Our History

In 1965, the Cayman Publishing Company was established. At that time, the company produced the once a week Caymanian Weekly (launched on October 6th 1965). This continued until 1972 when it became twice weekly. During the late 60s, to help support the operation, the company introduced job printing, which became the main financial foundation until the early 1970s.

In 1973, one of the principle shareholders of the company (who was also the managing editor) started up an opposition newspaper called the Cayman Compass which was published by Instant Print and Photography. Both publications were printed on island and in 1974; the two newspapers were combined into the Caymanian Compass, published twice a week. Within a year, the Compass was being published 3 times per week.

In the 70s the CaymanianCompass was being published 3 times per week. To bolster the company’s output, the late 70s saw Cayman Free Press introducing additional publications into the tourism industry with the introduction of an Annual Map and Visitors Guide and the Tourist Weekly (a forerunner to the Key to Cayman magazine.) The Cayman Islands Yearbook was also introduced as a representative of the financial industry.

On Tuesday 6th October 1981, the Caymanian Compass went daily.

Cayman Free Press continued to publish the Caymanian Compass daily along with the newly introduced publications – the Annual Map and Visitors Guide, the Tourist Weekly and The Cayman Islands Yearbook.

The company continued to grow and in 1990 a new publication, The Key to Cayman Magazine was introduced to Cayman to meet demand from the tourist industry.

The turn of the millennium saw Cayman Free Press once again increasing its output. In 2002 two new publications were introduced: The Cayman Islands Journal, Cayman’s leading in-depth business broadsheet and InsideOut magazine a full colour glossy magazine which rapidly became Cayman’s premier home and living publication.

Following Hurricane Ivan, September 12th 2004, Cayman Free Press offices were severely damaged. With a skeleton staff working out of a small remaining office and using just two laptop computers we began publishing the Caymanian Compass newspaper by printing through the Jamaican Gleaner presses in Kingston.  On September 17th, 5 days after the storm, the first post Ivan Caymanian Compass was delivered to the people of Cayman. From October 19th we began to produce two editions a week.

Remediation work carried out by our staff as well as tireless efforts by a team of just five reporters continued throughout the remainder of 2004, until on Wednesday December 1st, the Caymanian Compass once again returned to daily publishing with an afternoon edition. The company continued to grow back to pre-Ivan size and on the 14th March the Caymanian Compass resumed publishing its daily morning edition. Other publications were brought back online from this time.

Today Cayman Free Press publishes the Caymanian Compass, a weekly TV Guide, a range of supplements and features, Inside Out – Cayman’s premier home and living magazine, the Key to Cayman, the Cayman Islands JOURNAL, the Map and Visitor’s Guide and our website  www.caycompass.com brings news to the world 24/7.    

Click the Product Quicklinks for more information about our products & services.