State Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Senator Abka Fitz-Henley has called for action-oriented deliberation towards implementing independent and reliable systems which tend to the welfare of journalists in Jamaica and the challenges some encounter.

Minister Fitz-Henley, who is the Press Association of Jamaica 2016 Journalist of the Year, made the call at a vigil held Saturday for late broadcaster, Dervan Malcolm.

While lauding Malcolm as one of Jamaica’s finest media practitioners who espoused principles of fairness and transparency and was not afraid of hard work, Minister Fitz-Henley noted that the late journalist was passionate about the wellbeing of his colleagues across the media landscape.

“In order to maintain objectivity and the perception of lack of interference, there are definitely significant constraints on what Governments may do to implement systems which tend to the wellbeing of our independent media practitioners but I think a great tribute to Dervan and a credit to our democracy, would be if the captains of the media industry, to include the Media Association of Jamaica, have action-oriented deliberation on what more can be done to improve remuneration and care for our journalists who dedicate long hours to an often thankless vocation,” Fitz-Henley commented.

The state minister says he was making the call despite a recognition that many traditional media entities across the globe are engaged in a battle for survival, even as they seek to pivot to access opportunities presented by new media.

“I am aware of the challenges facing traditional media in terms of survival and the rise of new media and the need to pivot. It is true that when economic challenges arise across the globe, among the first budgets which are cut in private enterprise is the advertising budget, hence revenue to media entities immediately are slashed,” Fitz-Henley reasoned.

“It is a tough environment which requires dynamic thought and innovation to overcome. Many media entities across the globe are generally not in a state where they may boast about financial liquidity,” he continued. “However, I am still of the view and the appropriate deliberations could yield positive outcomes in terms of more being done to address welfare of the people who we depend on to keep the nation informed.”

Minister Fitz-Henley noted that global welfare and emergency assistance programmes for journalists are primarily structured through a specialised safety network composed of international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), press freedom unions, and charitable trusts.

He reasoned that some organisations across the globe manage dedicated welfare funds designed to protect journalists facing medical, financial, physical or legal hardships.

“The International Federation of Journalists safety fund is one such model. This is a peer-funded solidarity mechanism. It offers financial lifelines to media professionals globally—regardless of union membership—who face litigation fees, or acute medical crises. I think this model may be examined with consideration for accessing wider support from perhaps private enterprise and non-Government organisations in order to support the work of media practioners at every level, to include producers, videographers and reporters among others,” the minister said.

Fitz-Henley, who began his media career at 21 years old before retiring after 11 years to enter private sector consultancy and then the political arena, says Jamaica’s democracy depends heavily on the work of independent media.

He reasoned that consequently it is incumbent on the captains of industry to find innovative ways to support journalists in a fashion which do not compromise their work.