The West Indian, 1915-1975
[before the Newspaper (Amendment) Act of 1975]

T.A. Marryshow, journalist and politician, and the Grenadian lawyer C.F.P. Renwick founded the "West Indian" newspaper in 1915. The thrust of the news was to focus on self-rule and a West Indian federation.

The paper, edited by Marryshow for twenty years, had this slogan on its masthead:

T.A. Marryshow advocated greater independence from Great Britain, self-government and the establishment of a West Indian federation. He died in 1958.

Appearing five-times-weekly, Monday through Friday, the circulation of the "West Indian" was approximately 1000 per issue for, generally, a 6-page paper. During the course of this newspaper, T.A. Marryshow became the owner.

The paper's contents after Marryshow left became mundane with slim news material, heavy advertisement and an over-ambitious use of type for headlines. The "West Indian" monitored radio broadcasts for some reports, used cable services and subscribed to "Reuterpress" for many of its stories. It accepted "Letters to the Editor" and often printed them on the front page to fill the space where reporter stories were lacking.

Interestingly, the late Patrick Chookolingo, was Editor of the "West Indian" newspaper and played an active role is exposing Eric Gairy in relation to the 'Squandermania' issue. Chookolingo went on to Trinidad to write for the BOMB which took up an anti-Bishop/Coard, anti-guns and anti-Cuban stance from the first days of the coup.

In a news article in a late 1971 issue of 'The Torchlight' this headlined story appeared:

"GOVERNMENT MOVE TO ACQUIRE 'WEST INDIAN' - PURCHASE BID BY LOCAL GROUP FOILED - BREACH OF CONTRACT LAWSUITE THREATENS"

"Government has notified the owner of THE WEST INDIAN newspaper, Mr. J.B. Renwick, in writing of its intention to acquire the building in which the newspaper is housed, as well as the equipment in the building. In short, it is Government's intention to acquire the newspaper (owned privately for 56 years)."

Gairy had lost the bid to a local group - Rawle Charles, Leslie Pierre and Gordon Renwick - thus Government moved forward and acquired it.

With the newspaper in the hands of Gairy, it printed whatever the Gairy government wanted and whatever the Grenada United Labour Party (GULP) decided to print.

The Torchlight, 1955 - 1975
[before the Newspaper (Amendment) Act of 1975]

The masthead on The Torchlight reads:

Knowledge Is Power - Savoir C'est Pouvoir

The "Torchlight" was published by Grenada Publishers Ltd., a local, private company. The paper was founded in 1955 by L.C.J. Thomas after he broke with Gairy. Printed Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, "Torchlight" had about 1000 papers in circulation per issue.

The "Torchlight" carried news of local politics and followed the activities of Grenadians. The paper also accepted "Letters to the Editor" and often printed those on the front page.

The last issue of the "Torchlight" before the Newspaper (Amendment) Act 1975 came into law on 4 July 1975 was the issue of Sunday, 7 July 1975. See the "Torchlight" section, after the Newspaper Amendment Act of 1975, below.

Vanguard, 1964-1973
possibly as early as 1957 [before the Newspaper (Amendment) Act of 1975]

The "Vanguard" was the weekly newspaper of the Grenada National Party (GNP), It was started in 1964 and circulated 1,500 copies per issue. It was supported by the GNP and private advertising.

The "Vanguard" was edited by lawyer Arnold Michael Cruickshank who ran against Gairy in September 1962 for St. George's South. Cruickshank had campaigned thoroughly for the position door to door in his constituency, running up 1,015 votes to Gairy's 1,269 votes. A similar count occurred in the 25 August 1967 election with Cruickshank pulling in 1,309 votes on the GNP ticket to Gairy GULP 2,196 votes.

This GNP paper was highly critical of Gairy and his government. One time Cruickshank commented, according to an interview in 1971 with Lent, that he likened the Prime Minister [Gairy] to Hitler.

According to Singham, Cruickshank had cut close to Gairy's strength when he -

" . . . campaigned heavily on the 'Go Trinidad' issue, and made liberal use of the slogan that had become very popular throughout the campaign [of 1962] - that every second person in Grenada had relatives in Trinidad, and it was time to join them."

"The G.N.P. big shots came and promised you big things, they told you a lot of lies about how Dr. Williams had agreed to let them join him the day after elections and the result was that instead of being in a Unitary State with Trinidad we found ourselves a unit of Carriacou."

The above quote is hilarious vintage Gairy for those of you who are not aware that Herbert Blaize, GNP, representing Carriacou, was the new Chief Minister.

After Cruickshank's close losses to Gairy and battling the Gairy government, he gave up and returned to a full-time law practice. Cruickshank was one of three GNP barristers who worked on the case in 1973 of the release of Bishop and five others from jail. The "Vanguard" closed in late October 1972.

Caribbean Monthly Bulletin, 1966 - 1975
[before the Newspaper (Amendment) Act of 1975]

The Caribbean Monthly Bulletin, published by Institute of Caribbean Studies, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico has consistently carried copy from Grenada. Its primary Grenadian columnist was Alister Hughes who was writing the section on Grenada each month as early as 1973 [until 1994].

The Forum (and Cribou), 1970 - 1972
[before the Newspaper (Amendment) Act of 1975]

The "Forum" was a weekly publication which started in June, 1970. The newspaper was closely association with the National Action Front [NAF], a Black consciousness organization.

In 1970, Barrister Maurice Bishop wrote a long paper on the need for a popular newspaper in Grenada. This document, found at the US National Archives, detailed in its many pages, exactly the tasks and costs of such an endeavour. Bishop made the assessment that the "West Indian", "Vanguard" and "Torchlight" newspapers had low circulation and everyone read the "Trinidad Express" anyway. And he determined that Grenada needed a modern printery on its own shores. Bishop wrote:

. . . Backwardness is not simply political, but social. Politics must have a central place in the social movement, for without politics the movement would be nothing. To that the movement that is required in Grenada today is a social movement with a clear political direction. A popular newspaper and an independent modern printery are vital to the building of such a movement.

". . . the strongest and most vital force in the struggle to better the life of man has come, not from Christian institutions, but from the followers of Karl Marx."

By the first months of 1971, FORUM as a newspaper was unavailable. Members were accusing one of its members for its fall. It is surmised there followed, by younger members of Forum, one or two issues of a newspaper called "CRIBO" published by members of the group Cribou.

The J.E.W.E.L., 1972 - 1973
[before the Newspaper (Amendment) Act of 1975]

The "Jewel" newspaper was edited by Teddy Victor who was publications secretary from the beginning until October 1973. Another early worker on the paper was Sebastian 'Sambas' Thomas.

'The Jewel'—in its first issue on 14 April 1972—carried an attack on Gairy's plans for independence. The newsletter was stated to 'be the voice of the co-operative movement soon to be launched in St. David's.' The paper contained an attack by Unison Whiteman on Gairy's plan for independence for Grenada as

" . . . another smoke screen, another diversion, another side stepping of our real problems --- national unity, upgrading essential services were essential pre-requisites for independence."

"Even in its new, more political form, the JEWEL was neither exactly revolutionary nor exactly socialist. It quoted Marx on the ideal communist society but it began and ended its meetings with prayer. Most members, like most Grenadians, were devout Catholics. It was vehemently anti-Gairy and hinted that force might be necessary to remove him. But it had no clear plan to take power and certainly no clear plan to abolish the existing social and political system. Most of all, the JEWEL leaders were farmers who understood the real needs of rural people."

The New Jewel, 1973 - 1975
[before the Newspaper (Amendment) Act of 1975]

The New Jewel newspaper of 11 March 1973, referred to the joining of Jewel and MAP as the Great Merger. The paper was called "Jewel" also. The masthead changed from "Let's join hands to build a better land" to "Not just another society but a just society" and "Let those who labour hold the reins."

Its circulation was 2,000 in 1973. Teddy Victor continued as an editor until 1976. Eslee E. Carberry was NJM publications secretary. Selwyn Strachan was also a Publications Secretary of The New Jewel, and was taken with writs by Gairy before a magistrate, primarily for libel.

Because of the Gairy Government Newspaper (Amendment) act of 1975 and because Gairy did not like the paper, various members of the New Jewel Movement were harassed, beaten or killed. Notably, those were Jeremiah Richardson, who on 21 April 1973 was shot by secret police while distributing New Jewel and Alston Williams chopped 1 June 1973, by secret police for selling the NJM newspaper. For additional information, link to Gairy and the Media and Gairy and the Jewel.

According to Jacobs:

Its [Jewel's] tactic of publishing rumors in particular was a brilliant political strategy as Grenadian society thrives on rumors while have great admiration for those who can consistently produce 'factual' rumors."

By 1975, the New Jewel newspaper was reaching a circulation of 10,000 out of a population of approximately 100,000. It was written in the language of and emphasized issues related to the everyday lives of people. Brizan refers to the New Jewel as "both educational and agitational."

The Grenada Newsletter, 17 August 1973 - 1975
[before the Newspaper (Amendment) Act of 1975]

In 1973, Alister Hughes, as journalist and editor, and his wife Cynthia wrote, produced and distributed the "Grenada Newsletter" After the first issue on 17 August 1973, they printed and distributed the newsletter every three weeks by subscription only, often with a comprehensive index at the end of the year. The subscription basis appears to have exempted the Grenada Newsletter from any governmental interference.

The Corn, 1975
[before the Newspaper (Amendment) Act of 1975]

"The Corn" was the official organ of the Grenada National Party (GNP) under political leader Herbert Blaize. It was through an April 1975 article written by Blaize and following the report of the Duffus Commission, that all opposition to the Gairy Government was called upon to unite in group action. At that time Blaize was Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives. A May and June issue followed.

Horizon
[before the Newspaper (Amendment) Act of 1975]

Gairy's party, the Grenada United Labour Party [GULP] has a newspaper of quite low circulation. The content of speeches and addresses by Sir Eric himself repeated those same speeches and his Radio Grenada addresses.

Newspaper (Amendment) Act, 1975

The Gairy Government Newspaper (Amendment) Act of 1975 severely restricted publishing in Grenada. The Act came into law on 4 July 1975. See Gairy and the Media for details of this Act.

The Newspaper (Amendment) Act, 1975 is a dividing line in Grenadian publishing.

The only publication within the parameters of the Act was the, after the Newspaper (Amendment) Act was the Government-owned "West Indian." The other four weekly and bi-weekly papers suspended publication.

Appreciation and acknowledgement to John A. Lent's interviews with Grenadian editors and program directors found in "Third World Mass Media and Their Search for Modernity" and the Journalism Quarterly article "Mass Media in Grenada."