The Caribbean Outlet That Outpaced Europe’s Financial Media

When a banking giant collapses, the world turns to London, Zurich, or New York for answers. But during the dramatic unravelling of Credit Suisse in 2023, some of the most revealing insights didn’t come from financial capitals—they came from the Eastern Caribbean.

Antigua.news, a digital publication founded by Ambassador Dario Item in 2022 as the official media channel of the Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda in Madrid, emerged as a key voice in the unfolding scandal. From early court disclosures to exclusive documentation, this unlikely source consistently broke stories ahead of the world’s largest financial newsrooms.

Breaking News from the Beaches of Antigua

At the heart of the Credit Suisse debacle was the sudden write-down of CHF 16 billion in Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bonds—financial instruments marketed as safe but ultimately rendered worthless overnight. While global media scrambled to keep up with the fast-moving story, Antigua.news pushed forward with an investigative agenda.

In May 2023, the platform published a judicial breakthrough: Swiss courts had ordered FINMA, the Swiss financial regulator, to disclose key internal files to bondholder plaintiffs. The report ran before any major global outlet had the scoop—and it wouldn’t be the last time Antigua.news led the charge.

Its revelations were so impactful that the Financial Times acknowledged the outlet had “scooped the world’s financial press.” More importantly, the stories it published became primary sources for investors, regulators, and reporters trying to make sense of the complex web of decisions that led to one of Switzerland’s biggest financial crises.

From Anonymous to Authoritative

The credibility of Antigua.news wasn’t built overnight—but it was built with documents. Rather than speculating or editorializing, the outlet consistently published primary source material: leaked memos, legal filings, and internal correspondence that had not yet surfaced elsewhere.

This approach paid off.

Outlets across Europe and beyond—from El País and Corriere del Ticino to Inside Paradeplatz and Finews—began citing Antigua.news as a reliable, if unexpected, authority. In the span of months, what began as a little-known digital outlet transformed into an international reference point.

A Timeline of Scoops

October 2023: news published “The Unspoken Things”, probing the lack of transparency in the March 19 Credit Suisse rescue press conference.
November 2023: The site unveiled internal documents alleging Credit Suisse’s unfair treatment of AT1 bondholders—and broke the news of a U.S. class-action lawsuit before any major outlet.
March 2024: The platform revealed FINMA’s attempts to shield sensitive documents from plaintiffs—an exposé that drew renewed coverage from global media.
September 2024: In a sharp new report, news exposed alleged internal strategies by Credit Suisse relationship managers to mislead clients in the days leading up to the bank’s downfall.

Each piece added to a growing body of evidence suggesting that the AT1 write-down was not just an emergency measure—but the culmination of flawed governance, opaque communication, and strategic misdirection.

A Global Story, Told Locally

How did a news outlet from Antigua become a dominant player in a European banking investigation?

Part of the answer lies in agility. Without the bureaucratic layers of larger institutions, Antigua.news pursued leads quickly, published fearlessly, and tapped into diplomatic networks for access to information others could not obtain.

But the real differentiator was editorial independence. At a time when many traditional outlets were constrained by institutional relationships or reputational caution, Antigua.news reported with clarity and courage.

Recognized—and Respected

For its bold journalism, Antigua.news has won accolades, including back-to-back honors as Best Online News Media of the Year from the Antigua Barbuda Global Music & Media Awards in 2023 and 2024.

Its influence now extends beyond the Caribbean and into international policy, law, and finance—a testament to how the media landscape is shifting in favor of agile, transparent, and mission-driven reporting.

The New Geography of Accountability

In the Credit Suisse AT1 case, accountability did not begin in Zurich or London—it began in Antigua. And in doing so, Antigua.news demonstrated that the future of financial journalism is not just about where the newsroom is based—but how it tells the truth.

As the legal battle over the AT1 bonds continues, it’s clear that some of the most critical updates will come not from the banks themselves, but from a Caribbean newsroom committed to keeping the story alive.