Online bloggers are killing BVI’s reputation
At least one elected leader has called for censorship of online blogs as a means of protecting the BVI’s reputation and preventing members of the public from defaming others.
In the British Virgin Islands, it is the comments sections below online news stories that are popularly referred to as ‘the blogs’.
Territorial At-Large Representative, Neville ‘Sheep’ Smith said blogs are often riddled with defamatory comments and negative views that can smear the BVI’s international reputation.
“We are hurting ourselves. Everything that we put in those blogs, it goes all over the world. It’s not just here, you’re not hurting me — you’re hurting yourselves. We are talking about freedom of speech. But there is a difference between freedom of speech and defamation of character. You can call me a fool if you want, but when you start saying I’m a criminal or a thief, that is wrong,” Smith at a recent sitting of the House of Assembly.
He also bemoaned the fact that there is usually little or no law enforcement when it comes to online bloggers.
Smith said media houses need to come up with a plan to address bloggers whose actions he said are “killing the BVI”.
“I want to hold the newspapers (media houses) accountable because people can say what they want but the newspapers need to get together and come up with a proper plan to deal with blogs because you’re killing the Virgin Islands! You’re killing yourself, people,” Smith stated.
Many persons are often afraid of disclosing their identities when expressing popular and unpopular opinions.
This is believed to be part of the reason why ‘blogs’ — are favoured by the public.
Recently, Premier Andrew Fahie said he was unfazed by the comments scores of readers leave below news stories on local online news sites.
Elected leaders often use ‘the blogs’ as a point of reference when speaking in the House of Assembly.
Some claim they don’t read the ‘blogs’ but often recall the unsavoury comments left by members of the public while others call for more censorship of this type of public forum.
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Sorry but the BVI Govt has shown itself to be discriminatory to people who raise very valid points about the choices the BVI Govt make and until the BVI Govt shows that it actually listens to its people they will keep blogging.
Both the News Services and the Online Articles and Blogs are there to offer perspective and to keep the electorate updated on their government’s activities and performance. However, while Hon Smith is trying to make his contributions by suggesting that Bloggers are Defaming the country’s name, Im finding it between Difficult and Impossible to find more damaging to the country’s image and reputation when lives are snatched out, some in broad daylight due to Gun Violence, the BVI’s Drug TranShipment earned Status, Expensive monthly barge service while major drug shipment and trafficking is still making it through.
The other site posts the most messy, scandalous articles 24/7 weekends included. It’s like they don’t sleep and he talking about defaming the country?
Listening to House of Assembly they do that all by themselves …they need to stop shifting blame on the bloggers.
The normal laws of defamation apply. There is a risk here of making it impossible to speak out because of the fear of victimization. This is especially the case for long term residents and work permit holders who don’t have the vote.
Stop doing shyt and there won’t be nothing to blog about. This aint about the comments. Yall are upset that people are becoming more comfortable exposing yall a**.
LOL.
Be Merciful.
I deserve to be heard, having glass eyes and being stuck in a tree is no fun, especially when people dislike you for the colour of your paint!
before you came into government, didnt you use to blog, negative against the NDP? man stop your noise, now you in d kitchen, you feeling d heat.
The politicians, gun and drug runners which is the norm is the ones destroying the BVI REPUTATION.
Killings on the streets, massive drug hauls, the economy wrecked, the government under investigation, tourists treated like gangsters …
And he thinks a few negative comments in online “ newspapers “ that no one outside BVI reads , are killing our reputation.
Mr Smith you demonstrate exactly why politicians need to be called out when they spout non sense.
All incompetent , dictatorial governments seek to suppress free speech.
There is a right way and a wrong way of doing things. Of course we need to hold our leaders accountable and call them out when they do wrong. Cursing and calling names show a lack of intelligence. Sometimes the comments do not even have anything to do with the news. Admin needs to stop posting comments that have nothing to do with the news presented. Bloggers need to criticize constructively. Offer solutions where necessary. Try to uplift yourselves instead of dragging the country in the gutter.
There’s a right way to GO SIT DOWN and you should do it!!
You obviously never tuned into House of Assembly and listened to the **** grunt and pull down others…didn’t this same member of Government say that a certain adult needed a cut a**
Is Virgin Is knews on line a blog? The rubbish on there is not the bloggers. It is that gov run site that needs to be investigated. Bloggers are the only people making sense there.
Check how that [other] site headlines are written…RACIST WITH AN AGENDA
As far as my memory serves me, the VIP and its supporters are the ones who turned blogging into the nasty sport that it is. During election and before we had to read a whole heap of twaddle every single day about NDP this and that, brainwashing the populace. It was even touted that it was NDP’s fault that we had so much crime in the Territory. I guess we have to now put the blame where blame is due because there is a hell of a lot more action in the Territory with crime than ever before. So VIP, man up. Take your hits and move on.
The yellow site famous for spewing hate and comments that make journalism look like the National Enquirer
It’s the Fox News of BVI. It has its own alternative facts and seeks to divide our community with hate whilst we drift into being a narco state and the public coffers are looted.
Comments which don’t suit the agenda don’t get published.
Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.
@ He is Right. I fully endorse everything you said about the blogs. I also endorse Honourable Smith’s comments. These people(bloggers) hide and say the things that they would like to say all along.
It’s the name calling too and speaking derogatively about persons are two categories that I would like to see these online media be held accountable for. They have a responsibility to review and sensor the blogs but they want the mass readership so they post any and everything.
Time to clean house. If you cant find out who saying the stuff, sue the online media house. I bet the first one get sue they will wake up.
That’s my take on the matter. You could choose to post or not to, it’s your prerogative.
When the NDP was in government your cronies blogged day in day out on all types of things. Most of which were vicious untruths. The other site wrote untruthful stories about the previous government and that site is the home for the most unsavory blogs and stories and has done more damage to the reputation of the BVI than any blogger ever could. … Mr. Smith please go in a corner and have a seat. You have shown that you are u*****s as a legislator and way over your head. Only because the bloggers have turned on your inept government that you are now speaking. Go bloggers! Throw licks in them!
And where does that leave your government and the hidden blogger behind the other media site?
They used the blogs to crucify and lie about NDP which is how they won election and nothing was wrong then, but now it’s a problem. The real issue is that this is a BULLY GOVERNMENT and it drives them mad that they don’t know who are blogging on these sites and spilling the beans on their incompetence. This has nothing to do with BVI’s reputation and all to do with control by this inept, do-nothing government.
This man can’t be serious. The s—— of the house has a website that just posts messy articles all day and night but yet still he is talking bout blogs. How about you ask that man to grow up and control the content of his website then maybe we won’t have to post on other websites. And he should allow people to post under his articles and not pick which comments to accept. Cuz once is against the VIP he don’t post it.
@Nonsense, you not only have a point you have scored points. I am still trying to find out who the staff of that news site are. Did you notice that he gets government information and publishes it before the other media houses gets it? That’s because he is using his position to his …
I cry for my country but don’t worry, help is on the way soon.
Does the Hon. Mr. Smith understand that the “blogs” are a means for websites like this to show readership, and therefore justify their ad rates?
The competing on-line website to this one, the yellow site that claims to publish the news, it flourishes by using bombastic, prejudicial and debatable language. Language that is often veiled in bigotry, and this form of reportage generates numerous (and energetic) replies and commentary in its blogs. Of course the same replies are censored by the yellow site so that criticism or their so-called reporting is not allowed. More commentary means “we have more readers spending more time on our page” means ad dollars.
Waste of time CURFEW and we shouldn’t blog.Smith you just got strike out.
Didn’t the BVI recently pass a massive cybercrime law in order to deal with this? If you have the power to prosecute commenters you don’t like, do it and shut up!
S— wants a Dictatorial government not a Democracy. Boy I voted for you but you are an embarrassment every time you open your mouth. Take a break. It’s you and your government giving the BVI a — reputation.
Let’s get it straight drugs, cronyism, and incompetence are what is killing the BVI reputation. It is just that all nature’s secrets are not secrets anymore, that is probably why you all change the slogan……….
Three tonnes of cocaine? Contracts hidden in the darkest holes? A serious lack of planning by the government? Consultancies with no return-on-investment? Hundreds of thousands of dollars wasted on barges? A 9.4 million contract for a 3 million building? Rumors of kick-backs from the on-line education company? A COI?
We want answers and need to ask the questions in a public forum. We are embarrassed by what is happening in the BVI, but mostly by the actions of our elected officials, like this one who would prefer we buried our heads in the sand!!
I was recently censored from this very site, so clearly the news sites agree.
I too was asked to input an email address on this site to unblock me
Yeah the bloggers:
– the commission of inquiry
– had kilos of cocaine in brandywine bay
– killed people in there houses
– had kilos of cocaine in cane
– shot up people in fish bay
– had kilos of cocaine in a truck
– allegedly had police officers involved in a drug bust
Why these politicians don’t stop chat p.):?:
Someone needs to tell the guy that being Deputy Speaker doesn’t mean speaking s— every chance you get. Go do some real work and get the Territory moving.
The politicians don’t need any help.
Censorship of online bloggers,cannot change the current political climate in this country!
If Mr. Smith is truly concerned about reputational damage, then an immediate halt to drug running, gang banging, carefully planned and detailed murders, can actually reverse the current trend of the country’s reputational demise!
Alas, a “clean” and “righteous” society can only yield righteous thoughts, ideas, and conversations..that’s all..
Did a government official just say that people expressing their opinions about the government makes the government look bad?? Ahhhh, hello!!! Most incompetent government ever!
Did a government official just say that people expressing their opinions about the government makes the government look bad?? Ahhhh, hello!!! Most incompetent government ever!
YOU ARE NOT ALONE IT APPEARS THE DON’T LOVE THE TRUTH
IT IS QUITE OBVIOUS HE HAS SELECTIVE AMNESIA THE ESTEEMED DOES NOT NEED THAT KIND OF HELP
Oh oh ,the baby feelings have been hurt, put on your pull-ups, suck your thumb, lie in your crib. Government represent the people, but the Government fails to remember that ( social studies class)
begging the people to vote for you then in turn, choking off the country, we blogg what we want ,and blogg with or X on election day, sleep tight cry baby.
1/ The comments/bloga are reviewed before posting, if the Media out let consider the blog to be defaming they wont publish them, Give the media outlets some credit, they are not as ignorant and irresponsible as the Government, 2/ You all in Government better get a custom to read blogs and start reading them, they are voices of the people, they may not be saying all u all want to hear, then check you all selves…3/ it is bloggers that determined the last 2 elections, The VIP blogger unleashed a vicious blogging attack on NDP, Thats how you all won theelwction..4/ Yes, You all are doing well selfishly so atlease u asmit that while plenty other continue to suffer,,Thank God for an outlet for people to vent their frustration, voice suggestions and opinions…Criticize and praised as they see fit…I will suggest you gather your bliggers to defend you and the VIP, thats how bad u all doing, u cant find enough VIP bloggers to be praising u all…
BUT WHAT REPUTATIONIS HE TALKING ABOUT? NEWS ARE FOR REVEALING THE TRUTH LOL HAHAHAHA PLEASE NEWS DONT SAY NOTHING ABOUT BVI OK?! HAHAHAHA DONT DO AND NO BLOOOGG WILL SAY! DUMB.