Desmond Allen

LAST THURSDAY, I saw something which intrigued me. Michael Sharpe of TVJ arrived at the Jamaica Civil Service Association meeting at Jacisera Park. I expected to see his cameraman and light/sound man in tow. He was alone. Sharpe proceeded to string up a microphone, get his videocam in shoot-mode and record the meeting!

I know Michael Sharpe as a sharp-shooting reporter and latterly a news anchor. Was that episode at Jacisera an exceptional development triggered by a shortage of personnel at TVJ, or a sign of the journalist of the future? Was it a solo initiative born of Michael's drive to attain higher levels of job satisfaction, or a new policy introduced by Marcia Forbes? I am intrigued.

Spike Readers' comments

Hi Desmond, could you or any of your readers help me to ascertain how many members of the group, Jamaicans for Justice used to vilify Flo O'Connor when she occupied the position of co-ordinator of the Jamaica Council for Human Rights. And why she was unable to get corporate sponsorships or even support from civil society? This same civil society stood idly by and allowed the JCHR to close, ignoring her desperate bid to save the Council.

Isn't it amazing how, not so long ago, Flo O'Connor was constantly accused of only defending the interests of 'murderers and old criminals'? "What about the victims?" was the popular refrain from civil society... The question I would like to ask is this: is it only after Flo O'Connor, and her yeoman service among ghetto folks and within the penal institutions, with limited resources, that justice became an issue? Why were the responses to Flo O'Connor's tireless efforts on the matter of justice for our people so negative? Was it because of her image? Was it because she was a black woman who wraps her hair and loves to wear African outfits?

Whatever the reason, I am firmly of the view that if Flo O'Connor had been given the support she deserved, the work of JFJ would have been made redundant. And the fight for justice, especially for poor defenceless black people by Flo O'Connor should not be forgotten. - Basil 'Ras Bas' Walters,journalist.

Dear Mr. Allen, I just read your latest article or should I say "spikeables" (Spike March 26/27) and saw where you were rather harsh on editors. However, I agree with the argument you make and as editor of an Online Caribbean magazine headquartered here in New York, I too am guilty of bad editing or letting things 'slide'. I will have to pay more attention to detail. Some errors are inexcusable, especially in this age of spell check. I might need that list of qualified proofreaders to which you made reference. Luckily for me, my publication was not on your list. I have only read your column twice and from now on I will make it a point to do so whenever I read the Gleaner Online. Keep up the good work. - Dwight Day, journalist dwightday@flayva.every1.net.

Hi Spike, I just read your column "Edit those letters to the editor, please!" (Spike March 26/27) and it started to tug at my heart strings. Not only should the powers that be edit those letters, but there should be some kind of mandated standards/procedure to news reporting. In case there is any inclination to blame this type of hazy reporting practice on our linguistic abilities, perhaps I should point out that it is prevalent here in anglo-lingua Canada too. However, my concern is with Jamaica. It seems that now any utterance is taken as gospel. The reporters do not verify information before publishing it.

Right now I am intent on filing a civil suit against the newspapers for publishing false information about teacher training generally and teachers' diploma, in particular. - Rhona Allen ralallen@ucalgary.ca.

Dear Desmond, I never knew of your column before late last year. But since then I try to read it as regularly as possible. What it has done for me is to heighten my awareness considerably when reading or listening. Check this out: RJR six o' clock news, Thursday, March 30, reader Kathy Barrett - "It is reported that eight sheets of metal weighing 120 lbs fell on top of him, crushing him to death. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital." Edit these news items, please!! - Warren L. Cunningham shadae@wtjam.net.

Seen and Heard

It's good to see Rev. Webster Edwards sharing his words of wisdom with us in his columns in The Gleaner. His incisive comments come straight from the heart of the sprawling slums of Kingston's westend. Headline in the Observer of March 18: "Too many fires, too little trucks". No doubt the writer meant to say "Too few trucks". Oh for good proofreaders. Read this: "While better policing had an effect, analysts say a truce declared by rival gang leaders in some inner-city communities of killings in the latter half of last year." The Star, March 6, page 3 "Decrease in crime, but there is fear".

Talking about proofreaders. A copy of the December/January issue of the Investor's Choice magazine just came to hand. They had an interesting article on Sandra Minott-Phillips, the wife of Minister Peter Phillips. But it was riddled with typos. You got words like "comapany (company); reuinon (reunion); prepatory (preparatory); childbood (childhood); discriminication (discrimination) and a host of others. Maybe I should go into the proofreading business. People could send me their documents by e-mail. I'll spot at least 95 per cent of errors in your document or your money back!

Gleaner headline: "UN forum seeks ways to strengthen money laundering", March 28, page A6. I'm willing to bet that no UN agency would be seeking to strengthen money laundering. No sah.

Sunday Herald headline: "Tivoli and Mathew's Lane residents upset over reports", March 26-April 1, page 8A. Shouldn't Matthew's lane be spelt with two 't's? The body of the story also had 'Mathew's' throughout except when it had 'Mathews'.

Photo caption in The Gleaner: "Kabaeva took first place and won in the competition." March 13, page C1. If you took first place wouldn't that be the same as 'won'?

* Send your spikeables to spike@jol.com.jm; desal@cwjamaica.com or fax to 926-0295.