Freedom of the Press 2008 - Dominica

Status: Free
Legal Environment: 5 (of 30)
Political Environment: 11 (of 40)
Economic Environment: 6 (of 30)
Total Score: 22 (of 100)
(Lower scores = freer)

The constitution guarantees freedom of the press. The media is often critical of the government, and, as a result, relations with the ruling Dominica Labour Party are fractious. In a potentially inhibiting development for press freedom, in September Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit filed libel suits against The Times of Dominica weekly newspaper and its editor, Matt Peltier. The lawsuits followed the publication of articles written by Peltier alleging that Skerrit had acquired two pieces of land valued at US$370,300, and asking for information on how the prime minister's salary could cover such an outlay. The Media Workers' Association of Dominica deplored the prime minister's response, commenting, "It is rare in Dominica that we see such attempts at investigative journalism, and this outcry and threat of legal action is a good illustration of the reason for its rarity." The two suits were before the civil courts at year's end. There is no daily newspaper, but there are several weekly publications. Dominica has four radio stations, including the state-owned Dominica Broadcasting Corporation, and a cable TV network that covers part of the island. The internet, used by around 36 percent of the population, is neither restricted nor censored by the government.