The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

WENDELL Jones, CEO of JCN, said yesterday that the media organisation has “sent some staff home” as the industry grapples with the coronavirus crisis.

JCN’s action comes days after the Freeport News laid off some employees.

“We are practicing social distancing,” Mr Jones said. “Certain staff we thought we wouldn’t need, we told to go home until this crisis is over. If you come to JCN, we wouldn’t have no receptionist, few people in production, the administration staff, this is (happening in other news organisations as well). One or two junior reporters we just hired whom we thought given the circumstances we won’t need (were also sent home).”

Nonetheless, the media boss said JCN is still producing news. “If the curfew is lifted they’ll be back,” he said. “For all our people who are not working now, if the prime minister announces next week the curfew will be lifted, they’ll be back. We have a newscast every day, television on the air, we have essential workers.

“People in the accounts department, sales — no one is buying any ads right now so there’s no need for the sales department to be here. None for our accounts department needs to be here. The coordinator of sales is coming to work, running commercials on an ongoing basis. We have our television production team keeping the station on air.

“There’s no point in them coming out if it’s not necessary. The business community is essentially closed, only essentials are open. We don’t want our staff to be here twiddling their thumbs with nothing to do. We are providing 24 hour security and fully operational. I come every day.”