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In the newspaper’s 60-year history, it has always been a trusted source of news to inform the people of the Cayman Islands. This was of particular importance for two major events in the territory’s recent history: Hurricane Ivan in 2004, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which began affecting the community in 2020 with closed borders and a government-mandated lockdown. Hurricane Ivan For many Caymanians and residents of Cayman, the hurricane was a defining moment in their lives, often referred to as times ‘before Ivan’ or ‘after Ivan’. The catastrophic storm unleashed its fury throughout the second weekend of September, with destructive powers that ruined or badly damaged nearly every building on Grand Cayman. People lost their homes and, in a number of cases, their livelihoods. It took months to rebuild, with traces of destruction still evident today. The Compass Centre on Shedden Road in George Town was flooded to the degree that it was impossible for staff to work in the building, and the printing press was badly damaged. Yet, despite the magnitude of the destruction at the Compass and throughout the island, the newspaper was more important than ever. The then-owner Brian Uzzell was quick to deal with the challenge, knowing that people had to be kept informed with accurate information. Arrangements were quickly put in place for the paper to be printed in Jamaica by The Gleaner Company and flown back to Cayman. The first issue came out just five days after the storm passed. The Compass was steadfast in the face of disaster. Reporters, despite great personal discomfort of having no air conditioning, and in some cases, no running water for several months, rose to the occasion. In the stifling heat, and with limited transport, they spread into the community, documenting the carnage and recording people’s stories of survival. It was news at the time, but in retrospect, they were documenting the most significant natural disaster in Cayman’s modern era. Their cameras captured the long lines at the supermarkets and the airport, the washed-out and roofless buildings, cars and boats piled up in heaps, the leafless landscape, and the heart-warming tales of compassion and kindness as islanders came together to help one another. Ivan also prompted an evolution in the Cayman Compass, with the development of a website, which saw articles going online just a few months later. It heralded the age of accessing news at any time, from anywhere in the world. In 2020, Cayman faced another storm, this time of a health nature as the coronavirus swept the globe, soon impacting the islands. At the time, the then Premier Alden McLaughlin heralded the pandemic as a storm worse than a hurricane. And, while COVID did not reduce the buildings to rubble in the manner of Ivan, the local and global effects had devastating health and economic impacts. In a time of great uncertainty and fear, when offices closed and staff worked from home, the Compass again came into its own. Although the newspaper dropped from weekday publication to Fridays only, online news coverage was ramped up, ensuring the latest official information was available instantly. The news team followed every development, from government press conferences to hospital updates, and the roll-out of the COVID vaccine. Reliable presence The Cayman Compass provided the steadying, strong and reliable presence that was essential throughout the crisis. The world has rebounded from COVID, and the Compass, too, has emerged in a firmer place, with recent investment ensuring the newspaper’s stability in print and online. In addition, its sister platforms of radio and television make Compass Media the only omnichannel company in Cayman. The Cayman Compass, now celebrating the 60th anniversary of the national newspaper of record, is positioned to remain the news source of certainty for generations to come.
