NACAJ’s Bi-Annual Conference And Award Ceremony Set For Kingston, Jamaica, Tackling Investigative Journalism

In an effort to build a solidinvestigative reporting tradition in the Caribbean and to increase visibilityof the region and its Diaspora, the National Association of Caribbean-AmericanJournalists will hold its second bi-annual meeting at the Mayfair Hotel onDecember 16-19. The theme is “Common Cause, Common Solution: ShapingInvestigative Journalism in the Caribbean for the 21st Century”

The three-day conference includes theExcellence Award luncheon and will convene journalists from the Caribbean and theUnited States, especially from Miami, Tallahassee, Washington D.C., New York,Virginia, New Jersey and Connecticut.

“I’m excited about this conference inJamaica. Our venue gives us the opportunity to tackle issues of ethics andexcellence in journalism, topics currently in public discourse on the island,”said NACAJ President, Ann-Marie Adams.

“Many in the Caribbean Diaspora desire thebenefits of good journalism, not only in our communities in the U.S. but in ourhomeland. We deserve a free and fair press.”

Workshops include strategies and legal advice for navigating access to public meetings, documents and data in the Caribbean and the US; ways to produce high-quality investigative stories, and watchdogging government at all levels in the Caribbean and the Diaspora.

About 50 local and internationaljournalists are expected to attend the professional workshops, plenary sessionand Russwurm Excellence Award luncheon. The three-day event will feature a dayand a half of professional development in investigative journalism workshops,bringing journalists, students and journalism educators together to hear fromtop international and local experts on best practices to sustain excellence andethical journalism practices in the Caribbean and the Diaspora.

The 35-year old journalismorganization, Investigative Reporters and Editors have joined in our effort tohelp our members attain excellence and relevancy in a changing business. “We’reexcited about working with journalists at the NACAJ conference, said IREExecutive Director Mark Horvit. “We” be focusing on skills and tool that helpreporters and editors provide better coverage and did deeper. And we arelooking forward to learning from our colleagues from Jamaica and otherislands.”

The conference will also allow localand international journalists to network and will honor outstanding coverage ofthe Caribbean and its Diaspora.

The conference is supported in part bythe Press Association of Jamaica, The Jamaica Sunday Herald, the Mayfair Hotel,Investigative Reporters and Editors, Jamaica Observer, the Gleaner, the WorldBank and Poynter.

“NACAJ’s central focus is to garnerinterest and visibility on issues affect the Caribbean and the Diaspora yearround,” Adams said. “it’s not based on whether someone in a particularorganization gets elected and decides to reach out to us. We want to ensureCaribbean region and its Diaspora is almost always a priority.”

Founded in June 2007, the NationalAssociation of Caribbean-American Journalists is a non-profit organizationbased in the U.S.A. for Caribbean-American journalists, journalism professors,public relations professionals and students. NACAJ provides ongoingprofessional educational and networking opportunities for members and advocatesvisibility for regional and diasporic issues.