Youth in Media – A CTSL Project : Inclusion Starts in Places Like Mayaro!

Media in Trinidad and Tobago isn’t just about information. It’s influence, identity, economic opportunity, and political power. But too often, youth in rural communities like Mayaro, Moruga, Toco, and Tobago are left out of the media conversation—and creation.

Their stories only make national platforms through the lens of crime or disaster. But there’s more happening—creativity, culture, innovation—that’s being missed.

Still, rural youth press on—making skits on borrowed phones, managing popular Facebook pages, creating digital art. The issue isn't talent. It's lack of support.

That’s why Computer Technologies and Services Limited was proud to sponsor the recent Youth in Media training, where 20 young people from the Mayaro/Rio Claro community got hands-on experience, mentorship, and tools to build their voice and presence in digital media.

But this is just the start. Here’s what we need next:

Rural Media Hubs

• Equip centres with Wi-Fi, gear, software

• Bring training to places like Mayaro, not just Port of Spain

Media Grants for Rural Youth

• Fund content—podcasts, short films, digital stories

• Skip the bureaucracy, focus on mentorship

Community Media Quotas

• Require national broadcasters to air rural youth content weekly

Digital Literacy in Schools

• Teach ethics, fact-checking, media production from Form 1

Recognition and Exposure

• Annual awards and national platforms for rural youth creators

This isn’t tokenism. It’s inclusion. The stories of Trinidad and Tobago don’t start and end in the capital. They live in Guayaguayare, Ortoire, Mafeking.

Put the mic, the camera, and the keyboard in rural hands.

They’re ready. We just have to listen—and invest.

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