-in inaugural Media Awards on Water competition
FORMER editor and videographer at CNS Channel Six television, Mr. Shane Hubbard, has claimed the top prize in the inaugural Global Water Partnership-Caribbean’s (GWP-C’s) Media Awards on Water. His video submission, themed ‘Water and Food Security’, surpassed all other entries in the competition, in terms of its organisation, creativity and production in communicating the chosen topic.
Written, directed and narrated by Hubbard, it offers a compelling look into the critical importance of water in Guyana’s agriculture sector.
It carefully and creatively illustrates a plethora of issues related to the vital link of water to food security; steps taken by the Guyana Government to ensure the country’s food security; and the strain on Guyana’s water with agriculture being a large consumer of the resource, among others.
Amidst those topics, the production also encapsulated the need for Guyanese citizens to be more aware of the realities of water scarcity, and the key role they can play in conserving it.
According to the judging panel, comprising of Caribbean experts and professionals, Hubbard’s illustration was “impactful, created multi-audience appeal and was well produced.”
As winner of the contest, Hubbard will receive the first-place award and a cash prize, a release said.
GWP-C inaugurated the ‘Media Awards on Water’ on March 5, in an effort to inspire Caribbean journalists to report more on water and commemorate the United Nations World Water Day, which is observed on March 22 every year.
The competition, which closed on April 10, called for practitioners in the areas of print, television, radio and multi-media to submit original, published works on themes, such as ‘Water and Food Security’; ‘Water Conservation’; ‘Water and Poverty’; ‘Water and Health’; ‘Water for All’; ‘Climate Change’ and ‘Integrated Water Resources Management’, among other related topics.

Honourable Mention
After careful deliberation by the judges, the following entrants were deemed worthy of honourable mention:
* Ms. Veoma Ali, Regional Advertising Manager at One
Caribbean Media Limited in Barbados, for her radio entry
under the theme, ‘Water Conservation.’ Her radio piece
sought to encourage Caribbean people to see themselves as
the solution, in terms of conserving water and protecting the
environment. Ali’s entry also included useful water-saving
tips for the home that are often overlooked.

•    Mrs. Latoya Minott-Spence, reporter and producer at Television Jamaica, for her television entry under the themes: ‘Water for All’; ‘Water and Poverty’ and ‘Water and Health’. She created a four-part series that provided an in-depth look into the water woes experienced in a rural community in Jamaica. The stories intimately focused on the lack of water in the community; examined how it affected the residents; and how they have been trying to help themselves.

Ali and Minott-Spence will each receive a cash prize and a trophy.
GWP-C believes that more value should be placed on water and media practitioners are key players in helping to build greater awareness of related issues among the general public.
With the great response to its ‘Media Awards on Water’, GWP-C plans to stage the contest each year to continue its efforts to support Caribbean journalists in building greater awareness on critical water issues in the region, the release said.