EVERARD OWEN, & KIRK HALL OF PORTLAND AND ST ANN
They have been the voices of two parishes – Portland and St Ann – in northeast Jamaica and have made known, far and wide, the people, events, and opinions from those parishes and the North Coast in General. Their work has been national and also has reached an international audience.
(From left, Everard Owen, Portland; Aries Fagan, St Thomas; Kirk Hall, St Ann, Melville Harris, St Elizabeth, correspondents honoured by the PAJ)
Everard Owen of Portland and Kirk Hall of St Ann have been making their works available as correspondents for various media houses for decades. They have spent years knowing reporting, writing, and photographing almost every area of life in Portland and St Ann and the adjacent parishes too.
They were acknowledged during Journalism Week, by the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ), as worthy veterans in media.
Kirk Hall has worked for 26 years, mainly with CVM Television, covering a range of events and issues including sports, news, and entertainment. He has also done many private functions as well as made available content for overseas broadcasters.
Everard Owen, a lecturer for years at the College of Agriculture Science and Education (CASE) has worked for 32 years reporting and doing photographs and videos for news organizations including Radio Jamaica, the North Coast Times, and the Jamaica Observer. He has provided content for overseas media in this period too, since 1991.
(Everard Owen)
He has been depended on by Portlanders to get the news out and as a source of information.
(Kirk Hall)
Mr Owen told the North Coast Times: “This came as a surprise as I’m not a member of the [Press Association of Jamaica] PAJ but is was good for the PAJ to recognize us [and] me as a correspondent for years of service to journalism. My experience has been wide and varied facing various challenges working in the trenches. I am pleased especially when someone is helped, breaking a story and doing the necessary follow up, meeting various persons and gaining their respect.”
For his part, Mr Hall told North Coast Times the recognition at a PAJ Luncheon was “Just a proud moment for me. I want to say a big thank you to CVM Television for giving me the opportunity to serve people in so many ways for the past 26 years. I am grateful.”
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