Jamaica bans broadcasts deemed to glorify drugs, crime

Jamaica's broadcasting regulator has banned music and TV broadcasts deemed to glorify or promote criminal activity, violence, drug use, scamming and weapons. The government said the ban is meant to cut back on material that "could give the wrong impression that criminality is an accepted feature of Jamaican culture and society".

The ban comes after years of struggle by the Caribbean nation to halt high levels of gun violence, which caused Jamaica to have the highest murder rate in Latin America and the Caribbean last year, according to research center Insight Crime. The directive also said that channels should avoid "urban slang" that has anything to do with making money, wire transfers, acquiring wealth or a lavish lifestyle.