A pioneer in niche media reporting, Leroy Smith
Leroy Smith is a 36-year-old journalist, media manager and businessman, who joined the media in 2005 as a trainee Technical Operator at NCN.
Mr. Smith was offered a full-time job right after a brief work attachment. He would then move onto Prime News where he worked as a reporter before rejoining NCN as a News Monitor in the newsroom and later, as a Senior Crime Reporter.
He resigned from that position and joined the Guyana Chronicle Newspaper, where he functioned as the Senior Crime Reporter while freelancing for online entity, iNews Guyana. In 2015, Smith joined Newsroom in the capacity of a Senior Crime Reporter before resigning in 2018 and forming what was then referred to as the BIG Smith Crime Watch and later rebranded to its current name, BIG Smith News Watch.
Over the years, Smith has been able to build a network with a vast number of pertinent contacts and has earned practical experience propelling his career to the next level. Now a Media Manager, Mr. Smith sits at a position of significant impact as regards the entire media landscape.
BIG Smith News Watch is continuing to grow and is now the employer of four full-time staff with an additional two slated to join the team by mid-May 2022 and four free lance reporters.
The BIG Smith Brand has transitioned over the years, increasing its focus from merely crime coverage to becoming a broader spectrum of media coverage. The outlet now also features positive, inspirational, and motivational stories from within Guyana.
Mr. Smith opines that his brand offers a fresh and unique outlook on media and broadcasting that has added value to the media and reporting landscape, giving the audience more than the regular ‘doom and gloom’ and ‘blood and gore’ that would characterise many news cycles.
He describes the journey to this point as anything but a proverbial paved road and even anticipates further challenges from players both within and outside of the field, constantly scrutinising the work of the entity and offering both constructive and demeaning criticisms.
The freedom of the press needs to be guarded and the fight must be continued to ensure that the fourth estate does not crumble, Leroy Smith believes as he challenged his colleagues and supporters of the press to continue to keep elected officials in check.

Leading by Example, Kennyann Bacchus
Kennyann Bacchus has spent more than a decade capturing video and photo “moments” across two different political administrations. Now the Manager of the Camera Department of the Department of Public Information (DPI), Ms. Bacchus has the weighty but critical role of ensuring Guyanese have access to the government’s plans and policies for the country’s development.
“DPI’s role today in the government and in the media as a whole is a very important one. Almost all of the information for the government passes through this agency and then goes out on social media or whichever platform or website,” Ms. Bacchus explained.
Guyana’s media landscape has evolved, Ms. Bacchus noted. News is now consumed in “short bursts” and access to information, for most Guyanese, is often a click away with the advancement of technology. The role of the state media, she added, is vital in ensuring Guyanese have access to unfiltered information about the government.
“Our role is important and we try as best to take pride in our work, and keep the media updated and informed, and provide the support that they usually need. DPI has been the bedrock of information– whether it’s radio, newspapers, broachers, pamphlets, anything even CDs, and DVDs– going out to even the most remote villages,” she stressed.
The mother of one, has had her fair share of challenges in her lengthy career from technical difficulties to break down in the communication chain. As a manager, she has learned to maximise her resources while developing the capacity of her “dynamic team” to ensure information is disseminated in a responsible manner.
On a more personal level, Ms. Bacchus continues to enhance her managerial and technical skillsets. She recognises that the mostly male dominated industry is very demanding and noted, “Media work is very hard work but it is also very rewarding.”
“I enjoy what I do. I love the field that I am in and I pay extra interest in my job. Personally, I have evolved on the job. It’s an exciting area to be in and if you love it, you will come in knowing that, yes, there are challenges but you will try to push past those because you actually love what you do,” she humbly declared.

An unconventional rise in the media fraternity
– Vanessa Braithwaite- Moore
Vanessa Braithwaite- Moore is a young journalist who hails from the mining town of Linden and currently serves as the Managing Editor of INFO10 Media, a print and online media and public relations entity specifically targeting the Upper Demerara-Berbice (Region 10). Braithwaite-Moore’s aspiration for journalism began in secondary school when she realised that her love for writing could be further developed to serve in a field where the stories of the voiceless are told.
She began developing this skill when she pursued Communications Studies at the CAPE level before reading for a degree in Communications Studies at the University of Guyana. Braithwaite-Moore landed her first job in journalism as a Reporter II at the Guyana Chronicle. She served the entity as a correspondent for Region 10 but given her passion and drive for exposure in the field, she was proactive in covering stories all across Guyana and even regionally and internationally. One year after her employment, Braithwaite-Moore was promoted to Senior Reporter and began freelancing for the Department of Public Information and NCN. During this period, Braithwaite Moore gained recognition for her work with several awards including Young Journalist of the Year 2018 and Overall Winner for the Clare Forester Award for Excellence in Health Journalism 2019.
She, however, saw that there was a need for a platform in her hometown where residents can freely voice their concerns since the only regional media entity was state-owned. With the demand for news on-the-go and for online content that is interactive and intriguing, in 2020, the young journalist established her own media house-INFO10 Media, which serves to provide balance, accurate and credible information to residents of Region 10 by residents of Region 10.
The media entity also commenced the printing of a monthly newspaper aimed at celebrating and promoting the residents of Region 10, particularly young entrepreneurs. Her favourite quote is, “In everything you do, you must leave a trail of progress” and though she believes that establishing her media house can be deemed the pinnacle of success in her career, the young journalist is eager to achieve more through training and international networking.
Starting at such a tender age young Braithwaite- Moore has already gained recognition as a key player in the media fraternity. Her media entity embodies the celebration of press freedom since the news outlet prides itself on unwavering nonbiased commentary on pressing societal issues.

A pioneer of regional Radio, Allison Camacho
Allison Camacho is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of regional radio. Her career hinges off an unorthodox genesis that saw her shy first-time guest appearance on Radio Lethem being the catalyst for her rewarding journey as a broadcaster.
Allison Camacho is originally from the East Coast, but would join her parents in Region Nine later in life. It was following this move that she would be presented with the opportunity to appear as a guest on Radio Lethem in her capacity as the president of the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce. Yet another opportunity would be presented to the self-described, then, timid young lady when she was asked to join the team at Radio Lethem. In an uncharted act of bravery, described by Camacho as “a little crazy”, she accepted what would be for her an obviously major challenge.
Camacho was as new to the broadcast fraternity as was the emerging phenomenon of regional broadcast in Guyana. In May 2016 Radio Lethem, was launched and would be the first in a line of hinterland radio broadcast entities. Between the years 2016 to 2018 several regional broadcast outlets would become active players in the media landscape. Camacho was one of the first broadcasters in this genre. She demonstrated her unmatched tenacity by rising to the challenge, and facing her own nervousness to catapult a career from a beginner to programme host, and now the station manager for Radio Lethem.
Camacho describes Radio Lethem as a major boost for residents of the region. Remarking that prior to the emergence of the station, residents were only exposed to foreign radio, in the areas where there was any access at all. Because of Radio Lethem, residents can now enjoy local programming and be kept abreast with issues and developments around Guyana.
One of the major impacts that Allison Camacho and other regional broadcasters is the platform they provide to showcase Guyana’s rich hinterland culture.
Molding future media minds with pride, Bhisham Mohamed
A former Teacher and Head of the Public Education Awareness Unit at the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) Bhisham Mohamed joined Times Media Group (Guyana Times, TVG-28) April of 2010 marking the Genesis of his 12 years and counting career in Media.
Mohamed began as a court Reporter. His role has changed significantly over time. Now an Associate Editor with one of the largest Media outlets in the country, he is now responsible for molding young media minds; a role he takes great pride in. However, Mohamed still relishes opportunities to get out the office and do some old school news gathering and coverage.
As Guyana joins the rest of the world in observing World Press Freedom Day, Mohamed thanked the many persons that helped to mold his career and expressed the solemn hope that local media continues to report freely, without prejudice and fear striving for accuracy in reporting on the current and pressing affairs of the country.