Team members of Net News Global (L-R) : Leandra Charles, Public Relations and Marketing Representative; Deverine Bell-Anderson, Advertising Account Executive; Venus Dela Cruz, Traffic Coordinator; Vince Mangaoang, Net News Advanced Web Solutions Web Developer; Kamla Panchu, Net News Printing Centre Office Manager; and Trent Jacobs, Videojournalist.

The corporate umbrella of Cayman Net News, Net News Global, has ambitious plans to expand its publishing footprint across the Caribbean, and well beyond.

Founded by noted visionary and publisher Desmond Seales nearly a decade ago, Cayman Net News quickly gained a loyal following among readers and advertisers for its powerful, pull-no-punches reporting and the quality of its writing.

Further evidence of both the passion and the professionalism of the Net News team came in 2004 when, even after Hurricane Ivan destroyed much of Cayman’s infrastructure, the newspaper stayed online through the storm’s passing, reporting to the world the massive destructive wrought by Ivan. Cayman Net News was the first printed newspaper to be published in the Cayman Islands, just days after the storm impacted Grand Cayman.

Since then, the organisation has continued to grow. In 2004, it launched its new online video broadcasting service and by the spring of 2008, using the latest technology available, Cayman Net News had introduced its viewers to the latest user-friendly interface and click-and-play technology. American video-journalist Trent Jacobs, who joined the team in March, now produces breaking news and feature video reports every week.

Today, with acting managing editor Barry Randall based in Florida, supervising a complement of 17 correspondents, reporters and editorial staff throughout the region, and a staff of nearly 40 working with Mr Seales in the Cayman Islands, Net News Global has set its sights on still further expansion.
“Caribbean Net News is already well-respected and influential across the region,” said Mr. Seales. “And, of course, we have an especially strong presence in the Cayman Islands.

“For example, only last week nearly 3,000 attendees, including business executives, visited the Net News booth at the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce’s annual Business and Technology Expo.
“But now we plan to expand further afield.

We have already started with Turks and Caicos Net News and, once again, we were the first printed newspaper to be published in the TCI, just 48 hours after Hurricane Ike hit the territory.

“Next will be Puerto Rico, which is a major market by any standard. The recent closing of the legendary English-language San Juan Star will leave a very large void for English-language readers, which we at Net News Global intend to help with the branding of Puerto Rico Net News to complement the already online Cuba Net News,” Mr Seales noted.

“We have already invited San Juan-based reporter Maria A Miranda to join our global team as our country-correspondent for Puerto Rico. Maria, who is fluent in both Spanish and English, previously worked for the San Juan Star and her Puerto Rican beat for us will include hard news, as well as local politics, business and environmental issues.”

Mr Seales said that Spanish-language reporting will also eventually be added to the regional websites. Additionally, the company is making plans to enter the Jamaican market sometime next year, as well as producing a Haitian news site.

Explaining his expansion plans, Mr Seales said, “The Cayman Islands is a major international financial centre. But in terms of internet media reach, it is quite limited, and if media companies are to grow in these very challenging times, and thus help their clients and advertisers grow with us, we need to show our clients how to take advantage of the amazing global reach of the Internet, whether it is for something like simple announcements of new key staff, or a major line of new products and services.

“Technically speaking, we have superb hardware, with a dedicated server in Canada, and back-up in the United States, and still another back-up in the Cayman Islands. These Islands are well recognised as being the most stable community in the Western Hemisphere; why else would global telecommunications giants such as Digicel and Cable & Wireless have major offices here? Answer: The Cayman Islands truly are a real-life example of the global village.

“And in terms of personnel, we at Net News Global have the best team of editors, reporters, writers, sales people and marketing staff in this part of the world. Simply put - we want to take both Cayman and the wider Caribbean to the world.

“We now not only have branded sites in all the key locations across the Caribbean, we have also secured domain names in almost 200 countries, including throughout Europe, plus all 50 US states and Canada,” he added.

“The Net News brand is moving forward and we will be bringing our readers and viewers and our sponsors and advertisers with us, using all our media resources, from print, and TV, to video and radio. These are exciting times, with the Cayman Islands the beneficiary as we take this country to the world and bring the world to us.”