Radio Journalist reflects on 16 years of service

By Dillon Goring
LOCAL radio journalist, Nerissa Pearson is celebrating 16 years in the profession.
Nerissa started her career in broadcasting on November 1, 2004, just after she left high school.
“I was the first radio announcer that was hired that did not come from G.B.C or any other radio station and did not have any experience,” Pearson told Pepperpot Magazine.
She attributes her first success in broadcasting after joining the National Communication Network (NCN) to people whom she looked up to that made a significant impact on her development as a new person in the field of broadcasting.

Radio personalities such as Franklin Langhorne, Margaret Lawrence, Stan Gouveia and Wanita Huburn certainly paved the way for her growth and development over the years, she said.
“ My very first major broadcast that I was going to be on and that I was a part of the team, this was for independence,this was in 2004, I think, but it was held at the National Park. Abraham Poole, Franklin Langhorne, and Rosemary Benjamin Noble were the team, and I was there as the junior announcer. I had learnt the importance of research, so I did my research, so I was ready,” Nerissa recalled.

Nerissa said that after she completed her broadcast, the team congratulated her on her great performance.
According to Nerissa, she never thought that she could have done the job so excellently. She was under the impression that she would have to work for years to earn the respect of such an esteemed panel.
Nerissa disclosed that following her impressive performance at that event, this gave rise to her involvement and participation in every flag-raising ceremony coverage for NCN so far in her career in 16 yrs.

She told the Pepperpot Magazine that she has also been given the opportunity to do coverage for international networks.
“Being a Correspondent for Starr Com Network and for the CDC, but always having to go and train as part of my Public Media Alliance Fellowship, I was able to spend two weeks training at CDC and Starr Com, which give rise to a wonderful relationship that I have with both companies to share information about Guyana,” she said.
Nerissa assures that although there is no privacy in her career, she certainly believes that her fans see her ability to speak as a gift.

“I have touched the lives of many people. I have made a lot of friends. All of my friends they connect with me, not the personality and there are a lot of people who find a lot of hope when they listen to me and this is a challenge for me to be able to touch their lives to make them happy,” she said.
Nerissa’s encouragement to young people is that God has put you on the planet for a purpose and many people may never know or know later in our lives what their purpose is, but due to the simple fact that they were made with a purpose they shouldn’t give up.

“ Despite what you face, do not become discouraged. The world is your stage and everyone else is just a play; don’t let people‘s opinion of you define who you should be,” she encouraged.
Nerissa attributes the motivation to thrust forward in times of discouragement to her friends and family who are her support base.
Her Faith in God is also great support, she admitted.

Radio’s future in Guyana
When asked where she sees broadcasting in Guyana in years to come, she stated: “ I believe that broadcasting will transform from traditional media to new or social media in the future. In this time where we are heavily dependent on technology for communication, work, education and even consumer goods, it is imperative for us all to hone skills to compete in a virtual age,” she said. “I believe broadcasting in Guyana will join the trend of podcasts, radio streaming shows and video streaming within the next few years. This will force those of us utilising mainstream media to adapt and surpass the norm to create new trends and stay relevant in/for the industry in Guyana.”

She remains optimistic about the future of broadcasting, stating,
“ I believe radio still has a future because the radio can tap into the many options technology gives us, but more so in the breakdown of technology persons will turn to the traditional medium of radio to receive information especially of national importance. Moreover, we must be realistic; everyone in Guyana is not technologically literate and some refuse to ever be. Therefore, there will always be a need for radio broadcasting. But what is essential is [that] radio must be able to stay relevant and meet the demands and basic services it was envisioned to offer, while still being able to compete with similar media.”