According to the RSF Reporters Without Borders, Journalism is not a prestige profession in the countries that are members of the Organization of East Caribbean States.
The media watchdog in their 2018 report says Journalists get little training and often abandon media work because it is so badly paid.
It ranked SVG and other OECS countries #35, the grouping was ranked 38 in 2017.
The report alleges that many of the media outlets are under the direct influence of politicians, especially during elections, because officials can withdraw state advertising at any time, depriving them of income they depend on.
In some of the Islands, political parties even own or have major shares in media companies, compromising journalistic independence the report states.
RSF says in their report that authorities are also monitoring social networks more and more closely, which encourages a degree of self-censorship, there has even been talk of addressing so-called “Fake News” in legislation, though no bill has yet to be drafted.
The report also says that the Cybercrime Bill for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines adopted in 2016, is a vaguely worded law expected to chill freedom of the press and expression online, is likely to be exported to other countries in the OECS, according to RSF online report.
Like many of its neighbors, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines still criminalizes defamation, and this legislation has extended this offense to include online content.