A snapshot of the Caribbean Camera

What’s wrong with this picture – the one over there of the white guy who’s now the Editor of this newspaper?

Actually, nothing is wrong and, if you’ll allow me to take you on a guided tour of The Camera and Camera Crew, I’ll show you what I mean.

As a Toronto-born journalist who worked for 20 years in daily newspapers in the GTA as a reporter, photographer and editor before retiring, I have no axe to grind, no political or national favourites among the 30 or so countries and territories (depending how you make your list) that make up the Caribbean / West Indies.

I am curious about each and every one, equally, and eager to learn more, without bias. And news is news.

When any one of you as a Caribbean person contacts me, I judge you only on the merits of your story and on your potential contribution to the dialogue this newspaper has ably carried on for almost 25 years, currently serving 85,000 readers per issue across the Greater Toronto Area. That’s an impressive number of readers for a weekly publication dedicated largely to a defined segment of the population.

So, on with our tour to meet the people responsible for that loyal readership, some of whom you may know, some you are about to meet.

Foremost is Publisher Anthony Joseph, the man I like to call Mr. Caribbean Canada, who runs the show and doubles as advertising manager, offering both creative ads and ad packages. His knowledge of your community and Caribbean history is without compare.

Editorial Page Editor Michael Lashley and fellow Editorial Board member Oscar Wailoo manage commentary and opinion on Pages 6 & 7, stimulating discussion by informing, entertaining and setting out cogent arguments on matters both local and international. Feel like having a debate? Start by sending us your comments on the writings they select for these two pages.

Few people don’t know Reporter and Columnist Gerald. V. Paul, a.k.a. Eyes, who weekly scours the town for stories and photos that over the years have built a Caribbean news narrative second to none. If you’ve got a story to tell or a tip on interesting news, call or email Gerald. Watch for his stories, column and photos.

Reporter and Columnist Jasminee Sahoye contributes equally important coverage in the fields of health, women’s issues and events involving children and families. Jasminee brings sensitivity and empathy to her stories that consistently elevate the paper’s content.

Entertainment Editor Dave Douglas takes us every week not only into the Caribbean-themed musical and theatrical events that happen throughout this region but also writes with authority about issues generated by and of interest to the entertainment community. Dave’s contacts run deep and his knowledge is unmatched.

Rounding out our regular writers are Sukhram Ramkissoon who pens the always informative and interesting Immigration Matters column each week and Dalchand Bissoon whose weekly Cricket with Dalchand column keeps us up to date on centuries, tests and general news about the sport.

Gerard Richardson and Peter Tang are our regular contributing photographers, giving us the privilege of seeing in print what their highly trained eyes see through their camera lenses. By highlighting famous faces like our recent Stevie Wonder front page and illustrating local spot news, they always make our coverage more attractive for our readers. Peter has the added task of being our layout / pagination man, bringing you week after week colourful, readable pages throughout the paper.

That, dear readers, is your Camera Crew, in which I am honoured to share the leadership role. Quite honestly, with a team like that, how can I go wrong? Thanks for reading us and, if you miss the printed edition, please visit us on the web at localhost/camera.

Brad Savage is Editor of The Caribbean Camera. Contact Brad at editorial@box2083.temp.domains/camera.

Brad Savage
Brad Savage