G. Courtney Burke (right), a press room employee at The Gleaner Company, explains the operations of the press room to contestants in the Miss Jamaica World 2004 pageant as they toured the company's North Street, central Kingston offices yesterday. -Winston Sill photo
THE GLEANER Company's main office on North Street, central Kingston, was paid a courtesy call yesterday by the 20 finalists in the Miss Jamaica World 2004 beauty pageant.
Norman Marshall, circulation manager, and Karin Cooper, corporate affairs manager, were the first to have the pleasure of meeting the beauties in the chairman's boardroom. The contestants, all smartly dressed and highly attentive, asked many questions about the company, ranging from the number of copies printed per day to the methods by which news stories are assembled.
"We are proud of all of you and we hope that whoever wins, you will be a good ambassador for the country," Mr. Marshall told them.
A CRASH COURSE
The ladies were presented with souvenirs and then led down to the press room where they were given a crash course on how the paper is put together for publication on a daily basis. Then it was on to the advertising department where they held court with members of The Gleaner's award-winning sales team.
The contest, according to chaperone Joan McDonald, was in its final week. There will be more courtesy calls, a pre-judging on Thursday and on Saturday, at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, a new queen will be crowned. Among other prizes, the winner will receive a $250,000 modelling and advertising contract from Spartan Health Club and a wardrobe valued at over $100,000. A first class flight via Air Jamaica will carry her to the Miss World 2004 finals in Sanya, China.