Whittaker: Traditional media must uphold standards amid social media challenges

by Michael Bascombe

KINGSTON, Jamaica, July 25, 2026 – Veteran Caribbean sports broadcaster Lance Whittaker believes traditional media organisations must adapt to changing audience habits while continuing to uphold high standards of accuracy and reliability.

Whittaker, appearing on the TalkSports programme on Saturday, said television, radio, and newspapers are facing increased competition as more people turn to social media and other digital platforms for news and information.

“Traditional media is facing a challenge now because I don’t think the percentage of people viewing any major seven o’clock television news in the evening is the same now as it was 40 years ago,” Whittaker said.

“A lot of people now depend on social media for their news, so that’s a challenge for traditional media.”

Despite the changing media environment, Whittaker said traditional outlets have a greater responsibility to maintain their professional standards, particularly when information circulated on social media is not always properly verified.

“Traditional media has to recognise that it has to uphold its high standards and protocols regarding the accuracy and reliability of information because a lot of the social media platforms don’t go through the rigid tests to clarify whether stories are accurate or not,” he said.

Whittaker described the present period as a difficult one for Caribbean media companies, with declining financial returns and the high cost of operating traditional television, radio, and newspaper organisations.

He said he was troubled by the closure of established media entities in the region and questioned whether many private television stations were currently profitable.

“Running a traditional media entity now costs a lot of money, and the financial returns in sales and the commercial returns often don’t match the income of the company,” Whittaker said.

“So, it really is treacherous times for traditional media.”

Whittaker said many broadcasters and journalists are now creating their own podcasts, YouTube channels, and other independent digital platforms.

He believes media professionals must be prepared to adjust to the changing industry rather than resist the opportunities provided by new technology.

“We may be a little bit stubborn if we don’t recognise that we have to pivot a bit and do some of that,” he said.

Whittaker said he had also made that transition following the closure of SportsMax, where he worked, in July last year. He now uses a YouTube page (Lance Whittaker Voice & Motion) to publish his horse-racing content.

“A lot of people are doing that now because, depending on how committed and diligent you are with it, it is a source of income as well,” he said.

Whittaker noted that television has been especially affected because of the high cost of broadcasting, while radio may be in a slightly better position because it is less expensive to operate.

He said some state-owned media organisations continue to receive government funding, but private companies are finding it increasingly difficult to remain viable.

“For me, it’s very troubling, but we have to keep pushing on because I’m passionate about media,” Whittaker said.

“I think it’s important for the media houses to tighten their grip on what’s happening and try to stay afloat and flourish even.”

Watch the entire programme 

West Indies’ batting decline painful to watch, says Whittaker

by Michael Bascombe

KINGSTON, Jamaica, July 25, 2026 – Veteran Caribbean sports broadcaster Lance Whittaker says the continued decline in the quality of West Indies batting is heartbreaking and painful to watch, particularly for those who witnessed the team’s dominance during the 1970s and 1980s.

Whittaker, speaking on the TalkSports programme on Saturday, was responding to concerns about the West Indies’ batting during the 2025 Pakistan tour and the team’s repeated difficulty in reaching 200 runs.

“I started broadcasting in 1984. In 1984, Clive Lloyd was the West Indies captain, and he transitioned to Viv Richards being the West Indies captain,” Whittaker said.

“At the time, the West Indies were unquestionably the best team in the world.”

Whittaker noted that some sports researchers consider the West Indies team of the late 1970s and 1980s to be among the greatest teams in the history of sport.

“So, to see the West Indies going from that position in the 80s and early 90s to where we are now, it is heartbreaking. It really, really is heartbreaking,” he said.

Whittaker, who has worked in sports broadcasting for 42 years, said he has covered West Indies cricket throughout its decline and believes the region’s batting skills have deteriorated significantly over the past three to four decades.

He recalled discussing the issue with former Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur, who believed that West Indies batsmen had lost the art of batting.

“When he started to see West Indies’ batters looking uncomfortable against short-pitched bowling, it grieved his heart,” Whittaker said.

“In the days back in the seventies and eighties, you bowled short to Roy Fredericks and so on, and spectators would be picking the ball up in the stands.”

Whittaker said many current West Indies batsmen appear uncomfortable against short-pitched and high-quality pace bowling. He added that they also struggle when facing quality spin bowling.

“Our batting quality has just gone down significantly,” he said.

The Jamaican broadcaster also pointed to concerns about pitches, the attractiveness of the regional cricket product, and the level of financial investment in the sport.

He said the infrastructure and facilities used to develop Caribbean cricketers have not kept pace with those available in India, Australia, England, South Africa, and other leading cricket nations.

“Those are problems that need to be fixed because, if they aren’t, we will continue to see the West Indies struggling at the bottom of the table,” Whittaker said.

“What is happening now in West Indies cricket is very, very painful to watch, especially from someone who had seen when we were at the top - and not just at the top, but invincibly at the top.”

Whittaker said Caribbean people took tremendous pride in the successful West Indies teams of that period and described the current difficulty in scoring 200 runs in an international innings as troubling.

“I know people will say maybe sometimes the pitches are affecting the batting performances, but when you have quality as a batsman, you adjust to the conditions, and you find a way to make runs,” he said.

Watch the entire programme 

Whittaker calls for a regional training programme for sports journalists

by Michael Bascombe

KINGSTON, Jamaica, July 25, 2026 – Veteran Caribbean sports broadcaster Lance Whittaker has called for the establishment of a regional training programme to develop young and aspiring sports journalists throughout the Caribbean.

Whittaker, who appeared on the TalkSports programme on Saturday, said such an initiative could draw on the knowledge and experience of established journalists and broadcasters while providing participants with clear professional standards.

“Yes, I think it would help because there are a lot of people who have a lot to contribute to something like that,” Whittaker said.

The Jamaican broadcaster has spent 42 years in the profession and believes his experience could be useful in helping to prepare the next generation of Caribbean sports journalists.

“As I said, I’ve been in it for 42 years now. I’m semi-retired at the moment, if you want to call it that, and I think I can offer a lot if I were to be a part of a programme training young or budding sports journalists throughout the region,” he said.

Whittaker suggested that the programme should have an established structure, with guidelines and standards covering the various areas of sports broadcasting and journalism.

He said that while there is considerable talent across the region, many young journalists need proper guidance and opportunities to develop their abilities.

“Being guided by a fixed programme that sets the guidelines and the standards by which sports broadcasting should be followed, I think it’s necessary, and I think it would be beneficial,” Whittaker said.

“I don’t think anyone could argue that having something like that throughout the region would not help significantly because there are a lot of talented people who just need to be nurtured and guided in the right direction.”

Whittaker said a coordinated regional approach could help improve the overall standard of sports coverage and ensure that developing journalists are better prepared for the demands of the profession.

“I would suggest that would be a good plan,” he said.

Watch the entire programme 

Whittaker: Administration, coaching and investment key to Caribbean World Cup return

by Michael Bascombe

KINGSTON, Jamaica, July 25, 2026 – Caribbean sports broadcaster Lance Whittaker believes efficient administration, strategic coaching, and greater financial investment are essential for an English-speaking Caribbean team to return to the FIFA World Cup.

Whittaker, appearing as a guest on the TalkSports programme on Saturday, said the quality of football talent across the region was not in question. However, he stressed that talent alone would not be enough without the proper structures and decision-making in place.

“I think there is quality in the talent available, but to succeed in football, a lot of precision needs to be executed, both from an administrative and a coaching standpoint,” Whittaker said.

He pointed to Jamaica’s unsuccessful bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, arguing that the country had a strong opportunity but was ultimately let down by shortcomings in key areas.

“Jamaicans will tell you that on both fronts, administratively and coaching-wise, Jamaica let themselves down because they had a really grand opportunity to appear at the 2026 World Cup football finals,” he said.

Whittaker identified three areas that regional football authorities must address if they are serious about competing successfully at the international level.

“Efficient administration, high-quality and strategic coaching, and investment in money are the factors for me that can get an English-speaking Caribbean team back at the World Cup,” he said.

The veteran broadcaster also referred to discussions surrounding the possibility of the World Cup being expanded from 48 to 64 teams, which he believes could create additional opportunities for Caribbean countries.

“We heard Gianni Infantino talking about a 64-team World Cup next time and not 48, which means that the window is opening up, if it happens, for more teams to get in,” Whittaker said.

He noted that Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago have previously qualified for the tournament, demonstrating that English-speaking Caribbean countries are capable of reaching football’s biggest stage.

“There’s no reason why they can’t,” he said. “But they have to invest properly, and the administrators of these football programmes and the coaches have to know exactly what they’re doing and make good decisions, because there is the potential to get back there as English-speaking Caribbean teams.”

Watch the entire programme 

CARICOM intervention must be the start of a wider sports commitment

by Michael Bascombe

The confirmation that Guyana will host the 2027 CARIFTA Games and Barbados the 2028 edition is welcome news. It ends uncertainty and signals that CARICOM leaders are beginning to recognise that regional sport cannot be limited to cricket.

The Heads of Government deserve to be commended for responding quickly after NACAC Athletics appealed for help. But this intervention must be the start of a wider commitment, not an emergency measure to rescue one championship.

Sport needs a permanent seat at the regional discussion table. The Caribbean cannot continue to speak about youth development, public health, education, tourism, and economic opportunity while treating sport as an occasional item, raised only when a crisis develops.

NACAC President Mike Sands said the appeal to CARICOM stressed the urgent need for a host and the wider value of sport to the region’s young people. During Thursday’s media briefing, he did not identify the messenger, but hinted that NACAC had found an emissary. He said one territory had been prepared to host, without giving details.

That naturally raises the question: did Grenada help convince regional leaders that the CARIFTA Games must remain on the calendar?

The timing is difficult to ignore. Against that background, it is fair to ask whether Grenada played a part in bringing the matter to the attention of CARICOM leaders. Having hosted the Games twice in three years, including the 2026 edition at short notice, Grenada understood both their importance and the growing burden placed on smaller host countries.

Although no details have been made public about how the issue reached the CARICOM conference room, the timing and the outcome leave the impression that Grenada may have helped convince regional leaders that the CARIFTA Games must remain firmly on the regional sporting calendar.

CARICOM Heads should now mandate their respective sports ministers to develop a sustainable regional framework with NACAC and other sporting organisations. That discussion should address host rotation, government guarantees, facilities, travel costs, broadcast opportunities, athlete welfare, and long-term financing.

Football, cricket, basketball, boxing, swimming, netball, the Olympic movement, and other regional bodies should also be invited into the conversation. The problems facing CARIFTA are not unique to athletics.

Guyana and Barbados have secured the immediate future of the Games. CARICOM must now help secure the wider future of Caribbean sport.