JIS Encouraged to Be the Vanguard of Facts

Minister with Responsibility for Information, Hon. Robert Morgan, has charged the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) to be the vanguard of facts, particularly given the rise in fake news.

The Minister, who visited the agency’s Half-Way Tree Road headquarters on Tuesday (June 27) to engage with staff, noted that a major challenge facing Jamaica is misinformation and disinformation.

“So, the fact-checking role of JIS has now become one of the most important roles that the organisation could ever embark on because the misinformation that is out there is posing a risk to the integrity of the State,” he said.

He further cited the rapid emergence of new media forms in the society and the need for the JIS to continue its transformation to establish a dominant presence on these platforms as well as to take information to the people where they are.

The Minister’s visit to the JIS also included discussion on the welfare of staff, the public-sector compensation review, and the overall direction of the agency.

Chief Executive Officer, Enthrose Campbell, in her remarks, said that several initiatives are taking place at the JIS, including the redesign of the website, which will be launched shortly, and the building out of the social media unit.

In addition, plans are in place to establish an office in Morant Bay, St. Thomas, to expand the footprint of the JIS.

Ms. Campbell said that the agency is committed to its mandate of informing the public about the policies and programmes of the Government of Jamaica.

“We are fully committed. We believe that we can achieve remarkable milestones and bring about meaningful progress for our citizens,” Ms. Campbell said.