JIS Tours Expose Students to Real World News Production

The Jamaica Information Service (JIS) continues to provide students with first-hand experience of the news-making process through its regular production tours.

Through these behind-the-scenes tours, organised by the Special Projects Department, students observe core workflows in television, radio, editorial, photography, public relations, social media, advertising, publications, computer services, and others.

The guided access to studio and control rooms, paired with the use of QR codes, which unlock multimedia elements, integrate the physical and digital words, providing a truly immerse experience.

Special Projects Manager at the JIS, Paul Allen, noted the value of the tours in helping students make informed career choices.

He said that the production tours not only expose students to careers that are available in media, but also related fields.

Mr. Allen said it is important for students to be exposed to possible career choices early, even before the subject selection process in high school.

“A lot of us think that when it comes to making career decisions, these are things that we can generally leave until fourth [or] fifth form, when [students] are selecting Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects. But at a young age, once you determine what your interests are and once you are exposed to certain things, even if it is not for you, you can then, by a process of elimination, start to work towards the things that are more of interest to you,” he reasoned.

The JIS, on May 20, welcomed students from Kingsway High and Preparatory School in Kingston, as the agency continued to provide experiential knowledge of the media and news production process.

During the tour, which began at the JIS Head Office on Half-Way-Tree Road, students had the opportunity to engage with department representatives about their roles, workflows, and the tools used in news distribution and content creation.

Students also learned about public relations campaigns, brand management, advertising placement, news writing and photography techniques, editing tools, graphic design processes, and the production of publications such as calendars, flyers, books, and press kits.

They were also exposed to digital marketing and social media content creation, including strategies for tailoring information to suit different platforms and audiences.

They also visited the Radio studio where they experienced audio recording and playback, explored editing software and studio equipment, and observed news recording.

The tour ended at the Television Department at South Odean Avenue, where they were introduced to television production, studio operations, and programme development.

Speaking with JIS News, Teacher at the institution, Onita DuQuesnay, noted the importance of the experience “because it teaches [the students] about the media, public relations”, noting that they are exposed to careers that they may want to pursue later in life.

She noted that the exposure will be beneficial in their essay writing and other subjects such as computer technology and graphic design.

For her part, Jessanne Carter, a grade six student at the school, shared that she “learned a lot about what JIS does as a company, and the different fields [represented there] and what you would have to do to get into these fields.”

Her favourite parts of the tour, she said, were “recording in the JIS Radio Studio and talking to graphic designers”.

“I am going to use it to help me choose a career because that is one of the things that I am struggling with, when it comes to thinking of the future, so this [experience] helps me to think about it,” she said.

Tours for high school students and preparatory/primary school pupils from grades 4-6 may be scheduled by contacting the agency’s Special Projects Department at specialprojects@jis.gov.jm.