Africka Stephens | Resilience is the real headline ... not that children were hiding in tunnels

When Hurricane Melissa loomed over Jamaica, international journalists rushed to report what many framed as impending devastation. Likewise, many observers, regionally and internationally, rushed to social media to share their views on the matter.

The media’s role in informing the public is vital, as this is sometimes what forms the views of the many observers. Simply put, journalists must always consider their tone and the motives behind the doom-laden headlines. In moments like these, the line between responsible journalism and sensational storytelling becomes perilously thin.

Across social media, foreign correspondents and observers broadcast dire warnings about the hurricane’s potential impact.

There were predictions suggesting that Jamaica will become non-existent, and one widely circulated comment on X (formerly Twitter) even urged that “children should be taken out of the tunnels before Melissa arrives”, a chilling and absurd exaggeration that bore no resemblance to reality.

While international media and observers may be genuinely concerned about our country and the safety of our people, empathy, accuracy, and tact must be considered in every commentary. Journalists and observers, especially those with a significant fan base, have a duty to report disasters with sensitivity, not spectacle.

TOO OFTEN MISREAD

For Jamaicans, hurricanes are not breaking-news novelties; they are lived experiences. They mean nights without power, days of uncertainty, and months of rebuilding. Our people have faced storms both literal and metaphorical for generations. What foreign media and observers often fail to highlight is the resilience, preparation, and solidarity that define Jamaica’s response to the crisis.

The narrative of helplessness and chaos is not only misleading, but insulting to a nation that has repeatedly shown grace under pressure. Our history is one of overcoming adversity with grit and dignity.

This obsession with catastrophe is hardly new. From colonial portrayals of the Caribbean as a land of exotic peril to modern headlines declaring “islands in crisis”, there is a troubling continuity in how the Global South is depicted. Disasters in developing nations are too often treated as spectacles rather than as human experiences requiring compassion and context. The question, therefore, is not simply about tone, but about whose story is being told and how.

CLIMATE BURDEN WE DID NOT CREATE

The irony is inescapable: Jamaica, like many small island developing states, contributes the least to global greenhouse gas emissions, yet bears the brunt of climate change’s escalating fury (UNFCC). Hurricanes such as Melissa are not isolated weather events; they are part of a broader pattern of warming oceans, rising sea levels, and erratic weather systems that threaten lives and livelihoods across the Caribbean.

It is a cruel paradox that those least responsible for this crisis must now spend billions rebuilding from its impacts. Jamaica, though a signatory to the Paris Agreement and among the world’s lowest emitters, is still forced to shoulder the social and economic fallout of a climate crisis we did not cause. Farmlands are flooded, fishing communities displaced, and coastal roads eroded daily reminders that climate injustice is not a theory but a lived reality.

Therefore, the way in which the media frames our story is important. When coverage focuses only von destruction without acknowledging the global inequalities that make such disasters more severe, it obscures the real story: that Jamaica’s suffering is part of a global system of imbalance. Ethical reporting should expose this inequity, not exploit it for shock value. Foreign media should ensure that their correspondents pair their storm coverage with climate consciousness. The world must see not only our flooded streets, but also the unjust tides that brought them.

RESILIENCE IS THE REAL HEADLINE

When foreign reporters cover storms in Jamaica, they should also highlight the quiet heroism of community volunteers, the precision of the Meteorological Service, or the tireless coordination of agencies like ODPEM. The cameras should not only linger on flooded roads, damaged homes, and distressed faces imagery that gains clicks but strips Jamaicans of dignity.

We deserve a better and more balanced coverage. Jamaicans know how to prepare, adapt, and rebuild after a hurricane. Our emergency shelters are staffed by trained volunteers, schools serve as community havens, and local radio stations provide steady updates. The stories worth telling are of neighbours sharing food, farmers securing livestock, and youths organising relief drives before the winds arrive. This is the Jamaica we live – strong, resourceful, and proud – not the caricature the world too often sees.

As Jamaica rebuilds, international media must report with empathy, accuracy, and humility, consulting local experts and verifying claims. Highlight Jamaican courage: volunteers delivering supplies, teachers sheltering students, families rebuilding with faith. We are not hiding in tunnels; we will not become “non-existent”, and we are not helpless. Jamaicans are resilient – we will overcome. That is the story worth telling.

Africka Stephens is an attorney-in-waiting and the executive founder of Fi We Children Foundation, a youth-led NGO advocating for social justice, child protection, and youth empowerment. Send feedback to info@fiwechildren.org