The media was again berated Saturday night for what judges said was a decline in standards. However, the judges, in their customary preamble to naming this year’s National Journalism Awards winners, praised journalists for doing a good job in trying circumstances.

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The decline in standards was again noted this year by our panel of judges,” said Erica Allen, broadcaster and member of the Press Association of Jamaica, who directly flowed into a critique of each medium.

“In regard to the print medium, too often, arresting leads and sharp, smart endings were lacking,” she said.

“On the graphic side, there was too much evidence of striving for design uniqueness, resulting consequently in a crowding out of simplicity,” she said, adding that typology, lacked sensitivity and the use of photos and art, pulled from computer storage, lacked “cultural authenticity”.

Allen said that opinion journalism, particularly editorials and columns, “too often lacked the kind of syllogistic intensity and semantic acuity. for such writing”.

The judges, Allen said, gave radio a failing grade for poor sound quality, while television did not allow the camera to dominate.

The judges said the entries reflected a need for more training in the basics of reporting and the essence of the journalistic craft. They recommended that media houses invest more in short-term on-the-job training.

They pointed to the migration of skills, poor remuneration and the decline in standards that, they said, presented more than a threat to journalism in Jamaica.

However, they said that given the constraints, “journalists are doing good work” and should be encouraged with training opportunities, pay, working conditions and laws that will assure more access to information.

Guest speaker, Claude Robinson, senior fellow in the Research and Policy Group, Mona School of Business at the University of the West Indies, called for more investigative journalism which would uncover root causes of Jamaica’s current crime wave.

He said that it was the media’s role to expose the number of dons, their turf, and the income of their operations.

“We are not going to get these in press releases,” he quipped.

He said that the media should constantly keep the agents of the state, including the police and politicians, accountable for the statements they make.

“The prime minister has stated on numerous occasions that before he retires he wants to get rid of garrison politics,” Robinson said. “We, the press, have to hold him to that promise. The press owes it to the people of Jamaica.”

Awards and certificates of merit were presented to:

. The Observer’s Ken Chaplin – Archie Lindo Award for public service in journalism;

For Human Interest Journalism:

. The Observer’s Lovelette Brooks; and

. JIS-TV’s Marie Stewart;

. The Observer’s, Michael Gordon for Sports Photography;

. Hector Bernard, for Best small publication, Insight;

. Cliff Hughes, for Investigative Journalism with his TV show Impact;

For Business reporting:

. RJR’s Dionne Jackson-Miller; and

. JIS’ Peter Andedara;

. Headley Samuels, Lifetime Achievement Award for photography;

. Sunday Herald’s Desmond Richards, for breaking a story on illegal guns;

. KLAS’ Jerome Larmond, Stephanie Butterfield, Maurice Foster, H G Helps and Juliet Cuthbert, The Strebor Roberts Award for Sports Journalism;

. Television Jamaica’s Michael Sharpe and Gareth Daley, for courage in journalism;

. The Gleaner’s Tony Becca, the Frank Hill award for Opinion Journalism;

. CPTC’s Louis McLean, for Videography;

For reporting on Children’s Issues:

. CPTC’s Erica Wilson; and

. The Gleaner’s Avia Ustanny;

For Culture:

. The Gleaner’s Lavern Haven; and Mark Dawes;

. The Gleaner’s Trudy Simpson for Health Journalism;

. The Gleaner’s Las May for Cartoons;

. CVM-TV’s, Kingsley Roberts for Environment reporting;

For Human Interest Photography:

. The Gleaner’s, Rudolf Brown, Michael Sloley and Norman Grindley;

. The Gleaner typographers for the Food Page..