Freedom of the Press - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2004)

Status: Free
Legal Environment: 1
Political Influences: 5
Economic Pressures: 8
Total Score: 14

Population: n/a
GNI/capita: n/a
Life Expectancy: 72
Religious Groups: Anglican (47 percent), Methodist (28 percent), Roman Catholic (13 percent), other [including Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant] (12 percent)
Ethnic Groups: Black (66 percent), other [including mulatto, East Indian, and white] (34 percent)
Capital: Kingstown

The constitution guarantees a free press, and media openly criticize the government. There are several independent newspapers and radio stations, as well as a national radio station that receives funding from the government. The sole television station is privately owned. Some journalists complain that government advertising, an important source of revenue, is sometimes withheld from those publications more critical of the government. According the U.S. State Department, the government has recently adopted a policy aimed at distributing advertising revenue equally among the major newspapers.