The Caribbean has a varied level of media development, with Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica being the most sophisticated and Dominica and Guyana the least. Within the territories and countries of CARICOM (the Caribbean Community), there are about 25 local terrestrial stations and 60-100 cable channels. Radio licences exceed 300 and there are more than a dozen daily print newspapers and 5 weekly publications as well as on-line dailies and weeklies, all serving a population of about 6 million. There is a mix of private and state owned broadcasters with the latter dominating in some territories e.g. Guyana while others such as Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago have experienced significant media liberalization. 
 
Such a diverse media landscape provides the foundation for Caribbean media to carry out its indispensable role of upholding democratic governance and act as a key anti-corruption watchdog, a role reinforced in the UNESCO Global Investigative Journalism Casebook. Beyond the conventional news reporting that goes along with such a role, it is investigative journalism that is often the critical tool used by the media to unearth and report on corruption, engage public participation in public policy discourse and ultimately trigger socio-economic and political change. 
 
The quality of the investigative journalism being practiced across the Caribbean has, however, been negatively affected by the expense, labour intensiveness and legal risks associated with this form of journalism. The dangers that journalists face when attempting to reveal information that is in the public interest are also of concern, particularly in the context of small island nations. These challenges are compounded by the financial pressures caused by declining advertising revenues in recent years. As a result, many of the broadcast media outlets in the target countries do not prioritise their training budgets in a way that focuses on improving the technical skills necessary for high quality investigative journalism. The Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC), the leading regional body on media studies, does not currently offer professional development courses that could fill this void, specifically relating to investigative journalism. 
 
Consequently, there has been a regional decline in the use of high quality investigative journalism as a means of informing the public of fundamental matters of governance. This has resulted in reduced participation of broader civil society in matters of governance and a lessening of public demand and advocacy for greater accountability and transparency in governance. Another result has been a heightened public sense of increased corruption at the state level. This perception is evident in the repeated low scores of a majority of Caribbean countries over the years, and as recently as 2013, in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. 
 
In addition the problem is complicated by the continuing under-representation of women in the media, particularly in journalism. As reported in the latest study from the International Women in the Media Foundation on “Women in the Media”, the Caribbean exhibits general under-representation across occupational groups, glass ceilings, and disproportionately low representation in boardrooms and top management levels. Not only is this pattern of gender inequality a challenge for the journalism sector, it also has an impact on the wider society. That is because as noted by Transparency International in its State of Research on Gender and Corruption,15 “Corruption may affect progress towards gender equality and women’s empowerment, by limiting women’s capacities to claim their rights.” 
 
Many of the challenges posed by the traditional practice of investigative journalism have, however, been significantly minimized in recent times. With the advent of new digital technologies such as social media, journalists now have access to cost-effective ways of contacting sources and accessing information from around the globe. In addition, six of the fifteen member states of CARICOM have passed Freedom of Information laws which now enable affordable, enforceable access to information held by those governments which have them. A more effective use of these laws would enhance journalists’ ability to access first-hand, accurate information critical to investigative journalism research. Finally, through the efforts of strong local and regional civil society and professional organisations in partnership with development agencies such as UNESCO and UNWomen, greater attention has been paid to the need for gender equality in the media in order to achieve national and regional development goals and targets and promote good governance and democracy. This has resulted in greater emphasis being placed on women’s access to capacity-building and training in a wider range of media professions, including investigative journalism.