KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s local media community is mourning the loss of a pioneering community journalism figure this week, after Marva Brodie, co-founder and long-serving director of beloved local outlet The News, passed away from a heart attack at her Havendale residence on Thursday, May 7. She was 82 years old at the time of her death.
Ben Brodie, Marva’s husband and a veteran Jamaican journalist who co-founded The News alongside his wife and serves as the publication’s managing editor, confirmed the news to local outlet Jamaica Observer Online. According to Ben Brodie, his wife experienced a sudden seizure shortly after waking on the morning of her passing. Emergency responders transported her quickly to a nearby hospital for urgent care, but medical staff pronounced her dead on arrival.
Originally launched under the name Boulevard News before being rebranded as The News, the community newspaper has served local Jamaican audiences for decades, shaped in large part by Marva Brodie’s commitment to elevating hyperlocal stories and connecting neighborhood residents. A public funeral service to honor Brodie’s life and legacy has been scheduled for 10:00 a.m. this Saturday at St Richard of Chichester Roman Catholic Church, located at 126 Red Hills Road in Kingston.