Trinidad Journalist and Mental Health Advocate Charlene Stuart passes away

Trinidad and Tobago: Charlene Stuart, a former journalist known for her powerful voice in Caribbean journalism and mental health advocacy, died Sunday 20 July. 

The Trinidad journalist, formerly working with CN3 and TV6, was widely admired for her reporting and courageous openness about living with depression, passed away on July 20 with the reasons for her passing yet to be known. 

Life and legacy of Charlene Stuart 

Charlene was born and raised in Guyana and began her journalistic career in print media before  relocating to Trinidad at the age of 23 to pursue her journalistic ambitions in the broadcast media. 

She credits the former Head of News at TV6 Natalie Williams who took a chance on her and assigned her to the broadcast media where she worked behind the scenes on the Morning Edition programme. 

Although she was initially hired as a reporter for the channel, Stuart spent years behind the scenes before getting on air only years later after she had progressively built her craft working behind the scenes. 

Stuart recorded in one of her writing pieces of her own story that she was taken under mentorship by figures such as Andy Johnson, and Rosemarie Sant. With Johnson sharing  not just his Rolodex but his time and guidance, and Sant warning her that when the broadcast bug bites, that is the end. 

Stuart recorded that she threw herself into studying Trinidad politics and sharpening her voice in more ways than one as she stayed tuned to the BBC which helped to refine her voice both figuratively and literally. 

She describes her early years in Trinidad as being filled with friendly faces and warmth from her diverse Caribbean friends circle. 

Despite having many career highs, Stuart suffered from depression as she later became an outspoken mental health advocate and shared the journey of her life living with clinical depression. A diagnosis she had received during the Covid-19 pandemic 

She brought to light that she was a suicide attempt survivor and often credited her survival to her psychiatrist and her psychiatric service dog, Oreo, who helped her to stay grounded during tough times.  

Noting that on some days she feels that she can write brilliant communication plans but on other days she cannot even get out of bed. 

Her co-workers along with Guardian Media’s Deputy Managing Editor Sampson Nanton remember her as being a cheerful and bubbly person who brightened the newsroom with her presence. 

Her former colleagues have paid tribute to her calling her a “giant of journalism” and admiring her not just for her professionalism but for her brave spirit on speaking openly on her battle with mental health.