Social Impact with Emma » social media : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog

Communicating the Weather and Climate Change: How Can We Bridge the Gap?

August 31st, 2018

It’s not easy, we know. Getting the word out, keeping the public informed about the latest developments in weather is a challenge, to say the least. Therefore, it was good to see the Meteorological Service of Jamaica make the effort to invite Jamaican journalists to a 2018 Weather and Climate Media Workshop recently. The turnout […]

Playing Fast and Loose With the Truth Before It Can Put On Its Shoes

August 11th, 2018

Have you noticed how hard it has been lately to determine the “truth” of things? Perhaps it is some kind of summer madness, but I have noticed an almost daily trickle (drip, drip) of strange and disturbing stories in the local media (including social media). These are centered generally around one public or political figure […]

CARICOM, The Patriarchy and Plastic Bottles

July 7th, 2018

Over the past few days, Jamaica, as incoming Chair, has been proudly hosting the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) 39th annual Conference of Heads of Government in Montego Bay for approximately 200 foreign officials. We have been regaled with numerous social media posts, video clips with cameras panning across sunlit views of the coastline and happy, smiling […]

(Harry and) Meghan: What’s the Fascination?

May 20th, 2018

I spent this morning on my favorite social media platform (Twitter) catching up on the feedback to the #RoyalWedding (alternative hashtag: #HarryandMeghan with a tiny icon of two intertwined wedding rings). As expected, some of it was purely gushing. Others wished the newlyweds well – even if grudgingly so. Some sourly declared their lack of […]

On “Calling BS” – Shouldn’t We Do It More Often?

May 16th, 2018

Just after the terrible school shootings in Parkland, Florida earlier this year, a young woman named Emma González made a passionate speech, in which she challenged the gun lobby and lawmakers. She described the attitudes and expressions of apathy and inaction by politicians, and their justification of gun ownership and violence, repeatedly punctuating her comments […]

Powers of Persuasion

May 1st, 2018

I often pick up ideas from seemingly random comments on Twitter. I turn them over in my head. They coalesce, curl into a little ball. I uncurl them again later, and see if I can write about them. Many ideas can develop that way, if you give them the chance. So, a tweet from environmentalist […]

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