Issa defends traditional media, recalls why journalism mattered after hurricane

WESTERN BUREAU:

In an age when news breaks first on social media and credibility is often the casualty, Jamaican hotelier Christopher Issa delivered an unexpected but forceful defence of traditional journalism on Sunday while speaking at a media event in Montego Bay, St James.

Standing before members of the Western Jamaica Media Association (WJMA) at the western city’s Hotel 39, Issa spoke not as a businessman, but as a citizen who is concerned about the future of credible information.

“I left home at five this morning. I tried to buy the newspapers,” said Issa. “The first gas station didn’t have them. The second wasn’t selling them any more.”

The moment, he suggested, was symbolic.

“We know the challenges traditional media faces with the rise of social media and online news. Digital platforms deliver news faster, but there is so much noise that people are still searching for credible sources,” he said.

In an era defined by speed, algorithms and viral headlines, Issa argued that the country still depends on the steady hand of professional journalists.

“In an age of misinformation and sensationalism, Jamaica needs your accurate reporting so we can know what is truly happening,” he said.

THE NAKED TRUTH

It was not a casual remark. It came from a man who, just months earlier, witnessed firsthand what happens when communication collapses.

After Hurricane Melissa tore through western Jamaica, entire parishes were left without electricity, Internet, or phone service. Hanover, Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, St James and Trelawny were among the hardest hit.

Journalists in the region found themselves operating in near-impossible conditions.

Reporters sat in parked cars at 2 a.m. outside the Montego Bay Convention Centre, engines running, laptops glowing, chasing fleeting signals before batteries died. Some fell asleep in their vehicles between filing updates. One journalist relied so heavily on connectivity at a police station that he practically operated outside its gates for days.

It was during this information blackout that Issa, CEO of S Hotel Montego Bay, quietly opened his property as a fully functional media centre.

Initially, journalists stopped by simply to charge devices or grab coffee. The hotel’s café became an unofficial refuge. But when the WJMA formally asked whether a structured press centre could be established, Issa did not hesitate.

“Certainly,” he had replied.

The hotel, which was fully occupied at the time and managing anxious guests amid airport closures, had generator power and Internet access. Within hours, it became what the WJMA later described as “a command centre for truth”.

On Sunday, the association presented Issa with a plaque recognising what veteran journalist Garwin Davis described as “a gesture of monumental proportions”.

However, Issa redirected the honour.

“In my book, it was really the least we could have done,” he said. “It is journalists who should be honoured for the work you did during the hurricane.”

Through his S for Shelters initiative, Issa also revealed that 63 shelters have been delivered across western Jamaica since the storm, a process complicated by blocked roads and fallen utility poles that required chainsaws just to access communities.

FULL UNDERSTANDING

It was while accompanying one of those deliveries that he began to understand the terrain journalists were navigating daily.

“When I followed one of the deliveries, I realised the journey you must have had getting to various locations to provide your reports.”

For hotel staff who had no communication with their families, verified reports brought reassurance.

“Just receiving updates from the areas you were covering brought peace of mind to many people,” Issa said.

Often, the most awaited headline was not about damage. It was confirmation that people were alive.

The S Hotel media centre did more than restore connectivity. It revived solidarity among competing practitioners. The WJMA was re-energised during those days. A WhatsApp group formed. Stories were shared. Professional relationships deepened.

In a competitive industry, crisis created cohesion.

And, in the middle of a literal hurricane, Issa’s reflections on the metaphorical storm facing traditional media carried added weight.

When digital platforms falter or credibility erodes, he said, the nation still turns to trained journalists.

As western Jamaica rebuilds and tourism forecasts predict growth, Issa expressed confidence that the region’s stories will continue to be told.

However, on Sunday the story was not about hotel occupancy or investment. It was about why, even in a digital age, credible journalism remains indispensable.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com