Thousands of Haitians, including many journalists, have fled the country since the January 12 earthquake. Ronald Leon, a veteran journalist who worked with Haiti’s National Television station, Radio Caraibes and Tropic FM, has now settled in Florida, leaving behind his family and his journalism training school, Ameritech, which was destroyed in the earthquake. Its last class had 15 students.
Leon told CPJ that his school, in the north of Port-au-Prince, had been
devastated and looted. The computers that were not damaged in the natural
disaster were stolen by gangs of looters, he said. From his new home in the United States, Leon
said he intends to continue his work as a journalist, informing the Haitian
community in Florida.
Leon’s home in Port-au-Prince was
completely destroyed.
Linda Jean Gilles, a presenter and reporter with Radio Lumière, also decided to leave Haiti.
Traumatized by the earthquake and the loss of three of her colleagues at Radio Lumière,
she has now settled in Boston. Gesnel
Toussaint, the news director
for Radio Lumière, told
CPJ that he understands why journalists have decided to leave the country. Everything has to be begun again from scratch, he said,
adding that the working conditions of
journalists are so bad that those who continue to practice are “real fighters.”
Toussaint, who has just returned to Haiti
after spending two weeks in New York,
said that he may also emigrate in the near future.
Some journalists
who were seriously injured left Haiti
in search of medical care abroad. In addition to Yves Adler, a
journalist for Amicale FM and National Radio of Haiti, who received assistance from CPJ and is now in the
Dominican capital of Santo Domingo, journalist Sony
Destine of Radio Echo 2000 has also moved
to the Dominican Republic.
Guyler Delva, secretary general
of the Haitian press group SOS Journalistes, said
that more journalists will leave Haiti in the days to come. In many
cases, media outlets cannot afford to pay their staffs and the country’s
overall economic situation is catastrophic, he said. An exodus of Haitian
journalists would be a bad blow to Haiti, Delva said.
Editor’s Note: If you have any information on journalists and media outlets in Haitiplease post a comment below or notify us via e-mail msalazar@cpj.org, or Twitter: @HelpJournalists. We are collecting funds that will go directly to Haitian journalists. If you’d like to make a contribution, please click this link and enter “Haiti” in the “Notes” section on the second page.
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I read your blog from the beginning and I'm asking me how long haitian journalists will keep fighting for a true independant press in haiti without fear that media owners don't cut their salaries?
Ronald Leon est quelqu'un que je connais tres bien, journaliste consciencieux, ayant travaille pour l'amelioration de la presse en Haiti. Les professionnels du pays n'ont guere le choix en ce moment, et vu qu'il a perdu tout ce qu'il possedait, l'Ameritech detruit,le reste de sa famille qui dort dans la rue...c'est assez desolant ! Je souhaite que tout ceux qui sont partis pourront bientot revenir pour rehausser l'image du pays.
Bon courage mes freres.
Ronald Leon, I'm sorry, I hope that everything will go well for you. it's really sad what has happen to you. the important thing, you're alive. considers that you have a second chance to start over. With all best wishes.
Think you very much CPJ, You doing such a great job. This blog help me keep in touch with the situation in Haiti. I think God also, some journalists well know in Haiti can continue to work here in USA, and help the Haitian community.