Searchlight: A Beacon of Journalism in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

In the landscape of print media in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, one name stands out prominently – Searchlight. Born on 7th April, 1995, this newspaper marked a new era not just in its own journey but also in the history of journalism in this Caribbean nation. From its humble beginnings to its current status as a multimedia entity, Searchlight has remained committed to its vision, mission, and operational guidelines for nearly three decades.

Interactive Media Limited, publishers of Searchlight Newspaper, was incorporated in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on 7th March, 1995. Exactly a month later, on 7th April, 1995, the first publication hit the streets. Despite initial challenges, including delays in its first edition reaching readers, its proprietors were determined for the paper to provide a standard of journalism that Vincentians could be proud of.

Founders- columnist, Sebastian Alexander, Oscar Allen, Adrian Fraser, and Renwick Rose, along with the firm’s editor, retired educator Norma Keizer, deceased, laid the groundwork for a publication dedicated to upholding journalistic integrity and serving the public interest.

Milestones and Growth

Over the years, Searchlight has achieved significant milestones, reflecting its commitment to innovation and excellence:

Physical Expansion: In June 2002, Interactive Media Limited purchased a building in Lower Kingstown Park, establishing its own premises after operating from rented locations. This move signified a step towards stability and growth.

Digital Presence: Recognizing the importance of the digital landscape, Interactive Media Ltd registered domain names for its newspaper in April 2004 and launched its website in May 2004. This step expanded Searchlight’s reach beyond traditional print media.

Local Printing: After 12 years of printing in Barbados, Searchlight in August, 2007, shifted its printing operations to the newly established company, SVG Publishers, demonstrating a commitment to local production and investment in the economy of SVG.

Publication Frequency: In June 2010, Searchlight expanded its publication schedule to twice a week with the publication of a printed mid-week edition. The mid-week edition was moved to a totally on-line publication in May 2018, further expanding the Searchlight footprint beyond the shores of SVG.

Website Rebranding: In line with evolving digital trends, Searchlight launched its rebranded website on 2nd August, 2022, enhancing users experience and optimizing content delivery for its online audience. This redesign reflects Searchlight’s ongoing commitment to innovation and adaptation in the digital realm.

Best of SVG: On 31st January, 2017, Searchlight introduced the “Best of SVG” an initiative designed to give the public an opportunity to select and celebrate excellence and innovation at various levels of the business sector in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Norma Keizer Scholarship Foundation Inc. (NKSF): The NKSF is a non-profit organization set up by Interactive Media Limited in 2015 to honour the legacy of Searchlight’s first editor, Norma Keizer, by awarding academic scholarships in her name to needy students who demonstrate above average academic potential as we continue to engage and give back to the community in which we operate. Students are awarded scholarships to attend Secondary School and the SVG Community College. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded 21 full Scholarships, and also gave a one-off bursary for one student undertaking University studies.

Vision, Mission, and Operational Guidelines

Searchlight’s stated Vision is to become a dominant multimedia entity through creativity and innovation, adapting to the evolving media landscape while maintaining its core values.

The Mission of Searchlight is to educate, inform, and empower its readers, providing them with the knowledge they need to understand the world, participate in governance, and improve their lives. This mission is coupled with a commitment to delivering a fair return to investors and fostering a productive, innovative, and collaborative work environment.

At the heart of Searchlight’s operations lies journalistic integrity, characterized by honesty, accuracy, and fairness in reporting. The newspaper aims to present a balanced perspective, covering both progress and challenges, while contextualizing events for its readership.

From its origin, Searchlight has been guided by dedicated individuals committed to its vision and values. The current Board of Directors, led by Chair and Editor, Corletha Ollivierre, includes Clare Keizer, Sebastian Alexander, Adrian Fraser, Renwick Rose, Errol Allen, and Teshorne Caine. Their collective expertise and leadership ensures that Searchlight continues to fulfil its mission and maintain its position as a respected voice in the Vincentian media landscape and beyond.

As Searchlight celebrates 29 years of journalistic excellence, it remains a beacon of integrity and professionalism in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. From its inaugural edition to its present-day multimedia presence, the newspaper has evolved while staying true to its founding principles. With a commitment to serving the public interest and fostering informed discourse, Searchlight continues to illuminate the path forward for the nation, embodying the spirit of responsible journalism in the Caribbean.

The Searchlight Staff

The Administrative staff:

Mrs. Nicole Alleyne carries out the functions of Office Manager and Accounting Officer. She has been with the company since June, 2014 and is an efficient and effective worker.
Mrs. Violet Walcott is the Administrative Assistant. Her sphere of responsibilities include providing support with Board Meeting preparations, undertaking administrative functions for the Norma Keizer Scholarship Foundation, and providing a final check on adverts to be placed. Violet is a calm, efficient worker, who has been with the company since 2017.
Timora Hazell is our Advertising Sales Representative. She came aboard the Searchlight staff in November, 2022. Timora’s main responsibilities include assisting clients with their advertising needs; making final sales; and fostering excellent client relationships.
Visitors to Searchlight are usually greeted by the cheerful Zavisha Edwards who joined the staff in April, 2023. Zavisha is our Receptionist/Office Attendant.
Our newspaper distribution team comprises Distribution Officer/Driver, Bertram “Casil” Pitt; who is assisted on a part-time basis by Kimron “Puppy” Evans. Together, they are responsible for ensuring that the printed paper gets to the vendors.

The Production staff:

The production department could be considered the heart of the paper. It is run by a skilled, efficient, and effective team of four employees, three of whom have been with the company for most of its existence.

The department is headed by Chief Sub-Editor, Jude Knight, who joined the staff of Searchlight in 1997 on a two-days-a-week loan from The Nation Newspaper in Barbados. After six years of straddling two jobs, Jude made the decision to stay with Searchlight on a full- time basis. It is his responsibility to manage the design of the pages of the paper; select photographs to illustrate stories, and write headlines. The soft-spoken Jude is a loyal, committed, and hard working employee. He is the company’s longest serving member of staff.
Joining the Searchlight staff in 1998, just a few months after Jude, was Senior Graphic Artist, Neal Jackman, another Barbadian, who had also worked previously with The Nation Newspaper. A knowledgeable, hard-working and well-rounded individual, Neal is also an avid photographer. His main responsibility is the design and placement of advertisements submitted to the newspaper for publication.

The person whose name gets called most often on any given working day is our Network Administrator, Adrian Shallow. Another veteran of the company, Adrian came on board in 2002 as Distribution Officer. After a few years, he was transferred to the production department. Through diligent study and application, Adrian is now a Certified Computer Technician and is the one who currently manages the company’s network. An unflappable, hard working, pleasant, and loyal employee-and black belt karateka, Adrian also does page layout and design.
The newest member of the Production Department is Forrest Nichols, who functions as Production Assistant. Forrest is a recent graduate of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College. He is a perceptive, amiable young man whose main areas of responsibility include assisting the Network Administrator and designing and laying out classified and business card advertisements. The youthful Forrest is keen on motor racing.
The person who manages our website, library and archives, and processes e-subscriptions is the steady, methodical and reliable Shenee Farrell, who joined the Searchlight staff in 2017. She is the one who interacts by email and telephone with our e-subscribers, most of whom are overseas. Shenee is not easily ruffled and can be depended upon to come up with workable solutions whenever challenges are thrown her way.

The News Team

The editorial department is headed by Corletha Ollivierre. She has functioned in the past as Assistant Editor of Searchlight and fully took on the role of Editor as of January, 2024.
Hitting the pavement, attending court, press conferences, working the phones and engaging with social media to bring you the news are our reporters Jada Chambers, Christina Smith and Eldonte Samuel.
Senior Reporter, Christina Smith joined the staff in October, 2022 as our Digital Media Lead. She is the person who manages the placement of content for the company’s Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts. Christina, who is the holder of a B.A of Literatures in English, is an excellent writer, also does general reporting for our print edition. Possessed of an alert, incisive mind, this feisty young woman is also the holder of a AA in Mass Communications.

Jada Chambers, our Court Reporter came on board in October, 2022. An aspiring creative writer, Jada is a good storyteller. Her beat takes her to the Magistrate’s Courts, as well as the High Court to obtain material which she has to craft into informative stories for the reader.
Eldonte Samuel joined the Searchlight team in August, 2022 as a Videographer. More recently, he has branched out and is also doing news reporting in which he has been performing most creditably.