Status unknown

This country’s newest publication “Status” has come under the scrutiny of a number of persons who have questioned its authenticity.{{more}}

The magazine, published by local entrepreneur Pearl Williams, was launched last Friday at the Grenadine House.

It features profiles of a number of local and regional business persons, politicians and celebrities in its first issue and has been marked for regional and international circulation.

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, Dominican lawyer Anthony Astaphan SC, Managing Director of the Mustique Company Brian Alexander, Trinidadian Prime Minister Patrick Manning, local businessman Basil Charles, Minister of Science and Technology Jerrol Thompson, and United States Presidential hopeful Barack Obama are among the persons featured in the magazine.

However, a number of local advertisers featured on the pages of the magazine have indicated to SEARCHLIGHT that they have no knowledge of the magazine and have not authorized anyone to advertise their products in it.

The 36-page publication contains nine advertisements from locally based companies, seven of which are full-page advertisements, and seven from regional businesses.

Some of these products include Hairoun Beer, Carib Beer, Mountain Top Springs Ltd, the National Commercial Bank and Grenadine Island Villas.

One individual who did not want to be identified also noted, on viewing the issue, that it did not appear as if interviews had been done with some of the persons profiled in the articles.

An attempt to contact persons credited with writing the articles was unsuccessful. Also unavailable for comment was publisher Pearl Williams.

Attempts to contact her were futile.

Officials of some of the local businesses advertised indicated their interest in knowing how their products became a part of the publication, hinting that legal measures may have to be taken.