Social Impact with Emma » Twitter : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog

Jamaica’s Ability to Respond to Natural Disasters Is Almost Non-Existent

January 11th, 2018

On Tuesday night, while many of us were tucked up in bed, a tsunami alert for Jamaica and other islands went out, triggered by a huge earthquake between Honduras and the Cayman Islands, for an hour or so; it was then discontinued. The next day, there were some careless and downright silly comments on social […]

Hurricanes and the Media: Yes, We Have a Choice

September 10th, 2017

Hurricane Irma (and her boyfriend, following along behind, José) both decided not to bother with Jamaica, for which we are thankful. While the north coast had blue skies and sunshine however, down in Kingston we have had heavy showers, stopping and starting, and thunder grumbling away. A storm on Friday has sent our dogs into […]

We Need More Than a “False Peace”

August 28th, 2017

Today is the 54th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s famous March on Washington and his iconic I Have a Dream speech. His words never fail to move people – even many who have no connection with the U.S. or with the African American experience. Browsing through Twitter this morning, I noted some comments from Dr. […]

What Really Is Fake News? And How to Spot It

June 6th, 2017

Today I joined a radio discussion on fake news. We have heard a lot about this, especially since the Trump era. That man labels any reporting he doesn’t like as “fake news.” In other words, I suppose, he is suggesting that it’s incorrect – because he doesn’t like it, and that we should all ignore it. […]

The Puzzling Silence of ODPEM as Hurricane Season Approaches

May 6th, 2017

The 2017 Hurricane Season begins on Thursday, June 1. We are currently under a flash flood watch, which has been issued for all parishes over the weekend. Here we go again, I hear you say… Barely two weeks ago, after a couple of days of rain, a large built-up area in Clarendon was awash with […]

Twitter Thoughts, Part 2: Dancehall vs Soca vs Noise

April 24th, 2017

Oh no, not again, I hear you cry! It rolls around every year. Carnival has just come and gone – and by all accounts, including mine, it was the best in years – but not without the chorus of protests from people who don’t appreciate the “imported” phenomenon. Of course this has not only been a […]

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