SCRIPT 1: GUYANA DAILY BRIEF (Short-form — 60-90 seconds)

[THUMBNAIL TEXT: STABROEK NEWS IS DEAD 💀]

[HOOK — First 3 seconds] One of Guyana’s oldest newspapers just announced it’s shutting down forever.

[BODY] Stabroek News — nearly 40 years old — will stop printing on March 15th, 2026. The parent company is entering voluntary liquidation. Chairman Brendan de Caires blamed the global collapse of print advertising, which dropped 75% since 2004. The digital age finally caught up with Guyana’s press.

But that’s not the only news. Demerara Bank just raised its housing loan ceiling from 30 million to 40 million at 5% interest. The Guyana Technical Training College opened in Port Mourant to certify workers for oil and gas jobs. And Health Minister Frank Anthony dropped a bombshell — 400 out of 600 men who got biopsies tested positive for prostate cancer. Men, go get screened.

Oh, and Happy Valentine’s Day. Kaieteur says restaurants are charging $25,000 for half a chicken breast and calling it fine dining. One man lit a candle at home and called it five-star ambiance. His wife wasn’t impressed.

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SCRIPT 2: CARIBBEAN DAILY BRIEF (Short-form — 60-90 seconds)

[THUMBNAIL TEXT: MIA MOTTLEY 30-0 AGAIN 🇧🇧]

[HOOK — First 3 seconds] Mia Mottley just won every single seat in Barbados Parliament — for the third time in a row.

[BODY] The Barbados Labour Party swept all 30 seats, making Mottley one of only two Caribbean leaders to ever achieve a clean sweep three consecutive times. The opposition doesn’t just need new candidates — they need a new strategy, a new party, and possibly a new country.

Meanwhile, the US military sank another boat in the Caribbean, killing three people. That’s the fourth strike in 2026, and at least 80 people have been killed since September. The Caribbean Sea is becoming a combat zone.

Trinidad’s PM is addressing Caribbean Energy Week as the region’s oil and gas sector booms. Taiwan donated $3 million to St. Vincent. And Zimbabwe shocked Australia in the T20 World Cup while India crushed Namibia.

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SCRIPT 3: DEEP DIVE — STABROEK NEWS CLOSURE (Long-form — 3-5 minutes)

[THUMBNAIL TEXT: THE END OF STABROEK NEWS — What It Means for Guyana]

[HOOK] After nearly 40 years, Stabroek News is shutting down. And if you think this is just about one newspaper, you’re not paying attention.

[BODY]

Section 1: What Happened Guyana Publications Inc., the parent company of Stabroek News, is entering voluntary liquidation. Print publication ends March 15, 2026. Chairman Brendan de Caires told staff that global digital platforms — Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram — have destroyed the print advertising model. Worldwide, print ad revenue dropped from $110 billion in 2004 to $26 billion in 2024. GPI absorbed losses for years by burning through cash reserves. The reserves are gone.

Section 2: Why It Matters Stabroek News was Guyana’s most prominent independent newspaper. Founded in 1986, it became a daily in 1994. For four decades it served as a counterweight to government-aligned media. Regardless of which party was in power, Stabroek asked the uncomfortable questions. With Stabroek gone, Guyana’s media landscape loses a critical independent voice.

Section 3: The Bigger Picture Guyana now has three major papers: the Chronicle, which is government-owned; Kaieteur News, which is privately owned and opposition-leaning; and the Guyana Times, which is PPP-aligned. The ecosystem just lost its most centrist publication. In a country where media independence is already fragile, this is significant.

Minister Kwame McCoy called it “regrettable” and urged media companies to evolve their strategies. Which is true — but also easy to say when the government owns a newspaper and controls state advertising.

Section 4: What Comes Next Will Stabroek News survive as a digital-only publication? De Caires hasn’t said. The liquidation suggests a full shutdown, not a pivot. But in a country experiencing an oil-driven economic boom, there’s an argument that someone should be investing in independent journalism, not watching it die.

[CTA] What do you think — is this a natural market correction or a loss for Guyanese democracy? Comment below. Subscribe for daily Guyana news.