Deborah Hickling Gordon
- PBCJ AV Library
- Mar 31
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 4
Reporter turned Champion of Cultural Studies and Creative Economy
Dr. Deborah Hickling Gordon is a pioneering figure in Jamaica's cultural studies and creative industries, and her expansive career has established her as a media and cultural policy leader. Starting at the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) and later as a freelance journalist for Television Jamaica (TVJ), she laid a strong foundation for her impactful work at the University of the West Indies, Mona. As coordinator of the Bachelor of Arts in Cultural and Creative Industries, Dr. Hickling Gordon is shaping the next generation of cultural leaders while teaching postgraduate courses and supervising advanced degree candidates.
In her groundbreaking book, Cultural Economy and Television in Jamaica and Ghana, she explores the liberalization of television amidst the emergence of the creative industries era. Her PhD dissertation further contributes to this vital discourse, emphasising the intersections of media, culture, and economy. In 2018, she founded UWI TV, successfully producing and distributing an impressive fifty hours of content weekly across the Caribbean. Her influence spans numerous Jamaican institutions, where she designs and teaches courses centred on media, culture, and the creative economy.
A passionate advocate for cultural policy in small states and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Dr. Hickling Gordon introduced the innovative South Star Model of Cultural Ecosystem Planning. In 2023, she spearheaded UNESCO’s initiatives to enhance cultural economy capacity in Trinidad and Tobago and Belize, with plans for regional expansion.
Her leadership has been pivotal in projects such as the EU-funded 'Connect the Dots: Mapping Kingston’s Networks of Culture' and in crafting Jamaica's Creative Economy Policy Framework.
A respected author and former president of the Jamaican Chapter of Women in Film and Television, Dr. Hickling Gordon continues to make significant strides in advancing cultural policy, creative industries, and media representation across Jamaica and the Caribbean.
