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alexk
Guest
Today marks the 101st anniversary of the T&T Guardian. The Grand Old Lady of St Vincent Street has an illustrious past with much to celebrate and a bright future to look forward to in the digital age.
Tomorrow Guardian Media will be relaunching its website and digital Guardian app.
Its founders were also hopeful and confident in a brave new world and future launching a fledgling newspaper amidst the turmoil of the First World War. The time had come for citizens to read about themselves in a local newspaper when independence was not yet even a nascent dream.
The T&T Guardian had its share of triumphs, trials, and adversities bringing the news to citizens on the many major and historic moments in the country.
The T&T Guardian covered the nation’s independence in 1962, it rose phoenix-like from the ashes of the devastating fire that destroyed its St Vincent Street home in 1980, thanks to the determined efforts of its loyal staff and the support of its faithful readers.
When poet and playwright Derek Walcott passed away on March 17, 2017, I had to source the newspaper’s archives on the Nobel Laureate from the National Archives of T&T and Nalis (The National Library and Information System Authority).
T&T Guardian reporters, staff, and editors produced stories from ground zero of the July 27, 1990 coup, slept under metal desks at the newspaper and ate corned beef, while bullets ricocheted off the building.
The face of the paper began to change also with the times. From the expats of the 50 and 60s such as English editors Jack Barker and George Jenkins, the paper later transitioned to local editors such as Lenn
Chong Sing and manager Aldwyn Chow. Back then, journalists wore suits, banged out their stories on manual typewriters which have been replaced by computers, and photographers used film cameras instead of digital cameras. Associated Press wirephotos from the 30s have been replaced with digital transmission and the bulky cassette recorders have given way to digital recorders that reporters now carry.
The T&T Guardian has always been at the forefront of technology to give its readers the latest news ‘the fastest with the mostest.’
T&T Guardian’s Production Supervisor Rawle Sobers who has 35 years experience in the press room said the paper had kept pace with the state-of-the-art print technology and employs a Computer-to-plate (CTP) printing system which has led to reduced pre-press times and improved print quality over the mechanic Goss printing press and Linotype machine of the past.
As the T&T Guardian enters the digital age and new social media platforms; technology and trends will change, but the newspaper’s strengths will always be its loyal family of employees and readers for the next century to come.
GUARDIAN GETS TO THE POINT WITH WEBSITE—CLEAN, SIMPLE, EASY-TO-READ DESIGN
Guardian Media Limited’s managing director Nicholas Sabga said tomorrow Guardian Media will be relaunching the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian Website and Digital Guardian App.
“These relaunches are the perfect celebration of our 101st anniversary, which comes a day earlier. For 101 years we’ve brought you the newspaper you’ve come to know and love, but this year we’ve embarked on a mission to do even better,” he said.
“Our new website boasts of a clean, simple, easy-to-read design that complements our recently redesigned paper. Our new web pages are fully responsive for seamless, immersive viewing on your desktop, mobile or tablet.”
He said images and headlines were easy on the eyes and at a glance, the reader can keep up with all the latest Business, Life, Sport, and Opinion news.
They can also access weather updates, exchange rates or listen to any of the group’s seven radio stations on the new website.
Sabga said the redesigned Guardian App will be available for download on both Android and iOS devices tomorrow.
He said if readers already had the app installed, they simply needed to update in their App Store or Google Play Store.
Sabga said features such as clipping, downloading for offline reading, printing, bookmarking, and sharing were now easier than ever.
He said readers can share their favourite articles or pages with friends via email, Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, LinkedIn, Google+, and even Pinterest.
Sabga said for desktop users, the all-new reader carries the built-in ability to read articles aloud to the user.
He said features like these and more have been perfected for all ages and were sought through the desire to provide our readers with the best user experience possible.
“Getting to the point had never looked better,” Sabga said. “We’ve redesigned with you in mind. Head over to www.guardian.co.tt tomorrow to see what’s new, and download the Trinidad Guardian in the App Store and Google play store to take us with you wherever you go.”