KINGSTON, Jamaica — Media practitioners and academics are calling for closer partnerships among universities, employers and Corporate Jamaica to better prepare students for a communications industry being reshaped by artificial intelligence, shrinking newsrooms and changing audience demands.

The call came during a Brand Builders Live panel discussion hosted by Red Stripe under the theme, “The Future of PR: A Journalist’s Perspective”.

Editors, journalists, educators and communications professionals debated the continued value of university degrees, the structure of internship programmes and whether graduates are receiving enough practical preparation before entering journalism, public relations and corporate communications.

While the panellists agreed that the industry was changing more quickly than many classrooms could match, they differed on whether formal qualifications remained essential.

Our Today Chief Executive Officer Al Edwards said a university degree continued to signal discipline and an ability to complete a structured programme.

“A degree shows you can complete a process, remain disciplined, and achieve goals,” Edwards said. “From there, we can work with you.”

Jamaica Observer Business Content Manager Dashan Hendricks argued that academic qualifications alone did not determine whether someone would succeed in journalism.

“I’ve supervised journalists without degrees who became my best reporters. It’s not the degree, it’s the person,” Hendricks said.

He noted that several respected Jamaican journalists entered the profession through apprenticeships and developed their skills inside newsrooms.

Senior Associate Editor for Lifestyle at the Jamaica Observer, Novia McDonald-Whyte, said the debate should extend beyond whether graduates have degrees to whether they possess the specialist knowledge required to cover increasingly complex subjects.

She said lifestyle journalists, for example, must understand areas such as food, design, fashion, travel and culture rather than simply attend events and report on personalities.

“You have to be well read,” McDonald-Whyte said, arguing that subject knowledge had become as important as writing ability.

The panel also questioned whether internships were being introduced too late in university programmes, leaving students with limited time to apply classroom theory in professional settings.

Hendricks proposed structured partnerships involving universities, media organisations and Corporate Jamaica from earlier in a student’s degree programme. Longer placements, he argued, would allow students to gain practical experience while giving employers an opportunity to help develop emerging talent.

BroadTail Designs Managing Director Dania Beckford also called for Jamaica’s internship system to be strengthened.

The panellists said universities could not be expected to prepare graduates alone, particularly as technology and changing business models rapidly alter the skills employers require.

They also challenged students to take greater responsibility for their professional development.

Jamaica Observer Social Media Editor Sandena James encouraged aspiring communicators to follow current affairs, study the organisations for which they want to work and become familiar with the products those organisations produce.

“Feed yourself with information. Take the initiative. Get acquainted with the product,” James said.

The discussion concluded that improving Jamaica’s communications workforce would require shared responsibility. Universities must adapt their programmes, employers must provide meaningful workplace exposure and students must pursue knowledge and experience beyond the classroom.

The panellists said the challenge was not simply producing more communications graduates, but creating a system that equips them with the practical skills, specialist knowledge and adaptability required to succeed in a fast-changing industry.

Senior Associate Editor at the Jamaica Observer Novia McDonald-Whyte shares her candid insights on the challenges and changes shaping Jamaica’s communications landscape.

Academic Advisor Michaela Anderson of Northern Caribbean University addresses the panel, highlighting the urgent need for paid internships in Jamaica’s communications industry.

Long time Business Journalist at the Jamaica Observer, Dashan Hendricks, calls for stronger partnerships between universities, media organisations and Corporate Jamaica to give aspiring communicators more hands on industry experience.

Lecturer at CARIMAC Dr. Alpha Obika, shares his perspective on the value of university degrees while challenging the panel with questions about their continued relevance in today’s communications landscape.

Panelists spark debate on the future of PR and journalism education at Brand Builders
Live, challenging old assumptions and calling for bold change in Jamaica’s communications
industry. From left to right: Red Stripes Brand and Corporate PR Manager Tyheissa Williams,
Head of Corporate Affairs Dianne Ashton-Smith, Senior Business Reporter Steven Jackson,
CEO of Our Today Al Edwards, Business Content Manager Dashan Hendricks, Social Media
Editor Sandena James, Senior Associate Editor Novia McDonald-Whyte and BrandCamp
Convenor and Moderator Kalando Wilmoth.