“Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is concerned by the Trinidad and Tobago government's suspension of public advertising contracts with news outlets as the country's independent media faces growing financial strain. Since the policy was announced in May 2025, one national daily newspaper has closed, and another has announced layoffs in its newsroom — in a country with only three newspapers. The continued loss of government advertising risks further weakening independent journalism and media pluralism in one of the Caribbean's strongest press freedom environments.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar placed all advertising by government ministries and state enterprises on mainstream and social media — broadcast, print, and digital — ‘on hold until further notice’ as part of a broad cost-cutting package on 13 May 2025. Public sector advertising represented a significant portion of revenue for many news outlets in the Caribbean, yet Persad-Bissessar said the measures were necessary to address what she described as an estimated TT$4.42 billion deficit for May and a projected TT$11 billion deficit for 2025.”
