Deandrea Hamilton has been a working journalist since she was 14 years old. Her school newspaper was an excellent springboard to her professional career. She admits that initially her energetic nature and bold expressions earned her regular appointments in the principal’s office! However, eventually, educators re-directed her energy and created the newspaper. She became a features writer, investigative reporter, photojournalist and helped with the publication’s layout and distribution.
Today, she prepares a 2-minute news report and half hour morning show 52 weeks a year. The focus of her Turks & Caicos and Bahamas Team is to provide delivery of news reports and human-interest material that provides insights with a regional and international appeal. It is a careful balance of headline-making events, covering prominent leaders and heart-warming locals. Deandrea’s goal is to make sure each report includes colorful and captivating video that helps to tell the story.
Deandrea has been a One Caribbean News correspondent since 2010. She believes “One Caribbean has embraced my brand of journalism and the opportunity for on the ground coverage from two of the Caribbean’s most intriguing destinations: Turks & Caicos Islands and The Bahamas. Our TV show, Turquoise Morning, was also given a home. It is where we celebrate the people, places and plans of our One Caribbean.”
Her philosophy is to “show the ingenuity and the spirit of the Caribbean people.” The goal is to demonstrate unique qualities that are distinctively Caribbean and reflect the culture, diversity and quality of life. “I never want to miss an opportunity to display that we are people of dignity. With news reports…focused on happenings of the region, it makes and keeps us acutely aware of the similarities from wherever it is we are watching. Across the region, in the Greater Caribbean, eyes are on our channel and its vivacious homegrown productions. It is quite remarkable to me that we are simultaneously feeding on a steady diet of ‘us’.”
She adds that the best thing about the Caribbean is “no doubt our people. No matter which of these landmasses you visit, you find pristine and heavenly visits that take your breath away. But, they are guarded fiercely by the people; they are shown to you by the people; their amazing existences are cherished by the people and often, it is the land that helps to take care of the most important resource: the people. It is our natural heritage, which has proved to be the allure for the Caribbean, but we figured that out and have made so much of the intrigue and love affair the world has with our islands. From slaves and outcasts abandoned in many cases to die, to ingenious innovators who built and progressed the industries which fuel our economies and lives today. Our people are irrefutably the best thing!”
Meet the Team