Media

To the surprise of many, Guyler C. Delva announced that he is no longer an advisor to President Michel Martelly. This announce was made by Mr. Delva himself at the popular Radio show: Ranmasse this Saturday, November 9, 2013.

Does that mean we will no longer have the presence of Guyler C. Delva every cause for the Martelly government?

He stated that he took the decision to leave his position as adviser to the president to give more time to his new work which is to work to defend assassinated journalists under the "SOS Journalist Association.

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A firestorm has erupted over a radio commercial comedian Tonton Bicha made for Rum Bakara, an import from the Dominican Republic (DR). The outrage focuses on two elements of the commercial, which tie into each other.

The advertising campaign promoting Rhum Bakara brands the product as "cultural rum". The connection made
by Tonton Bicha between the descriptor and its characterization is the trivialization of Voodoo, a Haitian religious belief that has only been legitimized by the government in the last ten years. The content of the commercial depicts a conversation between a houngan and voudouisant (positions held in Voodoo communities) that caricatures Haiti's Rhum Barbancourt, a venerable 150 year-old company that has passed down its legacy to four generations of rum makers.

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Haitian photographer, Daniel Morel, was awarded $1.22 million in statutory damages in a copyright infringement case in late November. The lawsuit brought by Morel and Corbis Photo concerned eight photographs taken by Morel of the aftermath of Haiti's 2010 earthquake.

The trouble began after Morel posted the photos on his TwitPic account. Another Twitter user re-posted the pictures on his own timeline, neglecting to either credit Morel, or layout the owner's restrictions for other conditions regarding their usage.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) and its U.S. affiliate, Getty Images, published the photos without asking Morel permission. Although AFP tried to make reparations after discovering their error, he was unavailable. Prior to trying to reach him, AFP emailed their subscription base, correctly crediting Morel as the real photographer. Getty Images also issued a mandatory kill to tell their clients the photos were not to be used for any purpose.

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Will Leo Joseph and Haiti Observateur do it?

Leo Joseph who is the owner of the popular newspaper Haiti Observateur agreed to the dismissal of a lawsuit brought against them by Laurent Lamothe at a price.

In exchange for the dismissal and under the penalty of perjury, the newspaper agreed to publish a sworn declaration by Michael Charles. The declaration should clearly state that the allegations against Mr. Lamothe and Mr. Baker were completely fabricated

US District Court Judge John O'Sullivan entered an order approving a settlement between the parties on Monday, October 28, 2013.

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What should we expect this Saturday at Radio Caraibes in Port-au-Prince? Let's look at the situation:

On the one hand, the government classified Andre Michel as a fugitive of the law. On the other hand, Andre Michel as he has been doing before, will likely say things that the government of Martelly will not enjoy, specially about the wife and son of president Michel Martelly.

Will there be a representative of the government to defend their position this time or will be in the presence of CIMO or a specialize unit in the Haitian Police force waiting down in in the streets to arrest attorney Andre Michel after Ranmasse show?

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In the aftermath of Haiti's 2010 earthquake, Twitter played a significant role in rescue efforts on the ground. In one Twitter post read by a Homeland Security (HS) staffer, it gave the location of a victim buried beneath rubble, reportedly still alive. HS was not the only rescue agency to receive such calls. The American Red Cross was also inundated with posts on both Twitter and Facebook.

Earthquake survivors were twittering, texting, and phoning family and friends in the U.S., who passed on information to authorities. HS social media manager, Wendy Harman, said they were overwhelmed with the amount of information pouring in about conditions post the earthquake. Two days passed before HS had a handle on the situation in Haiti.

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Leo Joseph, the owner of the Haiti Observateur Group has agreed to the dismissal of a lawsuit brought against them by the Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe and Patrice Baker, Lamothe's former business partner. The Haitian Prime Minister Lamothe and Baker sued the online paper in 2012 for publishing an article that alleged them for pressuring "Haitel", a bankrupt telecom company, to sell its assets below market price to an investment company named 'Nord Citadel' who was seeking investment opportunities in Haiti.

The main allegation against Lamothe and Baker was that they forced Nord Citadel to make a down payment as full purchase price to buy the assets of Haitel for $25 million though its market value was somewhere around $80 million. The online paper published the story, as per their earlier declaration, on the basis of an interview with Michael Charles, the founder and managing partner of Nord Citadel.

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Award-winning photojournalist, Thony Belizaire, passed away on July 21st, of complications from emphysema.

Thony Belizaire became a member of the Agence France-Presse (AFP) in 1987. He fearlessly documented political events in Haiti for 30 years, including the coups to oust President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and the monstrous rules of the Duvaliers. The tectonic event of 2010's earthquake was Belizaire's last big assignment.

Praise for Belizaire's work came from all quarters, including Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe. Lamothe respectfully noted "Mr. Belizaire devoted . . . his life to covering . . . the life of the Haitian people." He added Belizaire left a deep impression on photographers and photojournalists in his native Haiti that will never fade.

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Dominican Republic (DR) political extremist and radio talk-show host, Alvaro Arvelo, is outraged by the government of Haiti's (GOH) ban on chicken and egg products coming from the DR. The reason behind the ban is rumors have been circulating in GOH circles a bird-flu virus might have contaminated the fowl and its eggs.

Arvelo has personalized the issue, saying "Haitians are ungrateful; they hate the Dominicans." He hosts a political commentary program, "The Government of the Morning". On this occasion, Haiti was the target of his wrath. He is so incensed over this perceived slight of the GOH towards the DR; he demanded President Danilo Medina mount a military campaign and invade Haiti as soon as possible.

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Miami is home to one of the biggest populations of the Haitian Diaspora, 30% of North Miami's residents. Créole is the primary and perhaps only language they speak. When candidates run for office in North Miami, they depend on Haitian radio to present themselves to listeners.

The Haitian community in North Miami does not have access to media, such as public access TV. If a community newspaper exists, illiteracy among them keeps information undigested. What is left for those voters is Haitian radio.

Haitian radio hosts exercise unbridled influence. What they say--whether true or not--is received by their Créole-speaking audience as God's truth. At its best, Haitian radio keeps listeners abreast of local council developments, at its worse, conversations devolve into race baiting and political name-calling.

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