News sites should ‘stop these blogs’, Willock says
Media owner and former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Julian Willock has called for the ‘public comments’ sections on news sites, locally known as “blogs,” to be discontinued entirely.
“I’ve proposed already that all news sites just stop these blogs. But I have not got any support,” Willock said while speaking during a recent radio interview.
Radio host Damion Grange argued that while free speech is important, some of what is published is defamatory, degrading and harmful to the community.
But Willock insisted that blogs posted on his news site, Virgin Islands News Online (VINO), are usually screened for defamatory content by the editor-in-chief. But programme hosts expressed shock after hearing this and questioned the effectiveness of this screening, adding that Willock should have a meeting with his editor-in-chief.
Grange suggested that blogging should remain an avenue for voices within the community. But Willock pushed back, suggesting that there was malicious intent on the part of some bloggers.
He acknowledged that blogs can be used to express legitimate views but claimed that a small number of individuals post frequently across different news sites. He argued that such comments often lacked objectivity.
“I don’t know at times whether that’s the voices of the community. You have organised blogging now. You have political candidates who have their team of bloggers just blogging to make them look in a way that they’re not,” he stated.
Willock’s position mirrors recent comments by Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley, who urged the public to exercise discernment and steer clear of negative blogs that seek to divide the community.
In the meantime, the former Speaker said he supported calls for higher standards in public discourse. “We want to always respect our leaders, not only the Premier but other ministers,” he said, adding that elected officials should be recognised and treated with respect at public events.
The debate over blogs has been ongoing in the territory for years, with concerns that anonymous online comments can spread misinformation and fuel personal attacks. Willock’s comments have reignited discussions about whether media outlets should limit or entirely remove these sections to protect reputations and encourage more constructive dialogue.
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Or just make it so they publish their real names
Look at these jealous angry cats out blogging against the Esteemed willock with the same tired, sickening bs and nonsense.
It’s people like willock we need to run the country we can see right through them
hahahahahahahahhaha
You have to be out of your mind
It is part of free speech. If there is no truth to a blog then ignore it. Publishing names will only get an echo chamber of sychophants and no real truth because of fear of retaliation. So the premier get called a few names like the Party Premier , look the fact is that in politics you must have thick enough skin to be above that nonsense or you could be petty like trump and hit back with your own nick names for writers or bloggers. Either way the reason you get paid the high compensation is to deal with the BS.
LOL now that the esteemed is getting heat at he own game he running out da kitchen. Look fireee under esteemed tail hahahaha.Lawd a mussy .
What’s your real name.
Before we stop the blogs we need to control the media itself. I’ve seen far more racist, bigotted views posted as articles on his yellow site than I’ve seen in the blogs underneath.
He just wants to silence the man on the street and make it easier for him to push his views.
He is in fact able to silence a few by approving the comments he so desires, however, what he can’t seem to control are the likes and dislikes. Those are instant and doesn’t require approval.. that’s why u’ll see some of the comments that he’s ok with receive 10X the amount of dislikes than it has in likes
This good gentleman is a hypocrite plain and simple as he is the chief blogger on his and other news sites.
This man has the audacity to say these things when his site promotes hate, racism and lies. Why shouldn’t readers have the right to challenge his rubbish and malicious reporting.
Not to mention homosexuality was promoted on his site recently. He loves to cry wolf when it’s his turn to face the music. Soft
Now they are trying to silence the only way the country can express their views. They so want to push their agenda with no opposing views.
What will be next? Monitoring the social media post of the population?
You guys are doing stupidness and trying to steer the country according to your own agendas(Independence, horrible spending, corruption, parties, ignoring basic necessities and the list goes on).
It seems the only way the population can express their views and concerns is on these News Sites. While it offers no change to what has been done, its the only little light some of us seem to have.
How about you guys start doing things that the majority of country can be supportive of? Start acting in the best interests of the country and not THE select few…
This has to be a joke. Wiglox wants to stiffle freedom of speech? They have the power to decide what gets published on t
My news site can have comments because my editor screens them for me… other sites can’t because people may say the truth
Virgin Islands News Online is a very resourceful newsite however if you are screening for defamatory remarks and all that you said your editor in chief should be fired asps because its more negative that positive blogs on your newsite. The best newsite is the one I am on right now so get over yourself wigged one since there is freedom to speak.
Cindy has nothing to do with this so why drag her in this calling her wiggie
You all must stop
Gurl, Either you semi-retarded or slow no one mentioned Cindy other than yourself. Instead of been on newsite reading my blogs go and take your medication first then speak to me.
Problem: We getting too much blows in the comments from the public expressing their dissatisfaction and it making us look bad.
Solution: get rid of the comments so it’s easier to pretend like we doing a good job and everything is fine and dandy and the outside world won’t know of our mediocrity and foolish decision making.
From king of the commentariat to censor-in-chief – how quickly the pen recoils when the ink turns inward. The irony isn’t lost on many: Julian Willock, once heralded as the “Blogger-in-Chief” for his stewardship of Virgin Islands News Online and his role in amplifying anonymous voices on the same medium, now calls for the silencing of the very voices he once amplified and decries the very medium he helped normalize. His claim? That the blogosphere has devolved into a tool for organized misinformation and political manipulation. But when the architect of the echo chamber begins to fear its acoustics, we must ask: was it ever built for truth – or merely for influence?
Hypocrite-in-chief, that W.
What about news sites vetting their stories so that they are factual news pieces rather than Government propaganda? Surely, that in of itself is equally, if not more harmful, than false blogs that most people, take with a dose of salts!
Something is definitely wrong with this man. His yellow site is the home for the nastiest and most despicable posts most of which I am certain he writes himself. Why are you guys giving this egotistical, pompous windbag any attention. It must have been a slow day for talking points.
Good joke, lead by example.
He allegedly gets paid 10k per month as a so called advisor to the Premier Wheatley. We have to get all these free loaders off the government’s breast. That alleged contract was his reward for writing those same nasty blogs that he is talking about. Everything about the VIP and their cronies is sickening.
Poppy show
Jump high jump low willock is the man he got my vote for d3
Only man that has the guts to stand up against the injustice done to the people in this community is Aaron Parillon and that’s who we voting for.. he has no on over my entire family because that man genuinely has a vested interest in District 3. Julian Willock is a disaster to politics and government resources. Check that man’s track record of being fired from every post in Government he has held for wrongful doings. We don’t need that in our house of assembly again at which he made a mockery of.
Disaster-in-chief, that one.
Is it me or is he getting …? Just when you thought it was impossible to be get any less attractive.
Another one complaining they cam’t get their head in , poor things!
They trying to silence the public and spin this narrative that all the negative comments against the government coming from paid bloggers for hire with some hidden agenda. Nah, it’s the government failing or taking too long to address the people’s concerns and the people getting increasingly frustrated about it this is their second term in office people tired of the excuses and delays. The other day the opposition leader lay out all their failures for them in hoa and the response was that this is a demonic instrument compatible to when the devil rebelled in heaven. Is like… what!? These people serious!?
Evidently,Willock has an Issue with individuals excercising his or her First Amendnent Rights. Typjcal!!!
Which country’s constitutional amendment are you referring to?
“… adding that Willock should have a meeting with his editor-in-chief.”
I’m fairly certain that Mr. Willock is in “constant contact” with his editor-in-chief.
The news site needs to stop blogging because these negative people go way overboard with their hatred. If the Government had any class, it would stop it. It’s destroying the moral fabric of our society.
Well Mr willock, it’s you wore wore that silly wig during your tenure as house speaker because you so love colonial formalities, you guys just want the power of the white colonials to devolve to you in black skin, no difference. And by the way , if natalio Wheatley was to lose this election, the VIP will be begging for unlimited blogging to get back power, the problem now the blogging augment the common sense that the alliance and Myron in particular is talking, and has therefore weaponized the BVI people against bad governance, everybody mas about Vybz Kartel quarter million USD and now bank of Asia $5 million USD and parties and travel and who Bor in BVI or Puerto Rico or america.
I’ve considered that as well, because of the damage they do and unfiltered local opinion is read in the UK and elsewhere as fact. It damages investment opportunities and are used as weapons against our advancement. We are small and uneducated/under-informed/ and we vent over the comment section. This happens in bigger countries too but they have the institutions to survive it. I also realized that without the blog section many of theses sites would not generate the traffic to keep them relevant. I think it would be better to eliminate them and let Facebook do that work. But also free speech is a human right as is the God given gift of freedom of choice
Willock for premier!!!he will make a great leader
You had to be coming dead last in school class every term to be writing this piss
Ayo have no vision i seeing this man doing amazing things for this territory with him at the helm.
This guy’s inflated view of himself borders on delusion. It’s all comical actually and those who sat down and interviewed this clown clearly have nothing much to with their time. Damion, Violet and Elvin, you will never get back that hour of your lives again. What a waste of 60 minutes.
How then can we correct Mr Willocks miss information . Then his site will only have his word and no option or corrections. Its a dangerous for a media outlet who wants to close free speech. Its interesting when he generates so much hate and divide in the community with his own agenda.
Media, politicians, and the community as a whole needs to learn the difference between blogs and comment sections before we discuss banning either.
Blogs and comment sections serve very different purposes: blogs are generally authored pieces with an identifiable writer and structure, while comment sections are open, often unmoderated spaces for reader discussion. Treating them as the same can lead to misguided policies or bans that affect legitimate content.
Some of these silly comments against willock are so obvious!!! You check the writing same person over and over again we are no fools you all better keep off hog city sharp boy
Did he get sting in his face? As one’s internal disposition is often displayed physically – what a
all this comes from a man that has used his newssite to defame the public image of so many Virgin Islanders in this country. This same person have allowed nasty blogs against men from District 3 who he doesnt like all to make him look like some false hero. This same person has been the biggest culprit of blogging.
You start again calling Cindy names? The child has no wiggle room stop it you not making any sense
THIS DUDE IS NOTHING BUT TROUBLE ,, SO FAR ONLY MARK TOOK HIM TO SCHOOL , HE CRITICIZES THIS SAME SITE WITH HIS BLOGGS , USING DIFFERENT NAMES TO FOOL US YET HE CANNOT KEEP OFF IT , WRITING & BLOGGING TO WHATEVER HE WRITES AND USING DIFFERENT NAMES AGAIN YO CREATE DRAMA ( CINDY ) IS NOT WIGGIE OR JUDGE WIGGIE , * HE IS * WIGGIE AND ACTS LIKE JUDGE – JURY & EXECUTIONER ,O TJOSE WHO HE DONT LIKE AND HE PROTRAYED HIS ARROGANCE IN THE HOA WITH HIS WIG , AND WHENEVER ANYONE BLOGG SOME THAT TOUCHES HIS SOUL , HE GETS INTO HIS ” TEMPER
TANTRUMS MODE ” AND STARTS FLEXING HIMSELF WITH HIS TRUMP MENTALITY / OH HE BLOCKS CERTAIN BLOGGS WHEN HE DOESN’T WANT THE PUBLIC TO READ THE TRUTH ESPECIALLY WHEN THE MESSAGE IS TOO
HARD FOR HIM TO HANDLE % IFROM HERE , PAT , REPLY THOSE SR A FEW OF HI NAMES HE USES TO BLOGG UNDER , AND HE EVEN USES OTHER BLOGGERS NAMES TO BLOGG UNDER , THIS HUY IS A MENACE WHO HAS MASTERED THE ART OF DECEPTION
“I’ve proposed already that all news sites just stop these blogs. But I have not got any support,” Willock said while speaking during a recent radio interview.
Willock Please. Your A$$ does be blogging when you disagree with people’s opinions. Go to hell with that opinion. This is a free society. Welcome to the real world Q dog.
Blogs are defined as follows: “A blog (a truncation of “weblog”)is an informational website consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries also known as posts.” See Wikipedia or your favorite dictionary.
These are not blogs. They are comments on news articles.
You are welcome.
Julian willock is so popular if he walks across the room he gets media coverage the man is a celebrity point black
You drink stupid bush? Google the meaning of the word popular and tell me is you think that bull frog is popular
Next please. SCB people ain’t got vote to waste on this waste.
Newssites should stop blogs all together…
Says the one who blogs on his own website and responds to his own blogs lol..
Willock would never allow a blog speaking bad of him to be published…unless he types it out himself, just read through the latest article of him. He types out some negative type comment of himself, then responds to it also… Just to blend it on with the rest of his other blogs …
Are you trying to turn the place into a North Korea or some type of dictatorship? It will never happen.
As a blogger, leave that alone. FREEDOM OF SPEECH. YOU WILL NEVER GET ANYWHERE WITH THAT. IS THIS COMING FROM THE PREMIER? I HAVE A FEELING IT IS.
Julian Willock is the biggest drama Queen on the Island. Always having some type of hissy fit.
We love you Mr Willock that’s why we call you the esteem
This guy is up and down Sea Cows Bay telling people vote for him next election and the people sucking their teeth. A wasted vote, A wasted self proclaimed guy. Sits and hides behind VINO to tear down people like the Wizard Of Oz. We aren’t voting for you Willock. You’re a cr**k. Parillon gettin our X
I live in SCB, there is no way I am voting for JW. I am giving my vote to Aaron. Even if Fraser stand on a podium and endorse JW, he is still not getting my vote. When he said News sites should stop blogs, that was a huge red flag. Just think about what he is going to do if he becomes D3 Rep. I’ll say it again and for the last time. JW is trying to slighter right back up in the HOA.
That’s why you will not reach far politically, Just imagine, you’re not in any position but you trying to silence people, what will happen if we make that mistake and elect you, crappo will smoke our pipe.
Freedom of speech…yes the hot potato.Have fun with the consequences of being truthful.The woke are to emotional and not inclined to embrace anything outside their socialist agenda.The fatigue is real.Ignore and carry on.
this jackass who owns a media mouthpiece, actually said this?
he should be tarred and feathered.
you fools bought that $70k audi he standing by.
STRUPES
Does he still owe the taxpayers money for his personal lawsuits? Through his a**…