THE publication Media Trends: Representations of Women and Children in the Guyanese media, 2008-2009 compiled by Paloma Mohamed, Phd., which was launched on Wednesday September, 15th had as its objective the promotion of more balanced reporting on women and children and the observance of ethical principles and International Standards in doing so.

This publication has stimulated public comment, some of which are only tangentially related to the real core of the Report and perhaps have served as a bit of a distraction from the real issues to which the Report speaks.  However, let us not lose focus of the substantive issues.

Perhaps anything to be gained by those peripherals is the recognition of the need for strengthened collaboration between agencies, or a better understanding of the principles which underpin the roles of agencies in accessing or disseminating information.  There is doubtlessly a need to listen to each other.

More significantly, however, it seems clearly evident that there is some indication of a  positive acceptance of  the findings of this Report, and that positive considerations will be given to the recommendations laid out in the concluding sections of the Report headed the ‘Way Forward.’

We now look forward to an improvement in the images presented of women and children in the media.