The week started on Sunday with a Church service at the Grand Anse RC Church, followed by a "Brunch" at the home of Ray Roberts, Secretary of the association.
Other activities planned for the week include a Luncheon at Tropicana on Monday and an appearance on the "Beyond the Headlines" radio and television programme by special guests, Dale Enoch, President of the Association of Caribbean Media (ACM) and Rawle Titus, 1st Vice President of MWAG.

President of the association, Michael Bascombe who is presently not on the island did sent a message for the occasion. In his address, Bascombe made mention of the achievements made over the years by the local media and the challenges which continues to plague media workers in Grenada.

"Our colleagues continue to work in media organisations that are under funded, under-resourced and still too susceptible to political and advertiser pressure," he said. According to Bascombe, although some significant gains have been made in the last few years, there is still a long way to go.

"Our journalists are gaining more respect, but there is still a gap, because, even within the limitations we can operate, we can sometimes produce more researched and informed and more balanced work", he said.

He expressed fears that while the media continue to fight against threats and continue to fight against them, they are still lurking out there. He said: "They have not gone away. Only that in some cases they have become more subtle and more sophisticated. The same forces that have been seeking to control the news flow, are still working at it.

"It does not come in open confrontation anymore. Instead it comes in the form of license and economic pressures. It also comes in the form of these forces who hire their own journalists, paying them from their own pockets, and having them planted in our respective news rooms to ensure that certain sides of any national argument is not heard", he added.

The Keith Mitchell-led New National Party (NNP) government has often been accused by certain media outfits on the island of trying to control press freedom on the island.

Bascombe urged the media on the island to be more vigilance in their awareness of the battle that lies ahead. "In this new dispensation, the lines are more blurred. With the explosion in radio stations operating in Grenada, it appears as if there is a new era of expression and freedom mushrooming at home."

"We cannot let the basic statistics make us drop our guards, because in many cases it is the same forces at work. The government still does not have a transparent and understandable system for issuing or denying radio and television licenses, and there has been a strong suspicion that political patronage ¬ rather than any media and broadcast standards - is what guides those decisions.

"Indeed for the media in Grenada to remain free, we call on the government to set up an independent body to review and issue radio licenses, based on a broad policy that is published and understood by all the players. Anything short of that will leave licensed stations susceptible to the type of pressures that undermine the freedom of the media.

"What we do need is not just more media houses ¬ but more media houses that are free of all the inherent pressures they have now. Bascombe gave assurances that MWAG will continue to seek ways to ensure that its members - the practicing journalists - are exposed to more training and other career-enhancing activities.

However, he warned that these efforts will either be stunted or undermined, if the practicing journalists do not get the continued encouragement and support from their various work places.

The MWAG boss also expressed concerns about the guidance ¬ or lack of it ¬ that members are getting on the jobs to ensure that they become better professionals. He called on local journalists to work against these odds and to be responsible for their own professional development.

MWAG promised to work towards getting more training opportunities for its members in the coming year such as collaborating with local and regional tertiary institutions to secure training for members.

Bascombe also urged members to take advantage of the Skills National certificate, which has been designed to facilitate media workers who may choose to go to other Caricom countries to seek employment.
Media Week will conclude on Saturday with a Retreat at Wesley Hall building on Lucas Street.