RJRGleaner Communications Group’s Romardo Lyons and Barbadian journalist Esther Jones have repeated as the Caribbean Broadcasting Union/The Nature Conservancy (CBU/TNC) winners in the two environmental reporting categories of the 2026 Caribbean Media Awards.
Jones earned the award for excellence in environmental reporting on coral reefs, sponsored by TNC’s Caribbean division, for her investigative story titled “Is Barbados Keeping Cruise Tourism and Marine Protection on an Even Keel?” The story was published by the Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network (CIJN) and produced through a fellowship with the Earth Journalism Network.
A team from The BVI Beacon in the British Virgin Islands received a special mention in this category for the story “Caribbean Corals: Bleaching Ravages A Region Built on Reefs as Aid Falls Short.” The story was reported by Freeman Rogers, Jean-Michel Hauteville, Krista Campbell, Yaneris M. Soto Muniz, Suzanne Carlson, Sara Kirkpatrick, and Noel Algarin.
Lyons’ story, “The Vanishing Catch,” won the award for excellence in environmental reporting on mangrove/seagrass, sponsored by The Nature Conservancy. Lyons led a team including Courtney Morgan and Richard Brown, video, and Stefan Murray, editor.
Neil Marks (video) and Shatanand Anude (editor) of News Room Inc. (Guyana) received a special mention in this category for their story, “Sweet Survival: How Guyana’s Mangrove Forests Save The Coastland & Sustain Livelihoods.” This feature story examines the role of mangrove forests in Guyana in protecting the coastline and sustaining livelihoods.
The awards were announced during the recent 37th Caribbean Broadcasting Union Media Awards in Guyana, where winners from print, digital, and broadcast media across the English-, French-, Dutch- and Spanish-speaking Caribbean were recognized for excellence in journalism. The Nature Conservancy has partnered with the CBU since 2023 to sponsor the coral reef and mangrove/seagrass environmental reporting categories, supporting stories that bring awareness to the region’s most important marine ecosystems.
“By bringing attention to the opportunities and tradeoffs surrounding marine conservation, the winners of this year’s TNC-sponsored awards, help elevate public understanding of why healthy coral reefs and mangroves are vital for both nature and people”, said Cleveland Sam, TNC’s Caribbean marketing director.
