Hello Friends of CNS,

Presumably, you’ve clicked on this page because you like Cayman News Service and want to know more about how to support us. First let me tell you that we have no backers, no hidden shareholders or partners, no secret sources of income to finance this website. We are entirely dependent on sales of advertisements and donations to keep us going – and we want to keep it that way so that we stay independent and do not have to answer to anyone but you, our readers.

We keep costs down to a minimum by keeping this an online medium (and saving a few trees while we’re at it) and provide the news on our site for free, but we still need your assistance to survive and, hopefully, one day to expand. There are several ways you can help.

Advertise with CNS: Cayman News Service is a legitimate platform for advertising your business and a fraction of the cost of print advertising. Online marketing is still new in the Cayman Islands and many people are still reluctant to give it a try, but your advertising dollars can help us continue doing what we do best and help your business through this economic slump, too.

Donate to CNS: If you don’t need to advertise but like reading our website and appreciate the effort we put into making it the best, a donation, however small, will help us to move these islands towards the thriving democracy it can be.

Spread the word about CNS: We especially want to reach the young people so that they get involved with the politics of the island and help shape their own future. We have now developed a Facebook page and a Twitter page to try to get as many people involved in this project as possible. Democracy doesn’t work if people don’t feel as though they can make a difference. We want people to participate in any way they feel comfortable, to join in public conversations, to suggest ideas and to debate the issues. We want budding young journalists out there to catch the bug and get politically active. This isn’t an easy job and you can make a lot more money in other professions, but it is hugely rewarding for those who want to make a difference.

Subscribe: Our daily emailed News Update is a great way to remind people to read the news. Sign up if you’re not on the list – it’s free and you can always unsubscribe – or click the “Forward to a Friend” button at the bottom of the email to share this service with someone you know.

We know that it’s rough for everyone right now, but we honestly believe that CNS adds significantly to the life of these islands and many of you have come to rely on us, not only to tell you what’s happening but to raise the standard of the media generally. CNS is a very tiny organisation with very limited resources but we try every day to bring to you the news about the Cayman Islands when you deserve it (which is when it happens, not three days later) and, very importantly, to provide a vibrant platform for public debate.

We believe that giving a voice to the people is an absolutely essential aspect of any true democracy and this has always been the foundation of our website – with the Viewpoint section, the comments at the end of each article, and now we have added a Public Forum and online Polls to give you more ways to express your opinion.

As some of you know, almost all of the news stories on CNS are written by our only journalist on Grand Cayman, Wendy Ledger, who does a phenomenal job at keeping up with what’s going on in the Legislative Assembly, in the courts and in society. You may be aware that she covered the entire election campaign on her own (except for the very small contribution I was able to make covering the candidates on the Sister Islands) as well as managing to fit in, the week before the election, coverage of the Justice Levers Tribunal, plus a few good commentaries as well. Just think what we could do with two journalists on Grand Cayman!

The popularity of our site and the comments feature has revealed a hunger for ways to sound off on where we are, how we got here and where we should be going. And that’s good news for the Cayman Islands – nothing will kill the soul of a country as quickly as apathy and hopelessness.

Please help us in our mission to keep democracy alive – not just once every four years, but all day, every day. We couldn’t do this without you!

Thanks for your support!

Nicky Watson

Owner/Manager CNS

Read more about advertising with CNS

Find out how to donate to CNS

Sign up for the CNS daily news update

Find us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Email me with ideas and suggestions: nickywatson@caymannewsservice.com