British High Commission Bridgetown Press Release

Monday, February 10, 2020 — Media practitioners from Saint Lucia were given the opportunity to hone their craft and develop new skills, thanks to a UK-funded workshop delivered by Multimedia Trainer and Mobile Journalism Specialist, Dan Mason.

Held under the theme: ‘Change Your Story’, the comprehensive workshops were designed to improve the digital media capabilities of participants and encourage a solutions-based approach to journalism. In modern time the media has impacted communities, countries and the globe. The way the story is told can bring a new-found understanding of a situation or create long-lasting negative effects on individuals and society. The hands-on sessions were particularly focused on creating multimedia content using mobile devices, mobile photography, podcasts and video editing on the go.

The workshop was part of a training series facilitated by the UK Government across the Eastern Caribbean, for media professionals in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines; and Guyana. The course also continues to highlight the opening of new UK High Commissions in Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines – building on opportunities to foster new relations with key regional contacts. 

During his welcome remarks to launch the final workshop in Saint Lucia, Resident British Commissioner to the island, Mr. Steve McCready said:

“The media landscape has changed and is changing; and while traditional media still has impact there is a new type of audience and demographic whose news consumption is online. This training is aimed at equipping journalists with the tools to create digital content that has impact and that engages this new audience on issues that are important such as climate change which is hugely important to the Caribbean and to the UK. The UK is keen to work with the Caribbean on changing the story on climate change and training like this is vital to this.”

“What makes this Change Your Story project so different and so exciting is that we are working with journalists across seven countries. It’s about those journalists collaborating on telling stories for the future that builds capacity both in their own skills and for the region. I’m really proud to be involved in this project working in partnership with the British High Commissions in Barbados and Castries, and the teams who have all worked so hard to make it happen,” words from Dan Mason, UK multimedia trainer.