By: Garfield Angus
September 1, 2026
The Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) has brought together the media and academic communities in a powerful tribute to two late giants whose work helped shape Caribbean journalism, media education and regional consciousness, with veteran journalist Ricky Singh and distinguished media and communications academic Professor Aggrey Brown posthumously inducted into the Caribbean Media Hall of Fame.
The recognition honours decades of fearless journalism, scholarship, mentorship, public service and advocacy for a stronger Caribbean voice in the media. Their induction formed part of the CBU’s 57th Annual General Assembly, held in Georgetown, Guyana, from August 17 to 19, under the theme “Caribbean Media and AI.”
The tribute to the two media icons came at a pivotal moment for the regional media industry, as broadcasters, journalists, academics and communication specialists examined the rapidly changing information environment and the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for Caribbean societies.
Speakers noted that the legacies of Singh and Brown remain especially relevant as emerging technologies transform how information is created, distributed and consumed, challenging the region to balance technological advancement with its cultural identity, intellectual independence and journalistic values.
In a special session on August 19 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre in Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, Director of the Caribbean School of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) at The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Dr. Patrick Prendergast, reflected on Professor Brown’s profound contribution to Caribbean media scholarship and education.
Dr. Prendergast said Professor Brown’s work consistently examined the intersection of communication, culture, technology and development, while challenging Caribbean people to interpret these issues within their own historical and social realities.
He said Professor Brown’s thinking is particularly relevant to the current AI debate, especially the question of how Caribbean societies can harness emerging technologies without surrendering their cultural identity or intellectual independence.
Professor Brown’s scholarship explored the relationship between media and national transformation, the role of information and communication technologies in education, Caribbean research methodologies and the impact of global communication technologies on culture.
He authored four books in English and approximately 40 refereed articles and book chapters addressing culture, politics, power, communication and Caribbean media.
Among his influential works was the 1981 article, The Dialectics of Mass Communication in National Transformation, in which he examined the tendency of Caribbean mass media to place commercial considerations ahead of national development. Professor Brown advocated media systems capable of encouraging democratic dialogue and making a meaningful contribution to social transformation.
By 1987, he was examining the implications of emerging information technologies for education and calling for the integration of information and communication technologies into Caribbean curricula, with greater emphasis on critical thinking, media literacy, curriculum reform and ethical preparation for journalists.
Dr. Prendergast noted that Professor Brown also challenged Caribbean researchers to move beyond standardised approaches developed elsewhere and embrace methodologies that reflected the region’s distinctive political, cultural and social circumstances.
His scholarship warned of the potential for global communication technologies to contribute to cultural erosion, while also recognising their capacity to promote Caribbean creativity, empowerment and autonomy. Professor Brown’s influence extended well beyond his academic publications. He served as Director of CARIMAC for more than two decades, influencing generations of broadcasters, journalists, communication specialists and educators.
Former students remembered him as an educator who encouraged them to question assumptions, challenge conventional wisdom and examine who controls media and information. Dr. Prendergast said Professor Brown viewed education as a means of freedom and empowerment. He encouraged students to develop healthy scepticism, question the truths presented by those in power, find their voices and use communication as a tool for improving society.
That philosophy, he argued, has become even more important in the age of AI, when Caribbean countries must determine how new technologies can be applied ethically and strategically. Rather than simply consuming technologies developed elsewhere, Dr. Prendergast said the region must ensure that innovation serves Caribbean communities and contributes to their social, cultural and economic development.
The second inductee, veteran journalist Ricky Singh, was celebrated as a fearless journalist, regionalist, mentor, institution-builder and defender of press freedom. Delivering reflections on Singh, Caribbean journalist and media trainer Wesley Gibbings described the honour as both timely and overdue.
He said Singh’s journalism was never simply about recording events, but about helping Caribbean people understand themselves, their societies and their shared responsibilities. Born in Canal Number Two Polder, Guyana, on February 1, 1937, Singh lost both parents while he was still young. Gibbings said those early experiences deepened, rather than diminished, his compassion and helped shape his lifelong concern for vulnerable people and social justice.
For more than six decades, Singh chronicled the Caribbean through journalism, activism and regional engagement. From his early work at the Guyana Graphic to his association with Caribbean Contact, the Caribbean News Agency (CANA) and other regional media institutions, he championed the idea of the Caribbean as one interconnected space rather than a collection of separate territories.
His celebrated “Our Caribbean” column reflected that philosophy, drawing connections between political, social and economic developments across the region and demonstrating how developments in one Caribbean country could have consequences far beyond its borders.
Gibbings recalled Singh as a journalist who consistently went beyond the headline to ask what events meant, why they occurred and what consequences they could have for future generations. He covered some of the region’s most turbulent political periods, including the Grenada Revolution, the assassination of Maurice Bishop, the murder of Guyanese scholar and political activist Walter Rodney, and the attempted coup in Trinidad and Tobago in 1990.
His commitment to independent journalism sometimes came at a personal cost, including official displeasure, uncertainty and pressure. Yet Gibbings said Singh remained unwilling to surrender to self-censorship.
Singh also played a significant role in developing the next generation of Caribbean journalists. Gibbings recalled that he did more than edit stories; he helped young writers find their voices, develop confidence and understand the importance of placing Caribbean realities at the centre of their work.
His commitment to press freedom and human rights extended beyond journalism. Through regional organisations and professional networks, Singh advocated collective action to defend journalists and strengthen the media’s role in democratic societies.
Gibbings said Singh’s legacy offers an important lesson in the era of AI: technology may change, but journalism’s ethical responsibilities cannot.Platforms will evolve, he noted, but the obligation to verify information, pursue truth and serve the public must remain at the heart of journalism.
The CBU’s decision to honour Singh and Professor Brown therefore carries significance far beyond the presentation of Hall of Fame awards. Their combined legacies offer the Caribbean media a powerful intellectual and professional framework for navigating the future.
Brown challenged the region to think critically about communication, technology, culture and development, while Singh demonstrated through his journalism that truth, courage, regional solidarity and public service must remain central to the profession.
As artificial intelligence reshapes newsrooms, media platforms and communication systems, their combined legacy sends a clear message: Caribbean people must not merely consume information and technology. They must also retain the confidence, knowledge and courage to shape the stories, technologies and narratives that define the region’s future.
Garfield L. Angus is a Senior Journalist based in Jamaica.
He is also a Governor General’s Achievement Awards (GGAA) Recipient.
Email your opinions, letters and commentaries to: letters@caribmagplus.com