Methodology

This page explains how we do our work. It is meant to be read by anyone — readers, sources, agents, lawyers, or anyone evaluating whether to trust what we publish.

Three-Tier Sourcing

Every reporting piece draws from at least one of these tiers, in this order of preference:

1. National news outlets in the country of the story. For Guyana: Chronicle, Kaieteur News, Guyana Times, Demerara Waves. For Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, and African coverage: comparable national outlets in each market.
2. Reuters — used for international wire context and to cross-check national reporting.
3. AP (Associated Press) — used as a third confirmation tier when a story is contested or when national outlets diverge.

We do not republish wire copy under our byline. We synthesize multiple sources, add the diaspora-frame line, and write the piece in our own voice.

Named-Individual Rule

We do not originate the public naming of any individual. We name a person in reporting only when multiple credentialed national outlets have already publicly named that person on the same story. This rule applies to politicians, officials, business figures, and private citizens equally.

For private citizens involved in tragedy, accident, or crime, we apply additional restraint and often decline to name even when public sources have done so.

What We Cover

• Government policy and its effects. Budgets, laws, regulations, public spending, infrastructure, education, health, immigration.
• Diaspora-relevant institutions. Central banks, electoral bodies, courts, regulatory agencies, regional bodies (CARICOM, OECS, ECOWAS, EAC).
• Stories that change life back home. Power outages, fuel costs, exchange rates, school exams, hurricane preparedness, safety alerts.
• Practical guidance for the diaspora. Money transfer, property, family matters, education systems, business across borders.

What We Don’t Do

• We do not break news. We respond to verified reporting in national press.
• We do not run gossip, celebrity content, or rumor.
• We do not target individuals. We target policies, institutions, and patterns.
• We do not run sponsored content disguised as editorial.
• We do not accept payment from any government, party, or business covered in our work.

The Diaspora Frame

Every reporting piece ends with a “For the diaspora” line — a plain-language explanation of what the story means for someone reading from abroad. This is not commentary or opinion. It is editorial translation: rendering home-country news in terms of its actual relevance to a reader sending money home, raising children abroad, or planning a return.

Affiliate Disclosure

A small number of practical guides — primarily money-transfer and remittance comparisons — contain affiliate links. These links are clearly marked. We only recommend services we have used or evaluated ourselves. Affiliate revenue does not influence editorial selection or coverage.

Transparency

If you have a question about how we sourced a specific piece, or want to challenge a fact in any of our reporting, write to editorial@tradewindsbrief.com. We respond.

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