The Jamaica Information Service (JIS) is an executive agency of the Government of Jamaica responsible for disseminating information about government programs, projects, and services.

Functions

The agency's main functions involves the gathering, production and dissemination of information on government policies and programmes, locally and overseas. To achieve its objectives, the agency utilizes a broad range of media skillsets: print, radio, television, graphic arts, video projection and public relations.

History

Government Public Relations Office (1956-1963)

The Jamaica Information Service was established in 1956. At its inception, the agency was first known as the Government Public Relations Office (GPRO), which was primarily concerned with issuing

press release A press release is an official statement delivered to members of the news media for the purpose of providing information, creating an official statement, or making an announcement directed for public release. Press releases are also considere ...

s and maintaining good relations between the press and the Government. The scope of the GPRO was widened in 1957 when it was integrated with the Jamaica Film Unit and the Government Broadcasting Service. The name of the agency was changed to Public Relations and Information Services to reflect its expanded focus. Subsequently, photography and a publications unit were added to the structure of the organisation.

Jamaica Information Service (1963-1974)

In January, 1963, the GPRO was renamed the Government Information Office (later changed to the Jamaica Information Service), and a television unit was formed. During this period, the JIS focused primarily on writing and distributing press releases and photographs, writing publications, mounting public education campaigns, and producing stories for radio, film and television. The agency also had a mobile service which showed films in rural communities islandwide.

Agency for Public Information (1974-1980)

On 1 April 1974, under the

Michael Manley Michael Norman Manley (10 December 1924 – 6 March 1997) was a Jamaican politician who served as the fourth Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1972 to 1980 and from 1989 to 1992. Manley championed a democratic socialist program, and has been ...

-led

People's National Party The People's National Party (PNP) is a social-democratic political party in Jamaica, founded in 1938 by independence campaigner Osmond Theodore Fairclough. It holds 14 of the 63 seats in the House of Representatives, as 96 of the 227 local go ...

administration, the agency was granted a semi-autonomous structure with a nine-member advisory board, chaired by journalist John Hearne, and the name of the organisation was changed to the Agency for Public Information (API).

Jamaica Information Service (1980-present)

In 1980, during the administration of prime minister

Edward Seaga Edward Philip George Seaga ( or ; 28 May 1930 – 28 May 2019) was a Jamaican politician. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Jamaica, from 1980 to 1989, and the leader of the Jamaica Labour Party from 1974 to 2005.World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...

-funded Public Sector Modernisation Programme, the JIS and JAMPRESS were merged to become an semi-autonomous executive agency, headed by a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). In addition to providing communication services to all ministries, agencies, and departments of government, as an executive agency, the JIS earns revenue from services offered to government and non-government entities.

Departments

The agency is made up of seven departments: Editorial; Photography Unit; Public Relations and Marketing; Research & Publications; JIS Radio; JIS Television (JIS TV); and the Computer Services Department, which does web design, advertising and streaming.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jamaica Information Service Ministries and agencies of the government of Jamaica