This special edition of Face to Face pays tribute to outstanding media professionals who received their National Honours on National Heroes Day, Monday, October 14, presented by Governor General Cynthia A Pratt. Often, journalists, reporters, videographers and photographers spend so much time gathering the news that they are overlooked, and their work taken for granted. But this year, the National Honours Committee recognised several media professionals. Today, we celebrate some of them:

Derek W Smith Sr, Photographer

National Honour: Order of Merit - Officer

Derek’s journey into photography started more than 43 years ago. He was employed as a photographer at The Tribune from 1975 - l981; and following that at The Nassau Guardian from 1981–99. He then worked for many years at Bahamas Information Services (BIS) until his retirement. He hails his mentors: photographers Roland Rose, who worked at Bahamas News Bureau; photographer Jeff Thompson who worked at The Tribune, and photographer E Bruce Delancy who worked at The Nassau Guardian, as the architects of his craft.

Derek covered many notable events in the country such as the Royal Visit of Queen Elizabeth II at the opening of ZNS Television on October 20, 1977; the Official Visit of Pope John Paul II in 1979; Jamaican Reggae artist Bob Marley’s concert in 1979; and the world champion bout between Muhammad and Trevor Berbick in1981 dubbed “Drama in Bahama”. Derek has had the honour of photographing all Governors General and the Prime Ministers of The Bahamas since Majority Rule in 1967.

Derek is married to Elma, a native of the Philippine Islands, and is the proud father of three sons, Derek Jr, an accountant and photographer and owner of Impact Images and Designs; and twin sons Kevyn, a chartered accountant and Kyle, photographer/graphic artist and video editor.

Anthony S Capron, Editor

National Honour: Order of Merit - Member

Anthony Capron’s newspaper experience spans more than 40 years, with 16 in management of the editorial department at the Nassau Guardian, from which he retired in 2006 as the managing editor. He was a deputy director with editorial responsibility at Bahamas Information Services (BIS) from 2010-14.

In the early 1970s, Capron was a reporter/photographer for The People, a political newspaper of the Progressive Liberal Party. From 1974-75, he was the copy editor/columnist at the Grand Bahama Times, a weekly tabloid, published by the late Glenroy Nottage.

Now retired, Capron keeps busy in civic affairs as a volunteer with Bahamas National Pride Association, Bahamas-China Friendship Association, Prison Fellowship Bahamas, and is president of The Bahamas Press Club 2014.

Gladstone Thurston, Journalist

National Honour: Distinguished Service Medal

Gladstone Charles Thurston’s career in media began as a cub reporter at The Tribune. He began his career in 1974 following an interview with Eileen Carron, editor and publisher of The Tribune. He became a sports reporter at The Tribune, and became known as “Mr Sports”. He was ringside when Bahamian boxer Elisha Obed won the world boxing title in Paris, France. 

Gladstone (known to many as GT) drew on the expertise of The Tribune’s senior reporters Nikki Kelly and Mike Lothian and the newspaper’s British editors, who were all anxious to assist anyone interested in learning the art of news reporting.

After almost 20 years at The Tribune, Gladstone left his home base and moved to The Nassau Guardian and its subsidiary, The Freeport News. He provided exemplary service and as a result, former Nassau Guardian publisher Kenneth Francis promoted him as the newspaper’s first managing editor.

Later, Gladstone and veteran journalist Dudley N Byfield launched The Grand Bahama Sun. Ten years later, he was hired as a senior information officer at Bahamas Information Services (BIS). He remained at BIS until he was offered early retirement. A widower, Gladstone was married to Naomi Helen, née Moss, and he is the father of four sons – Stanley, Patrick, Earl and Arthur.

Agnes Ferguson, Television News Anchor

National Honour, Distinguished Service Medal

Agnes Elizabeth Ferguson was employed at the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas (BCB) also known by its call letters ‘ZNS’, for 24 and a half years, when she entered the newsroom as a cub reporter on September 17, 1979.

Agnes, a lady with high ideals, was serious about the Journalism profession, and looked forward daily to gathering pertinent information to inform or entertain her listening and viewing audiences.

Her progressive strides over the years did not go unnoticed, leading to her moving up the ranks to reporter 1, news editor, news administrator, assistant director of news, and national news anchor for the evening television newscast.

Now a housewife, and loving grandmother to eight grandchildren. Married to her high school sweetheart Roscoe since April 19, 1980, the couple became the proud parents of four sons, one who they lost tragically in a plane crash almost six years ago – Captain Byron Quinn. The three remaining sons are attorney Bjorn Ferguson, Dr Ashton, and Anvon, an accountant.

Rosemary Clarice Hanna, Author, Photographer

National Honour: Distinguished Service Medal

Rosemary Clarice Hanna grew up in Over-The-Hill, New Providence at the corner of Anderson street and Gaol Alley and her family home still stands there as one of the few original homes in the area.

She is an associate of the Bahamas Institute of Financial Services (ABIFS) with a 40-year financial services career.

After retirement, Rosemary became author of the book “Pictorial History and Memories of Nassau’s Over-The-Hill”. The documentary film “Nassau’s Over-The-Hill” which is based on the book premiered at Government House on 20th February 2014 to an overflow crowd. She is also a photographer and her work was featured in one of The Bahamian Project’s exhibitions at The Central Bank of The Bahamas.

Joseph Lorenzo McKenzie, Photographer

National Honour: Distinguished Service Medal

Joseph Lorenzo McKenzie has spent over 30 years in the Public Service, working both within the uniformed forces and also as a civil servant.

In these roles, Joseph Lorenzo McKenzie has had the great opportunity to connect with people across the many stations in life. Through his work in media and photography, he has been able to help people tell their stories and illuminate their abilities.

Joseph has captured through photography national historic events that occurred in The Bahamas over the past 30 years. He is a Reserve Superintendent of Police and has the volunteer responsibility of helping the nation build and supporting the organisation through addressing criminality and nefarious activities in our nation. He is married and the father of two children.

Farewell.. for now

My relationship with The Tribune newspaper started 24 years ago. Back then, Erica Wells was the news editor, freshly succeeding Athena Damianos. I enjoyed my days covering the news, and working in the newsroom with colleagues like Paco Nunez, Rupert Missick, Arthia Nixon, Gustavius Smith, Adrian Gibson, Danielle Stubbs, Paul Turnquest, and Yolanda Deleveaux. Eventually, I moved on to join the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas. However, my relationship with The Tribune continued in some form or fashion, to this day. Life is truly about cycles, and the time has come for me to transition, once again, to focus on broadcasting, returning to ZNS after 20 years.

For this reason, this is farewell for this wonderful column, Face to Face, that I have had the honor and privilege of presenting to the Bahamian public each Tuesday since January of 2018. Since then, I have featured, in an extensive way, more than 350 people. There are so many people in this country doing such good things, and I wanted as many people to read about them as possible. In this way, I sought to do my part to help make our beautiful country a better place.

So many phenomenal media professionals who mentored me or inspired me have left us, including: Tribune founder Sir Ettienne Dupuch; Hon. Obediah Wilchcombe; Phil Smith; Ed Bethel; P Anthony White; Calsey Johnson, Clunis Devaney; Margaret Guillaume; and most recently, Darold Miller. The key to success in the media profession, and indeed every profession, is for the younger cadre of professionals to lean on the wisdom and expertise of those who have paved the way. My life is all the richer for it. Feel free to contact me at felicitydarville@gmail.com.