Introduction
A view of St.Kitts and Nevis at the nearest point
Geographic location of the islands
The Federation of St.Kitts and Nevis is located at the tip of the northern leewards chain of islands in the Caribbean, just 200 miles south of Puerto Rico. These two islands, separated by water, are 2 miles apart at the nearest point, have a total land area of 104 square miles, a population of approximately 51,000 people, and boast a tropical climate year round. They were former British colonies that gained their independence from Great Britain in September, 1983, and still adopt the British parliamentary system with elections that are ‘first past the post,’ and conducted every five years.
Islands of sun, sea and sand
The islands have black volcanic sand on the beaches near to the Mount Liamigua volcano, and white coral sand on the south eastern section of the islands. There are no major natural resources other than the fertile agricultural lands and natural rain forests. St.Kitts and Nevis are completely surrounded by water with the Caribbean sea on one side, and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. The economy is heavily dependent on tourism followed by construction, light manufacturing, financial services, fisheries and agriculture. There is limited technological development, therefore, in recent years, there has been a major concentration on computer technology, and efforts are now being made to harness geothermal energy and solar energy as alternatives to fossil fuels.
View of The Atlantic Ocean in St.Kitts
Focus on Information Technology in education
For the past 15 years, students in the high schools have been encouraged to do computer training partly because many workplaces required basic literacy in computing. Years later, the Government of Taiwan entered into an agreement with the Government of St.Kitts and Nevis to provide training in computer hardware and software operations, and to donate laptops to students in the college and secondary schools.
The advent of posthumanity
This agreement has had a life-altering effect on many citizens. Students who were already attracted to the many functions of the I phone and the appeal of video games, became far more responsive to visual presentations. Additionally, their engagement extended to kinesthetic responses as they interacted with ‘intelligent machines’ to make meaning of whatever they saw and read. Therefore, this initiative encouraged the growth of an increasing number of young posthuman citizens. As a result, it became difficult to draw a distinguishing line between “bodily existence and computer simulation”, in other words, the boundaries between the human organism and digital technology are not readily distinguishable as the human brain decodes messages and so do the machines. This development proved N. Katherine Hayles argument to be a valid one. Hailes posits: “Increasingly the question is not whether we will become posthuman, for posthumanity is already here. Rather, the question is what kind of posthumans we will be…The narratives of Artificial Life reveal that if we acknowledge that the observer must be part of the picture, bodies can never be made of information alone, no matter which side of the computer screen they are on.” Bodies are both biological and cybernatic. Consequently, we cannot underestimate the impact of information technologies that enhance the creative as well as interpretative acts of the students.
Will parents become posthuman?
Several parents, having observed their children’s keen interest, became involved and eager to learn even the basics of Computer Science, and the government started offering evening classes for adults wishing to become computer literate. Their acceptance of the I pad and I phone as being essential to work and every day life, created accelerated interest. People who were resistant to change soon realized that the life of the country had changed forever with the introduction of computer education, and the government had no choice but to be part of this change in order to effectively disseminate information.
Government communication in the past and the disadvantages
However, prior to employing digital technology as a means of information sharing, the Government of St.Kitts and Nevis disseminated a variety of news items through radio programs, television broadcasts, official press releases, newspaper publications, government gazettes and live addresses on political platforms. While there were advantages to be gained by using these media, there were also some major short comings, and as a result, the information often failed to reach a very wide audience.
For example, there were a number of elderly persons who could not read or write, and so they were excluded from anything presented in print form. Radio and television programs and live presentations did not allow for feedback. Sometimes the emotive language used, helped to cloud reasoning. Furthermore, there were people who did not or could not attend the public meetings which were either held outdoors in open areas or in town halls. Additionally, an increasing number of young people lost interest as they did not find the mode of presentations appealing. Several of these young people had embraced the digital age, were making full use of the technology, and found social media such as Facebook very engaging. Teachers often complained that their students could not participate in discussions or debates on local issues because they were not listening to the radio. At one point the management of the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College sent out survey sheets asking students what was the best way to communicate with them. Invariably, students requested that the communication be done through another Caribbean station or through Facebook.
The Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College
Historical context
Initially, in the 1960’s, the country had just two radio stations, one was an AM state owned entity, Radio ZIZ, the other, an FM private religious station, Radio Paradise. At that time, radio was the only means of reaching a wide audience as it was low cost and often accessible. Despite this fact, rural areas located behind some of the mountain ranges were unable to get the signals and so were excluded. All applicants for licenses to operate private stations, were denied. A landmark court case brought by John Benjamin in the nearby island of Anguilla, changed this. The judge ruled that it was a denial of the people’s right to freedom of expression when they were denied the right to speak on the government owned station. This case set a legal precedence resulting from the detailed judgement that was handed down, and the Government of St.Kitts and Nevis had to grant the licenses to ensure people’s right to freedom of thought, freedom of expression and freedom from discrimination. The court action ushered in a new era in press freedom.
The appeal of FM websites
The new FM stations established websites which were colorful, and had appealing graphics. They immediately attracted readership and participation. Several shows allowed people to call in and express their views. Others were able to go to the websites and replay previous programs. Internet use became widespread as nationals at home and abroad could log on and participate in the programs. The theories outlined in FusionCharts are applicable. The white paper states: “when we look at a visual, our eyes and our brain work in parallel to take in new information, and break it into small chunks. Then both the eyes and the brain process the chunks in parallel to find meaning.” Undoubtedly, the principle, as outlined here, worked to the advantage of the private media houses that were able to increase political, social and economic awareness as viewers and listeners found the sounds and visuals appealing and responded to them.
State owned media houses
The state owned broadcasts, however, had high levels of political content that tended to be partisan. Undoubtedly, this contributed to political polarization. When a major political impasse developed ( as a result of the two main parties on St.Kitts winning an equal number of seats, and each side’s efforts to form a coalition with one of the parties in Nevis), a step was taken to rectify the imbalance in radio programs. In 1994, all political parties were brought together by the private sector organizations to determine the way forward. The meeting concluded with the signing of a memorandum of understanding called The Four Seasons Accord. One of the articles they signed was an agreement to allow all parties equal opportunity to broadcast from the nationally owned station. There was no change in policy up to the 2010 general elections. As a result, the coalition of Non Governmental Organizations assigned to observe those elections, commented in their official report on the “highly partisan programming and news broadcasting on ZIZ Radio and Television.”
The National Broadcasting service has made some changes recently, allowing information from the opposition to be broadcast. The policy decision of the past, to broadcast only government and ruling party matters, alienated members and supporters of the then opposition. The situation with the newspapers was even worse. Daily newspapers did not survive because they did not attract sufficient readership to make them economically viable. Therefore, only the weekly papers enjoyed longevity, but, unfortunately, they were all organs of political parties.The Labour Spokesman represented the Labour Party, the Democrat, the People’s Action Movement, The Leeward Times, the Nevis Reformation Party and the St.Kitts Nevis Observer (that is now up for sale) has claimed that it is the only independent newspaper, and this has constantly been challenged.
A landmark constitutional challenge
Another communication issued by the government, known as the gazette, is a constitutional requirement. Government has to identify by name all persons appointed to the government establishment, those who retired, were transferred or dismissed, the dates these took effect, as well as the titles and dates of bills that were passed into law. Many people did not understand the significance of this document until 2015 when the opposition brought a constitutional challenge which went all the way to the Privy Council, the final court of appeal, in London, England. The opposition won the case primarily because the government, in a last minute effort to alter the voting boundaries, in order to secure another 5 year term in office, rushed to parliament, passed a bill in just under an hour, and failed to have it gazetted. The bill was therefore declared null and void, just days before the February 2015 General election. The outcome of the election was that the opposition won 7 of the 11 parliamentary seats.
Decision of the Privy Council in London. Youtube video by UKSupremeCourt
Abuse of the citizenship by Investment program
The new government was faced with a major task, and this reached crisis proportions when nationals learned that their passports had been sold by the former administration to persons on the US blacklist. The US government issued a formal warning from the Treasury Department, and this was followed by a visit from high ranking US officials. The then Prime Minister remained silent about this and when questions were asked, he denied the allegations. Soon after, the Canadian government withdrew its visa free access to citizens of St.Kitts and Nevis, and issued a formal statement, so the violation by government was no longer a secret.
What was even more disturbing, was the absence of accountability. The public did not know how many passports had been sold, to whom or at what price. Additionally, there was no record of deposits to the Consolidated Fund as required by law. Section 69 of the Constitution of St.Kitts and Nevis states:” All revenue or other monies raised or received by the Government (not being revenues or other moneys that are payable, by or under any law, into some other fund of the government established for a specific purpose) shall be paid into and form a Consolidated Fund.” Strategies therefore had to be devised to deal with the problems and satisfy an angry public that demanded transparency and accountability, or would remove the present government from office.
The search for a solution using digital technology
In this regard, it appears that the new government is in agreement with Douglas Eyman, who stated: ” As digital technologies have continued to develop (at an amazingly brisk pace), the possibilities of constructing hypertext work that includes a variety of media – video, audio, animation, interactive processes has further marked the departure from our traditional notions of print documents while simultaneously retaining, print-based forms within these hypermedia compositions.” The law of the Federation, requires certain documents to be in print form, but using a range of digital media would help to get important information to the public. The government realized it would have to use varied media but could not exclude print.
Digital technology and new possibilities
Lawrence Lessig recognizes the power of digital technology, and while his comments relate to business, they are equally applicable to Government of St.Kitts and Nevis. Lessig argues: ” the internet has caused an explosion in the opportunities for business to make money by making old businesses work better…We can already see that this new bit of social infrastructure offers a staggering potential for growth and innovation.” Some might question what business is the Government of St.Kitts and Nevis engaged in? Government has been mandated to promote and sell the country’s tourism product, the revamped citizenship by investment program, and the financial services among other things. There is no better way to do this than by combining traditional face to face meetings with print material, videos, photographs and allowing public access to a website that is informative and interactive. Therefore, a website was created, but there were limitations.
St.Kitts Nevis information service on line
Government Information goes digital
Consequently, the government searched for technical experts who would help to create an e-government portal to be put on the government website. Ironically, except for one gentleman, Adam Anderson, who is an American resident in the country, all of the other computer experts were young locals who had trained at the high schools and college, and some had even received instruction at the computer training center run by the Taiwanese. One of the locals owns and operates his own private website.The government therefore went into partnership with this team known as Open Interactive. Jamiella Mc Phail, of the Government information service was very much involved in the process and agreed to share information in a long distance telephone interview.
Interviewee, Jamiella Mc Phail, Technical Officer, St. Kitts and Nevis Information Service
International call by cellphone, interveiwing Jamiella Mc Phail, intro music by Steel Pan for Life, musical score by Elston Nero
Involvement of the youthful population
A 30 year old local entrepreneur, Stachio Williams, identified talented young men under the age of 25 to work with him in creating the e-portal. They were all local, and using a process that was labor intensive, set about structuring a website with inviting visuals. A major objective was to rebrand the Federation in an effort to counteract the negative media attention that was created as a result of the abuse of the Citizenship by Investment program in which questionable characters overseas were able to buy the Federation’s passports. The overall goal was to have a system that was easily accessible and would facilitate the flow of information and accommodate business transactions.
What was designed involved consolidating all government websites and allowed visitors to the newly designed site to access,what they termed, ‘government at a glance’. Some of the features of the site included daily news items, government statistical information, important documents such as legislation, visitor lifestyles and government services. The information is being made available in several languages in order to cater for a wide clientele. Pictures of historical sites taken by drones were also added.The pictures, videos and information were all placed on social media, and the official launching ceremony in March 2016, turned out to be a high profile event attended by all Ministers of Government. The e-portal can be accessed at https://www.gov.kn/
YouTube video submitted by Adam Anderson
The launch attracted the attention of many young people partly because it allowed them to access important information for the first time, but also because they were able to identify with many of their peers who were actively involved in the design and operation of the website. The designers came in for high praise from other young people present at the launch. While they expressed happiness about the innovative infrastructure and the great potential it offered the country, they also voiced concerns about the need to further develop the site so that it can play an integral part in the democratic process. For example, one speaker expressed the desire to be able to communicate with government representatives on Twitter. Additionally, fears were expressed about the need to protect the website from possible cyber attacks. This was probably a reference to hacking that exposed personal information that could be used in identity theft, as well as hacking suspected to have been conducted by ISIS on US websites.
YouTube video submitted by Adam Anderson
The round table session which followed the formal presentations, involved the technocrats who provided information on the rapid application development platform.
Youtube video submitted by Adam Anderson
How the hardware was put together
The team got support from consultants, the Mendez Group, that provided a rapid application development platform. This technology brought ideas to life through visuals and by employing cloud infrastructure. Much was achieved by using bi modal information technology which encouraged speed, efficiency and innovation. The microflow system used, facilitated building one application and having the mechanism enhance the other applications without having to repeat the process.
Advantages of the new technology
The applications that will soon be available on the website have raised expectations not only for an improved democracy, but also for strengthening the economy by attracting increased business. It is anticipated that the technology will allow the government to attract the attention of an international audience and so complement the work of the St.Kitts Investment Agency, SKIPA, the National Carnival Committee that is responsible for the celebrations held annually from late November to early January the following year, the St.Kitts Music Festival Committee, which organizes the June event, the Culturama Committee that has responsibility for showcasing Nevisian culture from July to August, the entities responsible for hosting international cricket matches at various times during the year, and the Hotel and Tourism Association which supports the advancement of Hotels, restaurants and various activities to engage the visitor.
Display of some of the e-portal applications that will be offered
Cricket promotion
The hosting of International cricket matches is a recent phenomena. However, it has brought the cricketers, their families and fans to the country to enjoy the game and have fun at the parties organized around the event. It has potential for expanding the tourism industry and keeping people employed. With support from Government and the business community, St.Kitts and Nevis hosted Caribbean Premier League matches in 2014, then joined the League in 2015. In that year the St.Kitts and Nevis Patriots, a Caribbean Premier League Franchise was purchased. The team members are drawn from Caribbean teams, and the co owners are Uday Nayak, Mohammed Ansari, and Nirvan Veerasmy. In an interview with local media in April, 2016, Richard Berridge, Chief Operating Officer stated: ” having a CPL franchise based in St.Kitts should not be taken for granted by our local stakeholders. It generates much needed economic activity, that several other destinations in our region would like to have.” Berridge disclosed that the games held in St.Kitts in 2014 were worth US$ 5.3 million. In 2015, this figure increased to US $ 11.3 million. In 2016, one of the matches will be held in Florida. This is all part of the thrust in sports tourism.
The St.Kitts and Nevis Patriots team 
Since the survival of the country is now heavily dependent on inflows of direct foreign investment, the various functions and celebrations have been expanded to attract visitors. Although there is a vibrant cruise industry, it is seasonal, functioning mainly from late November to mid April. The cruise passengers spend far less money than the stay over visitors, and the industry suffers setbacks resulting from the uncertainty of the weather, technical breakdowns on the ships, and outbreaks of illnesses on board, among other things. Therefore, there is greater reliance on locally held activities to attract visitors.
Carnival and traditional folklore
The National Carnival Committee organizes several shows and contests that highlight the performing talents of citizens in music, dance, drama, creative costume making and calypso, which is a traditional music genre combined with lyrics that offer social and political commentary. These performances are held on covered stages with audiences seated in the open air, and the shows continue for several nights.
Steel pan champions, carnival 2015 – 2016, St.Kitts. Youtube video by Kevin Barrett
The grand climax is the carnival parade held on January 1st. This has been the main attraction for visitors from the region as well as the world, who have come in increasing numbers every year. The carnival parade which takes place on the streets of the town, features the traditional folklore bands and their music, as well as the more modern carnival reveler who dresses in costumes similar to those used in the Brazilian carnival. The e-portal will allow the government to promote carnival in a more efficient way than it did before. While some will still rely on the radio, television and print media to inform them, others will not. Soon, at the click of a button people living anywhere will be able to see what the program of festivities looks like, and they will then be able to make travel plans if they wish to participate.
Revelers parading in the streets of Basseterre, St.Kitts, January 1st, 2016. YouTube video by GoodVibes
Festivals promote the tourism product
Economic activity increases with visitor arrivals as hotel rooms are booked to capacity during carnival. Nationals living abroad often return home to enjoy the festivities and business places experience increased sales, in particular the car rental agencies and restaurants that are patronized by both visitors and nationals. This probably explains why the festival enjoys longevity, having first been formalized in the 1950’s. The carnival parade caters to a wide range of interests and age groups because some are attracted to the rich history of the traditional folklore section of the parade while others prefer the modern troupes. The Nevis celebrations,however, place more emphasis on cultural matters such as exhibitions of cultural artifacts, sale of traditional foods, and performances by folklore troupes such as the masquerades.
Masqueraders performing in the streets of Charlestown,Nevis. YouTube video by King Razah
The clientele attracted to the carnival and culturama parades is slightly different from the crowds that find the St.Kitts Music Festival appealing. This festival was created mainly in response to a call from the business sector to have activities in June to fill the long void between May and July. This period often saw a slump in business accompanied by major lay offs of workers in the tourism sector. Therefore, the festival was arranged differently. There were three or four nights of performances by local, regional and international singers, many of whom came from the United States. Their fans traveled with them and added to the increased participation. However, if the information did not reach the managers and promoters in a timely manner, some singers would have to opt out. This problem can now be addressed through the use of digital technology, and expectations for the next festival are high.
Music festival increases hotel occupancy
A visiting artiste at the 2015 Music Festival. YouTube video by King Razah
The influx of music festival visitors has helped to maintain hotel occupancy rates and keep hotel workers employed for a longer period. Instead of having mass lay offs in April or May, fewer numbers are sent home. They are able to work until early August, then get laid off until October or November. While this represents an improvement, more has to be done to find year round employment for these workers. The e-government portfolio cannot achieve all of the country’s goals, therefore, it will take partnerships between government and the private sector to find a solution.
Government and the Hotel and Tourism Association cooperate
Up to now the St. Kitts and Nevis Government and the Hotel and Tourism Association have enjoyed a close working relationship, although at times they share different points of view. Working together without including payment is an excellent foundation for starting what Lessig calls “sharing economies.” In a tiny nation state, neither side has adequate resources to build the tourism industry alone. Lessig explains that where social relations are developed without demands for payment, there is the development of a connected community that shares information and resources. The new digital technology could provide Government and the Private Sector with a cost effective way to promote the tourism product.
Marketing efforts and their shortcomings
In the past, besides meetings, advertisements on Channel 12 Long Island and other stations, there has been heavy reliance on widespread readership of the Visitor Magazine. This document is a publication produced by the Hotel and Tourism Association. It comprises several glossy pages of colorful pictures of landscapes, restaurants, food, duty free commodities and messages from the Minister of Tourism and the President of the association. In order to defray the cost of publication, paid advertisements are on every page. It is distributed free of cost in several countries of the world as a marketing strategy. Persons wishing to buy the magazine locally, pay a subsidized fee of US $5.00 each. It would not be wise to stop the production of this magazine, as there are customers who prefer the touch of paper and enjoy reading print material. But, in the interest of economizing, some of the pictures and graphics could be displayed on the new website.
Display and explanation of the Visitor magazine. Cover shot of Cockleshell Bay St.Kitts by M. Kuester
The beaches are the patrimony of the citizens
For several years now, tourism has been the main contributor to the Gross Domestic Product of the country. However, in advancing the tourism sector and giving it the extensive exposure the internet allows, the country can possibly face the kind of development that not only ignores the need to protect the delicate ecosystem, but one that can also deny locals the use of their beaches which are part of their patrimony. Therefore, the relevant legislation and enforcement must go hand in hand with any tourism development plans, in order to protect the country from these forms of exploitation.
Pictured above is South Friars Bay which has remained unspoilt over the years. Around 2010, a controversy developed as a local investor decided to build a restaurant on the beach. Other locals objected insisting that it detracted from the natural beauty of the landscape, and there were sensitivities sparked by a Canadian investor who had violated the law by constructing his home close to the shore of another beach. (The law specifies how many feet from the high water mark any construction can be allowed to take place). Efforts made by employees of the entrepreneur to have Friars Bay accessible to tourists alone, were met with strong resistance, and government enforced the law that there must be public access to all beaches. Undoubtedly, some will still be tempted to follow the pattern of countries like Barbados where there are private beaches which locals are not allowed to enter. Therefore, while the websites lure prospective investors, it is equally important to have checks and balances in place.
Discussion – the possibilities
No one knows whether the tourism industry will remain profitable in the future, and because of this uncertainty, it would be wise for investments to be continuously made in digital technology to maintain competitiveness and encourage economic diversification. Additionally, some of the other advantages offered by the internet can be employed. For example, Lessig has an extensive discourse on “Little Brother”, a feature which allows the website to collect data about customers. While this may seem invasive, what it in fact does is to match clients to the goods and services they appear to prefer. Therefore, prospective visitors who surf the web, make queries and book hotels and activities, will provide indications of their preferences on the system, and these can be compared with what else is offered. The information can be sent as a suggestion to the client who might wish to try something similar but new. This is a useful and cost effective way to expand the market. Lessig highlights the growth Amazon has experienced using this approach.
At the end of every National Carnival and Music Festival, the Ministry of Tourism employs people to approach passengers in the departure lounge at the airport and invite them to respond to questions on a survey sheet. The information gathered is about impressions of the country, goods and services they bought, the quality of the festivities and improvements they would like to see in all areas. While data collection is critical, in the age of digital technology, there is a more efficient way to obtain that data. The present method of approach can anger a visitor who might have had a thoroughly enjoyable experience but is sleep deprived because many functions begin at 8 p.m. and the after parties go on until sunrise. Alternatively, a visitor might still be intoxicated after a full night of reveling, or might consider doing the survey a bother. These are situations which can produce data that is not reliable. By building innovation, the e-portals can offer tools that can be used to build a tourism data base. A partnership between the Ministry of Tourism and the Hotel and Tourism Association can be a positive move, because through the sharing of expertise, they can help to expand the market and respond to the needs of the clients.
A promising future
The decision taken to link the website to social media will prove invaluable in reaching a wide audience and encouraging dialogue on the issues. It can enhance what economists refer to as a “bottom up” approach to development, by encouraging participation by as many people as possible. In their article: The Structure of Online Activism, Kevin Lewis, Kurt Gray and Jens Meierhenrich state: “Social media have changed the world. The ability to connect instantly with friends, family, and strangers alike has transformed the way relationships are created and maintained and altered the very structure of our social fabric ( Brown 2011; Ellison, Steinfield, and Lampe 2007; Rosenfeld and Thomas 2012). On a societal level, social media create unprecedented opportunities for information flow ( Sparrow, Liu, and Wegner 2011 ), affective expression ( Golder and Macy 2011), social influence ( Bond et al. 2012), and apparently even democratic revolution ( Allagui and Kuebler 2011).”
The need to preserve democracy
St. Kitts and Nevis is a young democracy, and was shocked that the Prime Minister for 20 years (until February 2015) could have created such a litigious atmosphere as a result of serious violations of the constitution. Many people are skeptical of any politician, and use social media to question and express their concerns. Some have realized that it was foolhardy to accept the former prime minister’s stance that he was elected by the people to make decisions for them, as this was the trust they placed in him by voting for him. The government website and e-government portfolios now allow them the opportunity to be informed and participate in the decision making process, and this augurs well for the future, but a democracy must be fiercely guarded if it is to work in the interest of the country. Therefore, the web should allow for the 6 preconditions for democracy as outlined by Peter Dahlgren, namely, knowledge, values, trust, spaces, practices, and identities.
In order to actively participate in a democracy, individuals must be well informed and be able to access knowledge. The internet provides a variety of websites and other sources, but everyone does not have the means to access the information, so there is an information gap. With knowledge, citizens can engage in discussion, openness, reciprocity, and accountability. Those who operate the technology have an opportunity to be transparent. With transparency, trust can be established, but Dahlgren also argues that skepticism is healthy. These preconditions require people to have spaces where they can meet and have discussions. The internet can assist by providing this convenient forum that will not necessarily have people moving to meet in a physical space. Democracy also requires practices which demonstrate a democratic life, and finally, the media can have a positive impact on identities with regard to having an empowered and valorized political community.
It is possible for the internet to help in the creation of a global public space, but there must be the political will. The website and e-government portfolio are in the early stages of development. Therefore it is not possible at this time to predict what the outcome of their establishment will be. However, it is important for the public to set benchmarks so that their expectations are clearly communicated to the authorities.
Challenges/successes experienced in conducting the research
The initial challenges that I experienced were the result of internet instability, and the possibility of losing documentation. These limitations were in part, the result of researching technology use that is quite recent. Another difficulty I faced was determining how to utilize the type of video footage that is available. Compiling the information was totally dependent on the availability of the internet service. For a few weeks now, it has been unstable to the point where I was afraid of losing unsaved material. Fortunately, very little was lost. Also, there is always a challenge in doing research on anything that is relatively new. Because the e-portal is ‘a work in progress’, the analysis will be limited to the information that is available at the time of writing. Additionally, many members of the public who were contacted by me for a comment, were unaware of the innovation. Therefore, with time, data based on public opinion, will be gathered. The other area of concern is that most of the videos available are unedited, or ‘raw footage’. While some may see this as demonstrating an unprofessional finish, there is also a positive side. Unedited videos often present a realistic picture that viewers can relate to.
My research experience showed very clearly how much more impact a message could have by using pictures, music and videos rather than written text alone. The nostalgia created by these images proved motivational, and it was difficult to resist unfolding a story which had meaning on several levels. A quick comparison of this document with research papers I completed in the past, brought an even greater appreciation of how the use of media reenacted an experience that took place many miles away, yet could be enjoyed by anyone who logged on and accessed this blog. In many respects, this was a learning experience which involved using certain aspects of digital technology for the first time. The end result, was the creation of an engaging discussion with appeals to sight and sound, and a demonstration of how powerful an argument can be when text and digital media are combined.
Conclusion
Once the objectives of the new e-portal are met, the use of moving and still images combined with voice, music, color and words will bring new meanings to the messages being conveyed, and will encourage greater interest and participation. No longer will there be such heavy dependence on written texts which are limited in conveying meaning. In a changing world where more digital technology is being employed, small developing countries such as St.Kitts and Nevis, must ‘get on board’ if they are not to be left behind in a fiercely competitive global market. Digital technology challenges all of us to become literate in this area as literacy is no longer limited to reading and writing. Today, strong communicators send their messages through multimodal media and effectively sell their products and services. St.Kitts and Nevis needs to promote what the country has to offer, and so stimulate much needed growth using digital technology.
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