Premier blasts online news sites for headlines on Hong Kong Office opening
BVI Platinum News on September 6, 2013 headlined their story “Lorna Smith Is Interim Director as Hong Kong Office Opens For Business” while BVI NEWS’ mirrored, “Lorna Smith appointed interim director of new Hong Kong Office.”
The Premier vented his disgust during a telephone interview with ZBVI radio announcer Mr Zan Lewis, sections of which were aired on ZBVI radio last evening, September 10, 2013 and rebroadcast this morning on the said radio station.
Premier Smith, who is currently in Gibraltar, was not pleased that the online news sites chose to play up in their headlines that Mrs Lorna Smith was named the interim-director when the focus should have been on the opening of the Hong Kong office. He said Mrs Smith being the Interim Director was nothing new.
"I want to make mention about the meeting or the opening of the office in Hong Kong. Needless to say I was very disappointed and troubled that on the occasion of the establishment of a very significant activity in the Asia Pacific region to our financial services, the headline on the opening of the office on the online media read, Lorna Smith is interim director of Hong Kong office," said Premier Smith.
At the time of this discourse with Mr Lewis the Premier was responding to questions about the Gibraltar leg of his overseas meeting when he choose to divert to address the issues about the headlines.
"This was an appointment that was made several months ago to give an early start to the function of the office and which will end in a few weeks, and basically I would not have expected to be the headline for an important event of the opening of the office in Hong Kong to further the financial services of the BVI," a disappointed Premier Smith said.
BVI Platinum News has since updated the article in question with the headline “Premier Takes Issue Over Wife Headlining Hong Kong Office Opening”.
The online news site referred to a September 6, 2013 Government Information Service (GIS) issued press release on the official opening of the office that “Mrs Smith was referred to as the interim director in the 10th paragraph of the 14 paragraph press release.”
“This was the first time that Mrs Smith was referred to as the interim director. On previous occasions, which also included press conferences, the Premier had only stated that Mrs Smith would be leading the way to ensure that the office is setup,” BVI Platinum News alleged.
The news site further alleged that before departing for Asia, Premier Smith at a press conference late last month had indicated that “Government is yet to select a Virgin Islander who will head the office in Hong Kong”.
BVI Platinum News has a history of allegedly reporting misinformation
In the case of BVI Platinum News, this is not the first time that they are being blasted for their headlines. There were a number of instances where they were accused of carrying inaccurate and misleading headlines.
“BVI Platinum News misrepresented me-Jamal S. Smith”; “BVI Platinum news report a breach of ethics-Hon. A Christian”; “Miss BVI blasts Platinum for ‘inaccuracies’ in article about her” are just a few stories that were published on Virgin Islands News Online on alleged misinformation, misinterpretation and alleged malicious reporting by the pro-government news site.
In July 2013, Attorney-at-law Mr Jamal S. Smith had alleged that BVI Platinum News had misrepresented him when, in his personal capacity, he had called for transparency to the Cruise Prier development Project. BVI Platinum News had allegedly wrongly quoted him as speaking on behalf of the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association (BVICCHA) of which Mr Smith is Chairman.
The BVICCHA Chairman had also alleged that the news site had given the impression that he was not in favour of the project, which he said was not the case.
He had also said he had not gone public before to strike a disclaimer to what he alleged BVI Platinum News had falsely reported because at that time, “the position of the Chamber was, leave it alone. Speaking about it constantly will not help the situation,” Mr Smith had claimed.
In April 2013, Territorial At-Large Representative and political back bencher with the National Democratic Party (NDP), Hon. Archibald C. Christian had slammed BVI Platinum News for what he termed ‘a breach of ethics’.
The Territorial Representative was at the time speaking in the House of Assembly (HOA) and referred directly to BVI Platinum News in his remarks.
The first-term Territorial Rep had referred to an established protocol within the HOA regarding the treatment of reports. “We have a protocol that whenever items are going to be laid in this Honourable House, that the Members get that information, and before that information is made public, there is a process,” Hon. Christian had stated.
He had said, “I received my package last week for this sitting, and in that package was the forensic audit report. We broke for the Easter holidays and Madam Speaker, to my surprise, on Tuesday of last week, on Platinum News [was] breaking news; and the breaking news [was] a story about the financial audit… forensic audit report,” an upset Hon. Christian had stated.
Meanwhile, Miss BVI 2012/2013 Sharie B.Y. deCastro had issued a written statement on November 29, 2012 in which she stated that a publication had inaccurately characterized her position on prizes awarded to her by the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee (VIF&F).
The site in question was BVI Platinum News and the article was reportedly about the then reigning Miss BVI allegedly being “unhappy with car”, a prize that was offered to her for winning the Miss BVI crown on August 5, 2012.
Virgin Islands News Online was made to understand that persons within the Miss BVI circle were outraged at the article, which they said seemed to be an attempt to portrait the then queen in a negative light.
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56 Responses to “Premier blasts online news sites for headlines on Hong Kong Office opening”
I like platinum but they're pissing me off. They seem to want to compete with VINO and it's not a good look for them. They need to stick in their lane and stop their bull$£^T. If they wanted to report they should just report on the Hong Kong Office, we need the publicity. The focus shouldn't be on Lorna being the one setting it up as it's no surprise that she was chosen and is more than qualified to do it. Big deal!. Platinum you will tank if you keep it up. It seems they're envying VINO with all these ads so they trying to publish 'catchy' stories. SMH.
VINO do not get involved in that civil war between the NDP news site platinum and the NDP Government let them scold each other like kids and try to silence their own site when they do not print what they want them to print.
See in the end VINO looks like a rose just keep your professional journalism going!!!
i have named you Dr NO CLUE Smith, you really need to get a grip!
However my question to Dr. D. Orlando Smith; is there nobody else among the 15,000 plus young professional and college educated Virgin Islanders in and outside the civil service capable of contributing to the development of the territory and heading and opening an office?