VOICES Bi-Monthly Magazine of the University of Technology, Jamaica | May - August 2021 20 Professor Paul Golding, Professor of Information Systems in the College of Business and Management, led the above-mention ed research project - funded by the University’s Research Development Fund (RDF) – to support the development of a regulatory framework for online election observation using the learnings from an evaluation of social media use in the 2020 Jamaica General Elections. The study emerged due to the fact that the advent of the internet and in particular, the rise of social media, has changed the way people spread and consume political information. The focus has partly shifted from traditional means of communication such as newspapers, TV and the radio, to the more interactive and low-cost possibilities offered by social media. Social media is however a dichotomous tool. It has been used by extremist to work against democracy or by foreign governments trying to interfere with domestic debates and elections. In addition, major concerns of elections observers are attempts to manipulate opinion and voter choices. According to the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (2019) many elections in the past years have been controversial because of the abuse of social media. Consequently, this project sought to observe, assess and analyze the use of social media usage by the incumbent Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the opposition Peoples’ National Party (PNP) during the September 3, 2020 general elections. Ms. Camille Jackson, Lecturer in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, was an active member of the research team. Prof Paul Golding Ms. Camille Jackson Research Projects Funded by the Research Development Fund (RDF) Social Media Monitoring: Jamaica’s 2020 General Election BSc & Certificate ChAD Students and Lecturers Engage in Outreach Activity at Sunbeam Brothers Boys Home Students and lecturers from the BSc and Certificate Child and Adolescent Development (ChAD) courses of study conducted an outreach activity with the Sunbeam Brothers Boys Home on Saturday, May 15, 2021as part of the ChAD’s Child Month activity. Personal care packages were donated to the young men resident at the home. ChAD lecturer and coordinator Miss Nickiesha Passard who spearheaded the project in collaboration with the UTAChADs executive body, noted that despite the difficulties that were experienced in raising funds during the COVID-19 pandemic , UTAChADs, the official association for the ChAD students raised fifty-three thousand ($53,000.00) dollars to make the purchases. The outreach to the home was being made for the third consecutive year. From L-R: BSc ChAD student Miss S. Thompson; Lecturers Nickiesha Passard & Therrain Davis; Centre Manager: Mr. Whitely; Caregiver: Miss Morgan; BSc ChAD student MIss M. Rose
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