It was the right decision to turn away Canadian journalist – John I. Cline
He was speaking as a call-in guest on the radio talk show 'The Morning Ride' with host Paul 'Gadietz' Peart on ZROD 103.7 FM.
According to the Bishop, the international journalists have proven themselves not to be putting the best interest of the territory first but their own agenda.
“I think they have proven themselves to be a bit disengenuous in their reporting and then what they do with their stories is twist them and make the territory look bad,” he said on the show.
“So anything to protect our territory from any further damage I think is necessary. So if the Government decided that he did not mean any good or his intention would adversely affect the territory then yes,” he said.
Asked by host 'Gadiethz' Peart whether the headline as a result would not be that the VI has something to hide, Bishop Cline held firm to his view.
“It is called economic terrorism...these journalists are coming to terrorise our country and put bad news [about us out there]. They are terrorists. We need to turn them back,” he said.
Denied entry
The reporter working with The Star in Toronto, Canada is claiming he was denied entry to the Virgin Islands, even though he had a scheduled interview with Governor John S. Duncan OBE.
The story was published by The Star, www.thestar.com, on Monday April 4, 2016 and, according to the reporter, he was working on a story as to whether reforms to combat tax evasion were working in the Virgin Islands.
According to Oved, once he declared to immigration authorities he was a journalist, he was detained at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport at Beef Island and put on the first plane out. He was also allegedly told he needed a work permit to carry out his stated business.
The reporter highlighted that he did not understand why he was denied entry into the VI despite him being very open about what was his assignment in the VI and wanted to know what the territory had to hide.
Meanwhile, the Governor’s Office confirmed that Mr Oved had a scheduled interview with the Governor and that he had informed the Governor’s Office he had been refused entry to the VI.
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46 Responses to “It was the right decision to turn away Canadian journalist – John I. Cline”
Freedom of the press is not something journalists take lightly. Every major paper the world over will send their investigative reporters here to dig up whatever it is they believe we are hiding. It was a VERY foolish move to deport that journalist, but it does not surprise me. Sadly, there are those that "think" they are in control of the situation. That notion would be laughable if it weren't so very sad. As a people, we can be very naive at times.
It only took two reporters and a mole within the FBI to force the President of the United States (Richard Nixon) to resign. Imagine what a legion of reporters from all over the world can accomplish!
This issue is NOT going to go away and now that government has thrown down the gauntlet by refusing a journalist entry, you can rest assured we are in for a very bumpy ride. This is just the beginning.
Surely that's the job of the tourist board, not foreign journalists? Pretty poor reason not to let someone enter the BVI because they might not promote it.
work permit. Are you going to tell immigration I am a canadian journalist
so i dont need a passpor?
Immigration was correct and you people know it.Just stop it right there.
Its the laws of your own country you wanted immigration violate. Nothing else matters
follow the laws of the country.
You ain seem to mind when it work our way but got a problem when them is looking at something you maybe don't want them too interested in huh? Typical. Cake, eat, keep. You want it only your way.
See how many people write good things bout us now and for a while to come. It were nonsense to throw the man out!
The Premier needs to stop listening to ill advice from people with fork tongues and shut this fiasco down as quickly as possible on the local front.
He needs to gather some of the brightest minds in the industry, including Dr. Robert Mathavious, Gerard Farara, Q.C, Vivian Inez Archibald, Dr. Michael O’Neal (from an anthropological perspective), Dr. Karl Dawson, Lorna Smith, a journalist from Virgin Islands News and one from BVI News Media, along with the Ministers and Opposition. Meet in a storm room and rehearse as many questions that can be possibly asked by the international news media. He then needs to put out a GIS News release inviting the local and international media to a press conference for a “brief” question and answer session on the grounds of the Tortola Pier Park (answer just enough questions to quenched their thirst). He needs to have Dr. Robert Mathavious and a few of the other experts in the industry to be the front speakers, because it is very difficult to understand the Premier sometimes when he speaks.
It’s time for Guerrilla Marketing Tactics- innovative, unconventional, and low-cost marketing techniques aimed at obtaining maximum exposure for a product. Learn and implement to counter negative rapidly spreading exposure. It works.
Use this technique to shutdown this unwanted publicity and allow the press to publish and televise it worldwide to put a stop to any further damage to our name and product locally. The rich cherish their privacy and any further damages can prompt an exodus of their participation in the industry on our shores; that’s why it is known as the secret lives of the rich and famous. Privacy comes first.
If done correctly, this approach can catapult our tourism industry with rich quality tourists coming from crevices around the world that we never knew exist, attracted by the courage and brilliance of the BVI and its people to protect its privacy.
That move alone can bring in revenues to further promote and strengthen our tourist product and help fill our Government coffers.
Not saying or doing anything on time, can eventually cause the death to the industry, as we know it. It’s all about “Timing.” Enact the “Obama Approach,” he would have already organized a counter press conference welcoming the media in order to clear the air and shutdown any further speculation on the local front. Presenting A Unified Front with Braveness to the World right now is Urgently Required at this time. Only then, they will back down and fish elsewhere.
However the Premier and has team did a good job at this today at the Admin Complex. Ongoing follow-ups will be needed from the Premier or his team to reverse the damage already done. Thank for sharing your thoughts.
April 7th, 2016
Bishop Cline slams NDP Govt on non-transparency & avoidance of questions
I guess that means transparency only when transparency benefits you, hypocrisy when it doesn't right?
They think everyone should be an open book - including their assets and PIN's. There is such a thing as 'too far'.
And Canada blaming the BVI for money for infrastructure is plain hilarious and indicates there is a shortage of
mental health professionals in the Toronto and Ottawa areas. Get some French toast!