) – Top journalists around the Caribbean and 
further afield will be recognised for excellence when the Fifth Counterpart 
International-produced Caribbean Media Exchange (CMEx) Journalism Awards 
takes place at Almond Beach Village in Barbados on Sunday, December 7, 2003.

Local, regional and international journalists, editors, producers, writers 
are invited to submit their own, or a colleague's work in all aspects of 
sustainable tourism in the Caribbean region. Contestants need not be at the 
conference itself.

Any work, dealing with aspects of sustainable tourism, whether print, radio, 
television or even on-line, published between May 15, 2003 and November 25, 
2003 is eligible. Any coverage of the CMEx IV conference in Jamaica last 
Spring that has been forwarded to conference organizers will be entered 
automatically. As always, the judges appreciate keen, fearless and 
investigative work - but they'll settle for interesting as well.

Entries can be sent via fax or email to Samira Cherrouk or Jessica Perdew at 
Counterpart International at 202 296-9679 (scherrouk@counterpart.org). The 
mailing address is 1200 18th Street NW, Suite 1100, Washington DC 20036.

Entries also are being received by Almond Beach Village, c/o Doug Hoyte, 
Corporate Communications Director, Heywoods, St. Peter, Barbados, West 
Indies.

The deadline for submitting entries is Friday November 28, 2003.

Several regional reporters were recognised for excellence in sustainable 
tourism reporting at the CMEx IV Awards celebration, sponsored by Ruder Finn 
and held at Sandals Montego Bay. Ian Williams, CMEx's media consultant and 
chair of the judging panel, acclaimed the growing quality of entrants with 
each competition, and suggested that this showed the benefits of CMEx's work 
in alerting media to the importance and potential newsworthiness of tourist 
issues in the region. The successful entries showed acute awareness of the 
impacts of the industry, and good journalistic sense in presenting them in a 
sensitive yet reader-friendly way.

Miranda La Rose, a two-time CMEx fellowship recipient and senior reporter 
with Guyana's Sunday Stabroek, copped top honours for her story of an 
environmental reserve and the efforts of its managers to involve the 
indigenous people. Gizelle Morris of the Trinidad Guardian was recognised for 
her study article on the rising incidence of sex tourism and the consequent 
risks of HIV/AIDS during Carnival season; while her newsroom colleague Lisa 
Allen-Agostini was honoured for her work on the increasing importance of 
tourism to St. Vincent and the Grenadines as the old staple crops like 
bananas lose their value.

Don Bobb, a Vincentian broadcaster, based at the United Nations in New York, 
was recognised for his excellent reporting of Caribbean tourism issues to the 
international community of nations. New York-based photo-journalist with the 
Barbados Nation, Clyde Jones, also received a CMEx Special Award, which made 
it about the only CMEx incident he has not photographed himself, while 
respected Kingston-based public relations consultant, Marcia Erskine was 
hailed by the organisers for her tireless contribution to the CMEx process 
since its inception.

Bahamian press officer Clarence Rolle and Cuthbert Didier, General Manager of 
Rodney Bay Marina in St. Lucia won honours with respective theatrical and 
musical presentations at the acclaimed "No Talent Show" that capped the 
night's awards celebration. CMEx in Barbados will again feature this 
important aspect of the December 4-8 parley on Saturday, December 6, 2003. 
The event is dubbed 'Saturday Night Live" and attendees are encouraged to 
bring a musical instrument, national costume or simply, sweet sounding vocal 
chords.

This year's awardees, including "No Talent" winners, will receive 
complimentary airline tickets and hotel stays.

CMEx has developed into the region's premier conference on sustainable 
tourism education for local, regional and international journalists and 
editors.

CMEx partner organisations include Counterpart Caribbean, Caribbean Hotel 
Association, Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism, Air Jamaica, 
Caribbean Hotel Association Charitable Trust (Life Needs the Caribbean), 
EarthVoice and Caribbean Broadcasting Union. 

CMEx V is supported by Almond Beach Resorts, American Express, Bahamas 
Ministry of Tourism, Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association, Barbados Tourism 
Authority, Bay Gardens Hotel, Black Entertainment Television, Cable & 
Wireless, Caribbean Star Airlines, Caribbean Sun, Central Bank of Barbados, 
Coco Kréole, Half Moon Montego Bay, Hilton Caribbean, Jamaica Pegasus, Puerto 
Rico and Tourism Company, Ruder Finn, Sandals Resorts, Scotiabank, United 
Nations Population Fund, and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

For further information, visit  http://www.caribbeanmediaexchange.com

ENDS