The Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) is raising concern over a decline in the country’s press freedom ranking.
In a statement marking World Press Freedom Day 2026, MATT noted Trinidad and Tobago has fallen 13 places to 32nd in the latest index by Reporters Without Borders.
“Our nation has slipped 13 places, ranking 32nd out of 180 countries, down from 19th in 2025, with our overall score declining from 79.1 to 74.70,” MATT stated in a media release.
The association cited political pressure, digital harassment, and self-censorship among key challenges.
“The RSF report highlights several structural pressures affecting our media landscape, including the influence of political advertising on editorial independence, the lack of an effective witness protection programme leading to self-censorship in a high-crime environment, and the disproportionate targeting of female media workers,” it stated.
“Compounding these challenges is a disturbing trend in the digital space. In an era increasingly cluttered with misinformation and AI-driven distortions, MATT is deeply concerned by the frequent attacks on journalists by political operatives attempting to create false narratives of biased reporting.”
However, MATT welcomed a recent Court of Appeal ruling protecting media freedom, calling it a significant safeguard for journalists and the public’s right to information.
“While the national ranking has slipped and MATT is highly concerned about these insidious intimidation tactics, we find significant hope in the recent Court of Appeal judgment in Civil Appeal No. P030 of 2021 (arising from Claim No. CV2020-01000), involving the Trinidad Express Newspapers,” it stated.
“The Court of Appeal upheld that search warrants executed at the media house’s offices were unconstitutional and breached the fundamental right to freedom of the press under Section 4(k) of the Constitution.”
