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Gov’t wants its own Online News site, waiting on GIS for cost

A Minister believes online media houses are rending the Department of Information & Public Relations almost obsolete!
Freshman Member Archibald C. Christian is an advocate for a government owned and run online news site according to the Standing Finance Committee Report. The Information and Public Relations Department is to get back to House Members on cost for such a site.
Virgin Islands News Online is one of five privately owned and run Online News Sites in the Virgin Islands. Government ministers are now proposing to compete with the private sector in an effort it claims
Virgin Islands News Online is one of five privately owned and run Online News Sites in the Virgin Islands. Government ministers are now proposing to compete with the private sector in an effort it claims "to be competitive in the online arena".
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - In an interesting move, members during the recent Standing Finance Committee (SFC ) deliberations appointed by the House of Assembly of the Virgin Islands to examine the 2012 draft budget estimate, called for the Government of the day to have its own online news site in order to better get government information out to the public.

This recommendation was made during the time the Department of Information and Public Relations appeared before the Parliamentary Committee to defend their budget.

Appearing with the Permanent Secretary (PS), Mrs. Rosalie Adams, were Mrs. Arlene T. Penn, Director of Communications and Mrs. Geraldine Ritter-Freeman, Chief Information Officer (CIO).

Freshmen Territorial Member Honourable Archibald C. Christian asked, “what the cost would be to create an online site.” However, in responding to the question the CIO explained that, “there had been no investigations done on that subject area.”

The Minister for Education and Culture Myron V. Walwyn told the SFC that he “had a problem with the bureaucracy that existed around getting the information out to the public”. Mr. Walwyn, according to the report, further stated “that the online media houses were rending the Department of Information and Public Relations almost obsolete because of the length of time it would take for the government information to reach the public.”

Honourable Christian, who is one of the driving forces behind the idea of a Government run online news site, asked the CIO during the SFC presentation to look at “getting an online site for the Department and revert to Members because the organization should be competitive in the online arena. He advised that the maintenance fees and staffing figures should be included in the submitted information to ensure there would be no hidden fees.”

The Minister for Health and Social Development Ronnie W. Skelton told the SFC that he “concurred with his colleague’s earlier comment on the need for an online site….” He also claimed that the Government run and owned online news site “would not be used as a political tool.”

John E. Leonard, the General Manager of Virgin Islands News Online when asked about the idea said, “It’s highly unusual that government will be competing with the private sector, as there are some four to five online news sites in our small jurisdiction…maybe next they will want their own news paper, or radio station?” However, Mr. Leonard acknowledged that anyone can start a news site, but he hopes if Government starts one, “it will not be a partisan tool to just hear the government side of things.”

Who will have access to a Government owned and run online news site?

The Member for the first district Honourable Andrew A. Fahie asked if the backbenchers would have access to this website. The CIO indicated that she did not know, if that was a decision that she could make; it would be a matter that she would have to discuss with the PS in the Premier’s Office.

Meanwhile, representative for the third district Honourable Julian Fraser RA, stated that there had been long discussions about the government run and owned studio as it pertained to who could and could not use it. He explained that during the holiday season, certain Members of the House were at a disadvantage by not having access to a proper government facility for the purpose of producing their Christmas messages. In response, the CIO told the SFC that she could “not recall a consensus on how to move forward with opposition members’ ability to use the studio.”

Janice Williams of Little Apple Bay on the main Island of Tortola, told Virgin Islands News Online that she was skeptical of government starting its own online news site as, “it’s clear it could turn into a political tool funding by the tax payers…there seems to be a hidden agenda.”

First District representative Honourable Fahie while agreeing with the idea for a government owned and run online news site, warned the SFC Members that “it would not be a good idea to censor the media.”

18 Responses to “Gov’t wants its own Online News site, waiting on GIS for cost ”

  • lone ranger (26/03/2012, 08:42) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    isnt platinum the government's web site? atleast they think so
  • radio 1 (26/03/2012, 09:11) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    you mean NDP control Platinum, JTV, Becon and now they want everyting else that moves? well me bouy...and Fahie going along wid dat???
    • wp (26/03/2012, 10:24) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      i thought bvinews was independent and not affiliated to any party?
      • facts man (26/03/2012, 10:35) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        The only one they told me that is truly independent it’s VINO, not affiliated with any political party. As for the others me cannot speak to them as whenever I send a blog to Platinum critical of the NDP it seems never to be posted. So you decide for yourself!
        • apple pie (26/03/2012, 23:59) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
          keep the god works up vino you are truly fair and balance and does not take any prisoners...i will always log on to your site
  • Electric SHOCK (26/03/2012, 09:13) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Here comes the NDP propagonda machine
  • Disgusted (26/03/2012, 10:20) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    i THOUGHT THEY ALRADY HAD THEIR OWN SITE IN PLATINUM. YOU COULDA FOOL ME
  • Real Talk (26/03/2012, 10:21) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    LOL!! We getting scared? When Fraser used GIS to push our water issues nobody had a problem? He had an entire video with tours of the new plant, how much he spent and what he bought. yet, we hearing people are worst off than they ever were as it relates to water..LMAO!! When Andrew used GIS to push his 98% nothing wrong with that....
    • Tis To Know (26/03/2012, 19:06) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Real Talk (you jack A$$), you are making exactly the point we are trying to make. For if Fraser was able to use GIS as you are saying, to make his videos to promote the Newly Rebuilt Baughers Bay Water Plant, then why can't the NDP do the same to promote their programs. Why do they need an online News Site? And oh! By the way, the reason the water citation is worst now than it has ever been is because the NDP after taking office has decided to kill the Baughers Bay Plant, so they can bring back their own company (OCEAN CONVERSION) in Baughers Bay. The NDP has refused to properly maintain the Plant, they ignore repeated calls to have the Membranes flushed. Now, the Plant which the NDP got on November 8th producing 1,000,000 ( one million) gallons a day, in now producing only 600, 000 to 650,000 (six hundred to six hundred and fifty) gallons a day. So what do you expect. To give you an idea what this means, this deficit is almost twice as much as what the Sea Cows Bay Plant which supplies all of from Duffs Bottom to Cox Heat, including Sea Cows Bay, Hannah's, Pockwood Pond, Pleasant Valley, etc. You people are too much, all about self. And you know what's worst about this whole thing, the people are not outrage about this willful waste of government money.
  • i am saying (26/03/2012, 10:40) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Well saw, NDP want to control the media to get their propaganda and perception management message out, so they want their own online news site ...What ah thing to tell the king….what next you will get kill in the streets like in the Middle East for calling in on talk shows and speaking out ?????
  • ausar (26/03/2012, 19:09) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    This proposal "smells" bad. It could very well be the undoing of the NDP next election. It's almost a form of censorship of the media and the people will not support it.
    • THE 2016 ELECTIONS (26/03/2012, 23:57) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      WE NOT FOOL FOOL WE CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH THE OBJECTIVE OF STARTING THERE OWN NDP NEWS SITE USING TAX PAYERS $$$$$$
  • Sandman Indy (27/03/2012, 10:55) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Government should not have a news site…they should conduct business with controlled and coherent news releases to all private news media. Seems to me everyone is out there talking too freely.
  • tell me why (27/03/2012, 13:05) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    WHY AM I NOT SURPIRSED OF THIS???
  • black boy (27/03/2012, 15:39) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    So a government on line news site…hummmm what will they call it?? NDP online news you can use????
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