In a noteworthy achievement, a team from the Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network (CIJN) has been recognized with the 2025 Inter American Press Association (IAPA) Excellence in Journalism Award in the Migration Journalism “Claudio Paolillo” category for their report titled “Tricked into Sex Slavery: Global Crackdown hasn’t Stopped Caribbean Traffickers.”
The IAPA Awards Committee reportedly praised the investigation, highlighting its detailed documentation and powerful narrative that shed light on the human trafficking crisis affecting the Caribbean, particularly through the case of a young Cuban migrant in Suriname.
The Media Institute of the Caribbean outlined in a write-up that the CIJN team was led by Editor and Mentor Freeman Rogers from the British Virgin Islands, and included journalists Valerie Fris from Suriname; Natanga Smith of Barbados; Roseann Pile from Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda; Soyini Grey of Trinidad and Tobago; and Marion Ali of Belize.
The same report also secured the top prize at the 36th Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) Awards ceremony held in Barbados on August 20, where it was honored for Excellence in Responsible Reporting on Trafficking in Persons. Additionally, another CIJN investigation titled ‘Seniors: Climate Change Forgotten Ones’ was awarded the CBU Production Awards (Radio) for Best Investigative Report, led by Wesley Gibbings from Trinidad and Tobago, with contributions from Esther Jones, Natalee Legore, and Ryan Bachoo.
According to the MIC, the CIJN team’s achievements extend beyond these honors, reflecting a consistent pattern of success in regional journalism awards.
Namely, their work in 2022 included winning the Intra-ACP EU-GCCA+ Project award for ‘The Climate Test of Guyana’s Mangroves,’ led by David Papannah from Guyana, and earning a Special Mention for ‘The Cost of Being a Climate Change Champion,’ with Esther Jones.
In 2024, Jones received the CariSECURE 2.0 Award for her report on youth involvement in crime, and was longlisted for the One World Media Awards as Freelance Journalist of the Year.
MIC President and CIJN instructor, Ms Kiran Maharaj, is quoted, stating,“ such recognition of the work of the CIJN reinforces the value of the network’s commitment to harnessing regional journalism resources through high-quality programmes of training followed by regional collaborations involving the work of leading editors/mentors.”
She continued, “Over the years, we have developed a methodology focused on compelling storytelling, research and data, and verification techniques to ensure accuracy. It is our intention to further reinforce such journalistic values in all our activities and watch them come to life through the stories we tell. As Caribbean voices, we must be an active creator of our own stories to truly reflect our circumstances.”
In support of “impactful Caribbean journalism”, MIC has also announced a Call for Submissions “for original, unpublished multimedia news stories from Caribbean journalists.” This is a grant opportunity for grants of USD $500 to $1,000 per project, with a submission deadline of September 26, 2025.
Interested parties may find more information and complete application here:
Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.
We will delete comments that:
See our full comment/user policy/agreement.