Journalist Awarded BTB Broadcasting Scholarship

The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) continues to dip its hand in fostering a better future for Belizeans and the tourism industry. Today, a Media Broadcasting Scholarship was awarded to Plus Television journalist, Louis Wade Jr. Wade will take part in an 8-week program at the CBS Media Center in Miami Florida. The BTB’s Director of Quality Management and Capacity Development, Abil Castaneda, says the initiative is a part of BTB’s mandate to enhance tourism through supporting the media. 

Abil Castaneda, Director Quality Management and Capacity Development, BTB: “We are focusing on the tourism value chain. When we look at the impact of tourism tourism impacts 40-50% of our economy right ? It hires one in every four jobs it’s a very important part of what Belize is and everyone plays a role in it including the media and so one thing that in all destinations, in all tourism destinations where the role of the media really becomes impactful is how do we broadcast, how do we showcase our destination. We did some background search in terms of all types of different training. Actually we started looking for a journalism specific theoretical training but what we realize is that the theoretical part if you don’t match it with a practical part then it’s not as impactful. So the one thing with CSB Media Center is that they have a great mix of theoretical but they incline more towards the practical. Getting into they are literally a going to work in a studio, they go and as I was mentioning before to Mr.Wade they will have internships where they’ll be able to go to see how the big boys do it, the ESPNs, and the NBCs that in their affiliates there in Florida. So we like that approach. We like the approach that they provide a practical sort of entry into what broadcast media is but we also like that their instructors are actually people that work in the media like yourselves that have been in the sector for twenty/thirty years that bring a wealth of experience of what to do and you know the little tricks of the trade and that.”

The scholarship is valued at $42,000 and will provide airfare, housing accommodations, a stipend, and tuition. An official ceremony for the first-of-its-kind program was held this morning. Wade says that through this experience he can expand his knowledge and be a model for his peers.

Louis Wade III, Scholarship Recipient: “I think being one of the youngest in this field in Belize there’s a lot for me to learn because I’m just twenty four years old I started news maybe when I was twenty years old. So I’m very young in it. I feel young I don’t know if 24 is young but I feel young. I know that news is fluid, it’s constantly changing I mean there’s new ways of interpreting data, there is TikTok now, there is Instagram Reels, there is podcasting that’s kicking off, there’s Youtube Streaming there’s a whole lot that can be done in Belize that we’re not doing and I feel that being young I’m in a good spot to tell stories that my generation needs to tell and stories that my generation needs to hear as well and I think that those stories can only be told from a young perspective so I’m excited to bring that part of it to Belize.”

Castaneda says they are hopeful that in the near future more opportunities like this can be provided to other media professionals.