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VSO - Sharing Skills, Changing Lives

Jeremy Burgess

Name: Jeremy Burgess
Background: Chief Executive, Bradford Housing Association
VSO role: General manager, Word Publishing

On his retirement, Jeremy decided to volunteer with VSO. He comments "I had the desire for adventure while having the opportunity to make a difference".

A lack of voice is one of the key underlying issues that is hindering the development of the marginalised rural poor in Papua New Guinea. They lack access to relevant and timely information about what is happening and have even fewer opportunities to participate in the processes of society. The Wantok Nuispepa is the only newspaper in the country published in the widely spoken native language Tok Pisin. It is therefore in a unique position to be able to communicate with grassroots people in a language they understand and are comfortable using.

When Jeremy took up his position as a General Manager at Word Publishing, the paper was in a state of near financial collapse following years of ineffective management and poor administration. Jeremy explains:

Staff were feeling demoralised and uncertain about their future, and sponsors were dissatisfied. We were in a major crisis and rapidly running out of money. We reduced overheads through selling off the printing press, some land and buildings and moving to smaller premises. We closed down the English language newspaper, which was mainly serving the needs of ex-pats and the business community. Staff numbers were also reduced, but fortunately the majority of staff were found jobs with other local media.

These were very tough decisions to make, but the end results were worth it.

As Jeremy states:

The changes enabled to the paper to focus on its key objective of serving the needs of the local community. The staff were more motivated and dedicated to making the paper a success. We were able to regain approval of sponsors and pay off the overdraft. The crumbling IT infrastructure was replaced, and the quality and style of the paper improved. Circulation figures grew steadily in the months following the changes.

When I left I was optimistic that the paper would continue to grow and become more effective at what it was doing - helping people understand their rights within the democratic process... as Papua New Guinea celebrates its 30th year of independence, the development of a free media is crucial in building democracy and helping people hold their government to account.

On Jeremy's departure, he was able to hand over to an experienced local media professional who took on the role of General Manager. The Chairman of Word publishing sees a bright future:

We have not only survived, but we have improved and are finding our way up.