Young Journalist at JIS wins PAJ Award

Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a sensitive topic in society, despite the devastating effects on the lives of victims.

This stirred the creative response of young communication practitioner at the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), Twila Wheelan, who won a Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) Award for her efforts in raising awareness on the issue.

Miss Wheelan, working on the national ‘No Excuse for Abuse’ Public Education Campaign, wrote and produced a six-part radio series, titled ‘Not Safe for Women’.

The series focused on the different types of gender-based violence women experience and was awarded Best Radio Feature/Documentary at the 2020 PAJ Awards ceremony.

“This project was something I took on whole-heartedly. I didn’t see it as another job to be completed, but I felt like I had a national duty to make the piece impactful and far-reaching because of how serious of an issue GVB is in our society,” she tells JIS News.

She points out that the ‘No Excuse for Abuse’ campaign formed part of the National Strategic Plan to end violence against women and was executed by the United Nations (UN) Women, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports and the Bureau of Gender Affairs.

“I have to commend the Government for this amazing public education effort and the Jamaica Information Service for executing the deliverables of the campaign. Many thanks to the JIS radio department, especially the studio engineers who went above and beyond helping to bring the series to life,” Miss Wheelan says.

“During the production process, I had to work with over 20 persons, including actors and music producers. We went through multiple recording sessions to perfect the series before it was placed in the JIS radio programme, which is aired on all major radio stations in the time allotted for government broadcasts,” she notes.

She shares that the objective of the series was to stir an emotional response while sensitising listeners to GBV and the physical and psychological effects.

“I don’t want persons to become desensitised to GBV because it is prevalent in society and it takes many forms. Instead, I want them to be mindful of GVB in all its forms and help to stop it, through reporting it and being compassionate and helpful towards victims. I have witnessed GBV around me and I believe this was part of the reason I poured my soul into this project,” Miss Wheelan says.

The Caribbean School of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) graduate says that working on the project was life-changing and she is honoured to have received an award for her work.

“I am driven by the desire to serve and I’m grateful that I can fulfil this sense of purpose working at the JIS. I can’t help but feel proud that the work I produce there helps to fuel national development. I have a genuine love for humanity and I want to help persons feel and be better. I am grateful that I get to do this by creating and pushing positive messages at the JIS,” she shares.

Meanwhile, Miss Wheelan points out that the ‘No Excuse for Abuse’ campaign is just one of the many ways the Government seeks to inform citizens of the various programmes and resources available to help them.

“Through working in government, I’ve come to realise that there are many avenues the government provides to help citizens to become better versions of themselves. I’m just grateful I had the opportunity to be a part of this,” she says.

“My message to the female going through GBV is, you are not alone, help is available and you can have a better life, there is no excuse for abuse and abuse is not always physical,” Miss Wheelan notes.

She is urging men to seek counselling when they feel emotionally overwhelmed and to not shy away from talking about their emotions.
“I want more men and women to take the time to address their emotional and mental health. You are as good as you feel and your emotions do manifest in your words and actions,” Miss Wheelan tells JIS News.

The award-winning journalist says she anticipates working on more GBV projects as there is more work to be done to sensitise citizens and help victims.