Tradewinds Premium
Reader-funded journalism for the Caribbean and its diaspora.
Tradewinds Brief is independent, ad-free, and accountable to readers — not advertisers, not platforms, not political actors. If our work is useful to you, becoming a supporter is how it stays free for everyone else.
Annual
Roughly $5.83 per month. Two months free.
Become an Annual SupporterFounding Supporter
For the first 100 readers willing to pay above standard. Price locked in for life. Listed as a Founding Supporter (initials only) on our supporters page.
Become a Founding SupporterWhat supporters get
The Sunday Briefing
A long-form analytical piece that lands in your inbox every Sunday morning. Goes deeper than the daily reporting and the Saturday Weekly column — typically 1,500 to 2,500 words on a single regional pattern, written for diaspora readers thinking in years rather than headlines.
Quarterly Diaspora Reports
Four PDF reports per year covering a single major theme — examples: "The Caribbean Capital Map," "Healthcare Workforce Pipelines," "Property Values Across the Region," "Diaspora Banking in 2026." Saved, shareable, and built for actual decisions.
Early Access to Diaspora Intelligence
Our Diaspora Intelligence pieces — practical guides on AI tools, remote work, credential stacking, multi-currency banking — go to supporters two weeks before the free tier sees them.
An ad-free pledge made real
Tradewinds Brief carries no display ads and never will. Reader support is what keeps that possible. Affiliate links remain (clearly disclosed) but are not the funding model — supporters are.
Why this exists
Diaspora-focused Caribbean journalism is a small, fragile category. Most regional outlets are ad-funded — which means audience size, not depth, drives editorial decisions. Most diaspora outlets are hobby projects that never sustain.
Tradewinds Brief is built around a different idea: a small number of readers paying meaningfully will fund work that serves the whole audience. Our free product — the Daily Brief, the Weekly column, the Practical guides, the country reporting — stays free, forever, no matter how many people pay.
What supporters get is additional work: the Sunday Briefing and the quarterly reports. What everyone gets is the publication continuing to exist.
Become a supporter
Supporter sign-up runs through Stripe via EmailOctopus. You'll be redirected to a secure checkout page. Cancel any time from your supporter dashboard.
Note: The supporter checkout link is currently being configured. The links above will become active once Stripe payment is wired into our EmailOctopus list. In the meantime, subscribe to the free Daily Brief and we'll email you the moment supporter signups go live.
Common questions
Is the free product going to get worse if I don't pay?
No. The Daily Brief, the Weekly column, the Practical guides, and the country reporting are free and stay free. Supporters fund additional work — the Sunday Briefing and the quarterly reports — that wouldn't otherwise exist. The free tier is the same publication regardless of how many readers pay.
Can I cancel?
Yes, anytime, no questions. Cancellations process at the end of the current billing period; no partial refunds, but you keep your supporter benefits through the period you've paid for.
What payment methods are accepted?
Major credit and debit cards via Stripe. Apple Pay and Google Pay supported on devices that have them set up.
Is there a way to support the publication that doesn't involve a recurring subscription?
One-off support is on the roadmap. For now, the recurring model is what's available — but we're tracking interest in lifetime memberships and one-time contributions. Reply to any newsletter to register interest.
What is the Founding Supporter tier specifically?
The first 100 readers who choose the $150/year tier instead of the $70/year tier. The pricing locks in for life — even if standard pricing rises later, you stay at $150. Founding Supporters are listed (initials only, optional) on our supporters page.
Do supporters get a separate paid newsletter address?
No — the Sunday Briefing arrives at the same email address you used to subscribe. Free Daily Brief and supporter-only Sunday Briefing are managed via the same EmailOctopus list, with content gating handled at our end.