Responses to our last article, "Our Country's Tourism… Where Do We Go From Here" (18th February, 2003) was so overwhelming and intriguing, they almost constitute a lead-in to our topic for this week's article. Constitutional in the sense that in just about every instance, every question or comment, a reader winded up alluding to the areas we were studying and developing for today's article.
Only on Sunday, for an instance, while at the airport waiting to send a package to our foster-daughter in Long Island, we were approached by reader who, as a result of what he perceived as a Bahamianisation stand, we took on 'getting our tourism act together', wanted to share with us, a most interesting theory he has for re-educating the mind of Bahamians, our male population in particular.
As the conversation progressed, his ideas unfolded as what would amount to a workbook for the consumer; with great emphasis on the exercise of borrowing money to mortgage a house "which one end up paying for, three times", he asserted.
One reason we found his ideas so interesting is because we were approached by another reader, who have asked us to join he and his group in an effort to educate consumers as well as government and civic institutions in this country about looking at things, somewhat differently, with the view to getting lots more Bahamians involved in matters of national growth and development… A proposal, we're also studying very seriously.
Most of all, however, is the fact that we have been planning, for some weeks now, an article on a look at the roll the media play in this society, in terms of educating and indoctrinating the public in any particular direction, our people ﾖ especially the youth ﾖ ought to be going.
Any properly structured organisation or society of responsible men and women, in pursuit of a common lifestyle and level of standards, establishes a code, or even rules, by which all are expected to live. As agreed upon, this code, these rules are sometimes referred to as laws; which are enforced, doctrines; which are taught or principles; which are encouraged ﾖ mostly, by example
In religion, for example, Jews have their Talmud; Muslim has their Koran and Christians our Bible. These are studied with varying degrees of intensity and enthusiasm by followers, in order to better understand and appreciate the direction in which they're being asked or choose to follow.
Likewise, nation states, as well as corporate bodies, profit and non-profit institutions, alike, spend significant portions of their annual budgets on varying kinds of communications programmers ﾖ sometimes referred to as propaganda machines — designed to keep goals and objectives, uppermost in the minds of it's citizens, employers and members. Whatever such programmes are called [usually depends on who is talking at the time and who they're talking about] the effort is always schematic and goal oriented.
Readers of this column may recall our sharing an experience while conducting an inquiry into advertising and media, on the Island of Cuba, "Marketing In Cuba's Economy" (Jan. 7, 2003). One daily newspaper, circulated to a population of some 13 million, four television stations and four or five radio stations; neither of which carry a line or minute of advertisement or commercial message. And when we enquired at the appropriate government agency, as to the reasoning, behind this unusual circumstance, we were told by an official ﾖ very stout-heartedly ﾖ that the media in that country is used to educate and inform the Cuban people, in matters which help to build their country…Period. In other words, to instruct them how to be good Cubans.
Closer to home, all serious political parties in this country, from time to time, publish what is sometimes called a house organ of some kind, targeting, for the most part, it most loyal supporters who become actualised, and even mobilised as a group, by the party-line touted in the organisation's publication. Nothing works more effectively.
Those of us old enough remember well, that it was largely The Bahamian Times, under the editorship of Mr. Arthur Foulkes and management of Mr. George Smith, which brought the Progressive Liberal Party to power, back in 1967. We recall, vividly, the impact on grass root voters of one particular edition; published after the party split of 1966, in which several young political unknown – but professionally respected – Bahamians, such as Doctors Curtis McMillan and Elwood Donaldson were featured, pledging support for and confidence in, the PLP, under the leadership of a charismatic Lynden Pindling.
Later, "The Herald, edited by one Paul Drake, succeeded The 'Times'. The job of marshalling the Bahamian people' support for the PLP [and to some extent the country's national and cultural goal], during the Seventies and Eighties will, perhaps, be deemed legendary. Later came the "The People" which paled in impact. Possibly due to week leadership and also the lack of ideological clarity and direction.
In the history of the Free National Movement (FNM) must be written the roll played by "The Torch", the party's newspaper and persons like the late Lionel Dorsette and P.W. Anthony White two of its champions responsible for keeping it alive. It be reasonably assumed that there were times when the FNM might have been buried without a funeral had it not been for "The Torch", the single most effective line of communication between die-hard supporters and the movement. "The Torch spoke louder and more profoundly to the people than all of the FNM leaders combined.
A RENAISSANCE
Perhaps we need, in The Bahamas, a renaissance of such. Not of the Partisan kind but of a kind that is nationalist in nature; content and goals… Especially in view of the threat posed by certain pending initiatives to our very sovereignty.
We talked with a fairly large number of Bahamians and a few non-Bahamian residents over the past several weeks, about the wave of crime, the apparent misdirection of the church and the government, confusion as to where we're headed as a people and as a nation state. Why is it that Bahamians feel like second-class citizens in their country?
Invariably, each interview concluded, generally, that we're sheep with out a shepherd… People on a journey void of a particular destination.
As we sit here at the keyboard fleshing these thoughts, we can hear the Rev'd. Dr. James Timothy, annunciating and enumerating the characteristics of what makes a good Methodist, and we're inclined to deem it, not only fortuitous but, in deed, providential, in that one of the questions this article is leading to is: WHAT IS A GOOD BAHAMIAN?
Is there a code, or set of rules our media promote through it facilities, as a national institution? Do we have a section of our media, which really monitor the enforcement of our laws (to the extent where we strive to make them just and applicable to all citizen)? Are taught, through the media, what it is to be a good Bahamian or, encouraged ﾖ periodically ﾖ to put into practice, principle conducive good citizenship?
Answers, in the affirmative to these questions can and might have provided some of our young (and some not so young) people with an alternative to the criminal acts they have been committing. It has been suggested, over the years, that in the absence of order, there will come, eventually, disorder.
We can have order, you know. Not with handcuffs and prison cells but with the establishment of a collection books (or newspapers, or magazines, or radio and television stations, or brochures, or posters, or cassettes, or diskettes, or CDs, BVDs), which teach and admonish people how to be a good Bahamian. The kind the late Mr. Timothy Gibson alluded to in writing our national anthem.
Incidentally, the first step in such a process maybe to stand, attentively, at attention the next time you hear our national anthem being played or sung; listen to or think about the words… For the time being, it may the only medium carrying a national message to the people of The Bahamas
A FOOTNOTE
One reader emailed us, commenting on last week's article and while, for the most part he/she was most complimentary, there was portion of the reader's message which suggested that ﾖ what we now refer as, the poor posture and low standards we've seen in some of our major hotel properties would be a direct result of bad management and inadequate compensation by employers to employees.
We agree, entirely, that management, at the end of the day, has to be held accountable for whatever is presented to visitors on his property, but as professional, waiters, waitresses and even busboys/girls has to know that good manners impeccable attire and friendly, efficient service will make for them more money than any employer will ever agree to pay them, and without the union ever having to get involved. We have also seen them sell more manor rooms than an expensive advertisement in a slick consumer magazine.
David A. Clarke is a practicing media consultant based in Nassau
