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Newsday
Newsday editorial employees share their thoughts on their careers at the People’s Paper.
Stephon Nicholas, sport editor: Media must not die
I want to say a profound thank you to the people that made my 18-year journey at Newsday a truly memorable experience. I’m eternally grateful to have learned under the tutelage of so many sports and news titans, some now deceased.
Their work lives on through myself and so many others. Media cannot die.
From covering sports to protests to elections to a volcano eruption in St Vincent, the Newsday experience has been amazing, despite the ups and downs.
The challenge of proving yourself daily is not for the faint of heart. However, the duty to inform, educate and stimulate the public is one that cannot be shirked. We’ve all had to make tremendous sacrifices, but the dullest ink is better than the sharpest memory. The truth must always be documented.
Sean Douglas, specialist writer: More than releases, influencers
If “a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved”, one can’t help but be moved by the kindness of the many tributes to Newsday and personal well-wishes each of us has received.
For me, I leave after almost 30 years of service and I feel a great sense of having carried out “my mission” to serve.
Whether helping highlight the flooded-out residents of the Beetham Estate or scrambling to grab government and opposition MPs in the Red House Rotunda at Parliament openings, it has been a job of informing the public. I remember taking an experimental vaccine and then soldiering on through all the fear to get to work to join press conferences via Zoom to inform the house-bound public.
In the newsroom and on social media we would jokingly try to guess what PM Dr Rowley would be wearing to his covid briefing and see whether the formality of his attire did in fact reflect the seriousness of his day’s announcement, “as of midnight tonight.”
Sadly, despite Newsday’s excellent service down the years, the revenues and expenditures did not balance out, amid huge changes in how the public consumes its news. The general public perhaps needs to be informed of what goes into making a newspaper, including checking and double checking for factual correctness. Amid the shift to online content from a printed paper, I hope the public would in fact be willing to pay $5 daily for verified news say via subscription.
This is merely the price of a “doubles” or a short drop in a maxi taxi.
While we now appreciate all the sympathy, we hope it’s not going to be a case of society having to “cry for itself” if left unserved by a healthy media but just at the whims of press releases and influencers.
Thanks again for all the support and let’s see where we go from here.
Paula Lindo, reporter:
A part of the team
I came to Newsday six years ago, two years after sending in an application, at a time that turned out to be fortuitous, as it was almost literally one month before the covid19 pandemic began.
On my first day, February 10, 2020, I was greeted warmly by editor-in-chief Judy Raymond and editors Camille Moreno, Keino Swamber, Eeili Hackshaw, Ken Chee Hing, Debra Greaves, Carol Quash, Jada Loutoo and Melanie Waithe. My newsroom colleagues, including Julien Neaves, Kalifa Clyne, Carla Bridglal, Sean Douglas, Narissa Fraser, Rhianna McKenzie, Shane Superville, Jensen La Vende, Elizabeth Olive Gonzales, Ryan Hamilton-Davis, Andrew Gioannetti, Janelle De Souza, Veela Mungal, Rachael Espinet, Melissa Doughty and others, integrated me smoothly into the newsroom, answering any questions I had and making me feel part of the team.
I tell people I was hired as a features writer, but I quickly became a daily news writer, contributing to almost every section of the newspaper, including one sports story!
I also can’t forget the office and administrative workers like Vitra, Joanne, Kafi, Ayanna and Sasha Hosein, who kept the office running smoothly.
I enjoyed the rush of the covid19 media conferences, trying to elicit information from the authorities about what this thing was, to educate the public, and finding ways to tell people’s stories of how they were surviving the pandemic.
As time passed and TT reopened, I also enjoyed going back out and telling the people’s stories. I think this has always been my motivation in being a journalist, to help people tell their stories and tell them those of others, and Newsday gave me a platform to do so. The editors were usually open to angles I proposed and gave me a level of freedom to run with something, within legal boundaries of course. Some of the stories I most enjoyed working on were those that helped people get the help they needed, followed by highlighting people who were doing something positive, no matter how small.
I also enjoyed highlighting what people were doing to fight systemic issues such as discrimination, racism, sexism, homophobia and xenophobia, opening up conversations that are sorely needed.
As time went by, I enjoyed working with and helping to train new reporters and interns who came into the newsroom, like Mya Quamie, Cherisse Berkeley, Enrique Rupert, Tyrell Gittens, Tia-Marie Lander and others. There were new colleagues, like Joey Bartlett, Gregory McBurnie, Rishard Khan and new editors like Darren Bahaw, Sharlene Rampersad, Shweta Sharma and Kathy Ramdeen.
The digital team, Zainab Kamara, Shanice Hercules, Sydney Joseph, and Elexzine Bissoo took our (not always good) video and the complaining about writing captions like champs and built our digital and social media presence to where it is now.
The photographers hold a special place in my heart, as they tell half the story. People like Jeff Mayers, Ayanna Kinsale, Angelo Marcelle, Faith Ayoung, Lincoln Holder, Innis Francis, Roger Jacob and the late Sureash Cholai (bless him) made assignments fun and helped me see stories from angles I might not have considered.
The sports department, Stephon Nicholas, Yohance Simmonette, Jelani Beckles and Roneil Walcott always kept the newsroom lively and were always willing to take suggestions and provide help when needed.
I also want to thank the people I spoke to, who allowed me to tell your stories, and who reached out to me to say I did well. I want to thank the readers for engaging with and sharing my stories. I’m always pleasantly surprised when people say, “Oh yes, I know your name.”
Newsday family, if I left anyone out, forgive me. I know we will all be successful in our future efforts and we will keep in touch.
While I’m sad and angry that things have ended, especially the way they did, I want to thank Newsday for the lessons it has taught me, personally and professionally. For helping me build my craft to giving me a safe harbour during the covid19 pandemic to providing me with a second family, thank you, thank you, thank you!
Sasha Gulston, administrative assistant: 28 years of growth, gratitude, and family
I began my journey as a permanent employee at Newsday on December 1, 1997. Recently, I proudly celebrated 28 years with the company — an achievement that fills my heart with gratitude, reflection, and joy.
I started my tenure as a receptionist and PBX operator, a role that introduced me to the fast-paced world of media and the many personalities that passed through Newsday’s doors. Over time, I transitioned into administrative duties, growing professionally as the company itself continued to evolve. Newsday was not just a workplace for me — it was a place of learning, development, and opportunity.
In many ways, I grew up at Newsday. During my years here, I became a woman, a wife, and a mother. I gained more than professional experience; I gained lifelong friendships and a sense of family that only a truly special workplace can provide. The bonds formed within these walls go far beyond job titles and departments.
I had the privilege of interacting with some of the greatest minds and personalities in media, including Therese Mills, John Babb, Horace Monsegue, and many others who helped shape Newsday’s legacy. I also witnessed firsthand how many well-known media professionals received their first opportunities at Newsday before moving on to other media houses. Knowing that Newsday played such a pivotal role in shaping careers makes me incredibly proud to be part of its story.
To my colleagues —past and present— I say take a bow. Each of you played a role in building something meaningful, and you did it well. We worked hard, supported each other, and still found time to share laughter and memorable moments. Those times when we came together will always be among my fondest memories.
Twenty-eight years later, I remain grateful for the journey, the people, and the experiences that Newsday has given me. It has truly been more than a job — it has been a home.
