Physician heal thyself?
Published:Tuesday | August 10, 2021 | 12:06 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
The general points of the editorial of August 9 with reference to Professor Don Harris being awarded the Order of Merit are well taken. It is a fact of life that some people are made famous because of reflected glory. Yet there is a certain irony in the editorial’s lecturing tone. That much of Don Harris’ significant body of work as a researcher/adviser/consultant to various international agencies and Jamaican administrations remained under the radar and away from popular view, until his daughter’s rise to prominence as a US presidential contender, is as much a reflection of the general fare which local and international media choose to serve their audiences.
The editorial suggests, “We have not as yet figured out a way to lionise people whose accolades flow directly from their intellectual prowess and pursuits, similar to how we celebrate and extol our athletes and entertainers and even, sometimes, politicians. This is a matter that should be worked on – as a deliberate project of the Government and civil society institutions.” It should be worked on by the media, too.
A casual survey of past media reports, including The Gleaner’s reporting on persons given national honours over several years, would indicate a ‘lionising’ of popular entertainment and sport figures over and above others who have done significant work in medicine, social development and education. Too often, we seem to equate popularity with meaningful contributions.
How well I remember the celebration of Shabba Ranks, famous for telling the world how much he loves “the p”, in the same line-up with Dr W. Warren Smith of the Caribbean Development Bank, who had worked over a number of years to bring infrastructural, social and economic development to some of the most deprived areas of the Caribbean, including Jamaica. Dr Smith’s work would not have been a singular achievement; but to the extent that that work was being recognised in the same breath as dancehall raunchiness is an indication of our values. By the way, the King’s House ‘massive’ wildly applauded Shabba.
In addition, there also seem to be a general lack of awareness among practising journalists about the wider society in which they live, hence the general trend in the reporting. It would be good if the media were to do more highlights, even outside of national honours, of people doing serious work in the trenches.
COLIN STEER