* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
If you have ever heard of the Turks and Caicos Islands, it is most likely because of its sandy shores, exceptional beaches and impossibly clear turquoise water. For decades, its 40 islands and cays 90 miles north of Haiti and the Dominican Republic have been a winter haven for well-heeled sun seekers. Few foreigners would suspect that this British Oversees Territory has had its fair share of political troubles in the past decade.
The global financial crisis of 2008, two devastating hurricanes and the corruption allegations that dogged the Michael Misick administration from 2003 until Misick’s resignation in 2009 all combined to cripple the tourism-based economy.
Two years ago the Islands were able to secure a loan guarantee from Britain worth $US260 million, allowing the new administration to reschedule debt and provide much-needed breathing space to work towards financial stability.
Against this backdrop, Thomson Reuters Foundation recently delivered a three-day Business and Financial journalism training course organised and funded by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
The course was attended by members of print and TV media outlets, a magazine publisher and public relations representatives for the Police and the TCI Financial Services Commission.
During the three-day course, participants delved into the different financial markets, learned about key economic indicators and their role in measuring the health of any economy. They examined global economic cycles and the role of central banks in regulating economies.
TCI’s Deputy Governor and former Secretary of Finance, Anya Williams, was invited to present the Islands’ financial situation to the participants in a mock press conference setting for a practical news exercise.
The participants, who had little financial and business reporting experience, were all eager to learn about finance and business reporting and hone the basics of good journalism such as the importance of accuracy, objectivity, good sourcing, basic story structure, good factual leads and ethical decisions facing journalists.
Turks and Caicos Islands might still be in its early phase of economic re-building, but with this group of enthusiastic journalists and media representatives, the 31,500 inhabitants of these islands can look forward to improved government accountability and more reliable business journalism.
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