Together, We Can!

As Jamaica’s newspaper of choice since 1834, The Gleaner has been with our country through the best of times and, indeed, the worst of times.

We stood in unison through the deadly Spanish flu of 1918-20 that infected 500 million people – about a quarter of the world’s population at the time – and killed at least 17 million.

But nothing can rival the period of individual, national and global calamity that we now face from the novel coronavirus, which has infected 1.8 million, claimed more than 114,000 lives, including four here in Jamaica; and caused mass displacement.

As we have done over the past 185 years, The Gleaner intends to see our country through these uncharted waters.

Starting today, we will be launching #JamaicaTogether, a national campaign, using The Gleaner and THE STAR, to promote national cohesion at this time of crisis.

Our campaign enlists our politicians, religious leaders, athletes, entertainers, social-media influencers and average citizens to fight the stigma and wrestle coronavirus to the ground.

Throughout this crisis, we also pledge to recommit to our mandate to deliver the truth and the unvarnished facts while balancing our reporting of trials with triumph, giving focus each day to at least one inspirational story as a means of helping you, our valued readers, to cope.

At the same time, our editorials will advocate strongly for political and social action to combat stigma and discrimination.

Yes, Jamaica, Together, We Can!