Media bodies warn of democratic and industry fallout as Newsday winds up operations

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Media bodies warn of a possible democratic and industry fallout as Newsday moves to close its operations.

The impending closure of the local daily newspaper after 32 years of publication has triggered an outpouring of concern from media practitioners and regional organisations. Many have described the development as a major blow to journalism, media diversity and democratic discourse in TT and the wider Caribbean. On January 9, the company announced that it petitioned the High Court to wind up operations and the first hearing is on January 19.

The TT Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA) said it was saddened by the news that the newspaper was winding down operations. It described the loss as the result of a convergence of economic, technological and structural pressures affecting the media industry.

In a statement, the TTPBA noted that changing consumption habits and rapid technological shifts have had a profound impact on print media globally, forcing news organisations to adapt in increasingly difficult environments. It observed businesses across TT have also been grappling with reduced trading activity, exacerbated by low foreign exchange availability.

“The journalists who gather the news are, in the end, an important part of the democratic society in which we live.” The association said media houses must now “redouble our commitment to the population that we serve.”

The TTPBA also pointed to quiet consolidation within the industry as media houses struggle to survive, calling Newsday’s departure from the media landscape “a sad loss” given the mark it made since entering the market in the early 1990s.

Regional media watchdog the Media Institute of the Caribbean (MIC) echoed those concerns, warning the closure signals a deepening structural crisis for traditional media across the region.

MIC viewed the paper’s winding up operations as “more than a single corporate decision,” but part of a wider regional trend marked by declining advertising revenue, rising production costs and changing audience behaviour.

“The implications extend beyond newsroom jobs to the health of democratic discourse, media pluralism and citizens’ access to diverse, independent sources of verified information.”

The institute referenced its application of Unesco’s Media Viability Indicators, which have repeatedly highlighted the fragility of media ecosystems in small island developing states. Studies conducted by MIC, including one in Jamaica, have shown that dependence on a narrow advertising base, underdeveloped digital revenue strategies and limited policy support have placed intense strain on traditional news organisations.

MIC president Kiran Maharaj said the moment demands a region-wide conversation on reimagining media business models, diversifying revenue streams and addressing the growing dominance of global technology platforms that absorb advertising revenue while relying heavily on local journalism.

MIC vice president Wesley Gibbings also underscored the regional dimensions of the crisis, noting that similar challenges are playing out across the English-speaking Caribbean.

He described Newsday as “a bastion of quality journalism,” established by working journalists more than three decades ago, and said its closure should prompt deeper industry-wide collaboration.

“We need to get to the bottom of this at a regional level,” Gibbings said, calling for media stakeholders to coalesce more tightly around shared challenges to develop sustainable solutions.

The future of Newsday remains uncertain, and media leaders agree its potential loss represents not just the end of a newspaper, but a critical test of the resilience of journalism across the region.

Former Media Association of TT (MATT) president Ira Mathur described the situation as a “perfect storm” threatening the very survival of the journalistic profession.

Mathur said shrinking advertising, heavy reliance on government spending, the rise of social media and chronic underpayment of journalists have combined to place the fraternity under unprecedented pressure. She warned that these conditions are fostering self-censorship and undermining journalism’s role as the fourth estate.

“Democracy without journalism is eroded, and the voice of the people is eroded.” She said journalists have historically served as a mirror to society through both its best and worst moments.