RJRGLEANER COO Christopher Barnes elected first VP of IAPA

Chief Operating Officer at the RJRGLEANER Communications Group Christopher Barnes has been elected the first vice-president of the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA).

Barnes, a Jamaican, was selected during the General Assembly of the Inter-American Press Association meeting in Salta, Argentina, earlier this month.

Barnes told The Gleaner that recent killings of journalists that have sparked global attention have not escaped him, and as such, he stressed that there is need for greater collaboration in the region.

"I am honoured to be selected to represent this prestigious organisation as first vice-president. The events of recent times in the United States, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Turkey, as well as the continued challenges faced by our Latin American neighbours under authoritarian rule, underscore the importance of a regional alliance in support of press freedom," he said.

"I look forward to working with the newly elected president, MarÌa Elvira Dominguez of Colombia, and the rest of the IAPA executive, to champion freedom of the press in the region."

Former Trinidadian and Tobago talk show host Ricardo Welch, also known as the 'Gladiator', was attacked and shot to death last week in the twin-island republic.

The IAPA also reported that 20 journalists have been murdered in the Americas since April this year, describing the last sixth months as the most lethal period in the carrying out of journalistic activities in the region.