The Barbados Advocate

The Advocate ("Barbados Advocate") is the second most read daily newspaper in the country of Barbados. First established in 1895, the Advocate is also the longest continually-published newspaper in the country.^[1]

Barbados Advocate newspaper building in Fontabelle, Saint Michael, Barbados (2000).

History

The Barbados Advocate was founded in 1895^[2] by Valence Gale, who had gotten his start at the Barbados Agricultural Reporter.^[2] Gale died in 1908,^[2] leaving controlling interest in the paper to his wife, Clara Gale (née Chenery).^[3] Gale's son, Valence C. Gale, served as manager from 1919^[3] and later managing director of the paper;^[3] his brother-in-law, C. L. Chenery as editor.^[3][4] When Chenery died in 1925, Gale's younger son, C. A. Louis Gale, served as the paper's editor for 30 years.^[5]

In 1946, the Advocate had a circulation of 7,000 on weekdays and 12,000 on Sundays and was still under its original ownership.^[6]

In 1954, the newspaper joined the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).^[7] In 1960, it was joined by the Daily Star, which became a new Barbados' daily newspaper.^[8] In 1961, two British companies acquired a majority interest in the paper.^[9]

The newspaper was purchased by (the then) Anthony T. Bryan in 2000 and he became the first Black publisher in the newspaper's history. In 2020, Sir Anthony Bryan died,^[1][10][11] leading to a protracted legal battle over ownership of the paper.^[12][13]

Content and Coverage

The Advocate is a colour newspaper covering a wide array of topics, including:

• Business
• Sports
• Entertainment news
• Politics
• Editorials
• Special features
• Investigative journalism; and
• Local, regional, and international news

Headquarters

The headquarters of the Barbados Advocate is in the Fontabelle neighbourhood in Saint Michael parish, in western Bridgetown.

See also

• Media in Barbados
• Barbadian companies