Premier: Some news sites are divisive, sow seeds of discord
Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley is urging the public to exercise caution when consuming content from certain online news platforms, warning that some media outlets appear to be “sowing seeds of discord” in the territory.
Though he did not name specific media houses, the Premier said some websites and their associated comment sections are being used to spread negativity and division.
“We have to be careful of the news media. There are some particular sites and it seems their main purpose is to sow division and discord. Then you have people in the comments and their only intention is to sow seeds of discord for their own interest,” Dr Wheatley said during the April 22 debate on the Immigration and Passport (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
He added: “I suspect it’s a small group of people. But the reason they do it is because they believe if they express the same view a few times and it seems like a popular opinion, it will influence the thinking of others. It’s a toxic type of behaviour.”
The Premier’s remarks come in the wake of reports that two well-known local social media personalities were recently arrested for comments made about the territory’s leader.
Local officials have long expressed concern about the level of criticism directed at them through online platforms, including news blogs and social media. Public figures and elected representatives have consistently urged residents to communicate responsibly and avoid defamatory statements.
Premier Wheatley has previously warned that the culture of negativity in the British Virgin Islands has discouraged some educated citizens from returning home after studying abroad. He has called on the public to be more mindful of the impact their words can have, especially when individuals’ characters are attacked online.
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I swear this man is crazy. The yellow site is the most divisive site and it is affiliated with the VIP. It is used to push the vip agenda and it demonizes anyone who is anti VIP. This very Premier rewarded them by allegedly hiring the owner as one of his advisers. He receives 10k per month for this. People of the BVI, either the Premier is crazy or he thinks we the public are stupid.
who be arrested?
does having a cell phone make her a media house?
Her model is the future of news. if you look at for example news in the US, traditional or legacy media continues to lose share to sites much like GB . She has proven o be more agile than the other sites breaking and reporting several important stories ahead of her competitors. And whenever the other sites feature her in a news article it receives the most interest. So her name has value. Remember it took 10 years before Amazon turned a profit ,people believed in it not because of what it was at inception but what it had the possibility to become. Such is the case with GB it has yet to reach full potential but is well on the way to rendering other sites obsolete.
S!0wW@nde and his A$$C!0wn Brigade need to grow up quick because the territory need leadership
Wow, the Premier has too much time on his hands. Imagine, he actually takes the time to sit and read the online articles then rush to the comment section to read what we say. He probably does this each day for every online news article, especially those pertaining to the VIP Government. However, if he was paying keen attention to the comments that stated what a crappy job he has been doing, by now we would be in a much better state of affairs, instead of going over the steep cliff without any type of positive recovery in the near distance future. Premier, please be mindful pettiness isn’t a great look for anyone in authority. So stop it. Grow up. We need you to start running our affairs like someone whose brains are still intact. Most of us didn’t vote for you but are stuck with you. So as one who is older and wiser, please ask the Lord for guidance, stay positive, do your best, learn to take advice, stop wasting our tax $, don’t always be so quick to let others nickle and dime you, stay focused and find clarity on how best to govern our affairs, be consistent with what you say and how you do things, stop being so childish and thinned skin and learn to take orders or advice from those you have hired to work in the best interest of our Country. You should find someone by which you can model or copy how to govern a Country’s affairs. That person could be a Caribbean or World leader, past or current. Sit and discuss with them how to navigate a particular situation or how to get the best outcome for whatever you are trying to achieve. I don’t think or believe every blogger means to hurt your feelings or hurt the integrity of the Virgin Islands. However, i can assure you, we are tired and we are ashamed because you rule this Country like a person whose idealogy are all over the place and you act like a person whose brains are located at the other end of their body. The World is in turmoil and we definitely need and deserve a leader who has the best intetest of his people and we require a Leader who makes sound decisions which helps to facilitate the growth of the Country the lead or govern. Mr Premier, its either now or never. So settle down and buckle up. Please just don’t read the blogs, take the time to set our Country on a positive tragectory. Its time now to remove the cobwebs from your eyes, the bridle from your mouth and the wax from your ears and go guide, govern and get us to the victory we desetve and want. Stop playing house boy and be the master of the house to show you are really in charge of our affairs. Be a responsible Premier and do spend our tax$ wisely. Do for one what you should do for all. Rest assure we are all rooting for you because neither of us wants you to fail. Whatever you do affects every single one of us. So do your best because at some point in the future your legacy can be great only if YOU want it to be. May God bless you, Sir. Carpe Diem!!!!
He seems to think we are stupid and dumb. and he is the only one with common sense and knows what is best. If he hate being criticize then he is in the wrong profession. No one likes him but a select few that he can control with his nar****istic and o**ortunist behavior. Mannn pack your bags and go to America where you were born. How is it that y’all coming down on Walywin that was born here in the BVI and the one that was born in America is getting a free pass. Y’all is a set of sick MF.
Why should the ones that studied abroad come back home to what? No decent jobs, no decent health care, lack of decent pay and the list goes on and on. One of the main reasons is the people that is studying abroad have a choice of numerous hospitals and health care facilities that they can go to that is not lacking basic supplies.
The premier does not want to be criticized. That’s plain and simple. No news site or individual has to always be on his side.He needs to grow up and act like a leader. People can listen to whoever they want to listen to and decipher truth for themselves. He and others just have to live and prove their opinions to be wrong. That’s all
Who the h**l is he? a d**n nobody. He need to high tail it back to wherever the h**l he was born. HE AIN’T ,.):. LOOKING LIKE A BULL F**G IN GREEN ON THE VIP TRUCK WITH THE OTHER VIP S**KES.HE THINK HE CONTROL EVERYTHING. SO HE ACTUALLY WANTED TO SEE K AND P BEHIND BARS. WAS WHAT HE DID TO THEM A VIOLATION OF THEIR RIGHTS? WHAT GOES AROUND WILL COME RIGHT BACK AROUND.
Is only a small group of people want the bvi to go independent right now (people who benefiting from the family and friends system). That not stopping him from pushing HIS agenda. Most people thinks he travels too much and the trips don’t even amount to anything tangible for the bvi but that not stopping him from making pointless trips. If you doing a bad job and people express that in the news comments it is not sowing seeds of division. Who sowing seeds of division is the ones them in HOA who y’all praising as patriots trying to indirectly say Myron from Antigua knowing it’s not factual. Think about it; if a gun was to your head and to save your life you had to come up with one thing the premier is good at that benefits the bvi in any way… #Salt
You had better have a bullet proof hat.
You were the one that made the call and made the decision to have Kishma and Pico to be arrested. Go back to America where you belong. You’re not like us.
CORRECT, HE WAS THE ONE THAT MADE THE CALL TO HAVE PICO AND KISHMA ARRESTED. EVERYONE KNOWS THAT. THEN GOT THE NERVES TO BE PLAYING THE FAKE GAME UP VIRGIN GORDA SHAKING THE SENIORS HANDS UNDER THE TENT LIKE HE CARE SO MUCH ABOUT THEM. BIG FAKER. THAT YELLOW AND WHATEVER COLOR IT IS IS THE ONE THAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEMS AND DISCORD AMONG THE PEOPLE. YOU AND WIGGLY WOO IS BIRDS OF ONE DAMN FEATHER.
Can’t be him and wiggie because he hate Cindy and she does not wear a wing
He got to be talking about his yellow site affiliates or else this statement would make no sense whatsoever.
He is talking about any news site where they cannot control the output.
Why don’t you just step down? People tired of hearing your nonchalant bickering.
Who shows divisiveness more than the Representative
when they go in the house to do the residents of this country business this is how you begin/ proceed
I am the cousin and grandson of this and that
K
What business do this have in operating in the HOA
So those not your 33 rd cousin is made to feel they do not belong
This is the only parliament where i ever heard this at every sitting
When all of you snickered and giggled when Ronnie made his SLAUGHTERING comment on Myron and give his hearted apolpgy that is divisiveness
When you and your key personnel in government departments employ people based on their political affiliation that is divisiveness.
Do not blame the press they are voicing the opinions of the population and that is democracy.
Constructive Criticism is not divisiveness
What you want is dictatorship
Take your hands off the press. Let Democracy be KING
The divisiveness is being done by everyone associated with you Mr. Premier including Ronnie and Marlon who have now united with you in their hatred for Myron. I cringe when I listen to you all in the HOA clearly being divisive but calling for togetherness. It is just one big joke. Ronnie was praised as a patriot by you after making very xenophobic remarks to Myron and you are calling other people divisive?
How did Marlon and Ronnie get in this hate bracket? Find more love in your heart please
Look Mr. Diviseness himself and he wasn’t born here. The man born in Puerto Rico.
Sowande you are the one that is divisive you are not a kind person you have no compassion for the the poor. 487 people voted for you in a very poverty stricken community and you treated them like dirt some people in your district have no food to eat they go in the the garbage. shame when they go in your pantry to beg they are treated with a few can stuff that can’t last them for two days. you are a disgrace, heartless and not a humble person you act nice for public relations the people knows who you are and the tears of the people are on you. They say even when they go to social services there request for assistance gets ignored and the people in there treat applicants like beggars.
Why do we need to import 74% of our labor force when there are so many BVIslanders without work. Why so many emphasis on using work permits as a third pillar. You all spend a ton of money going away on frolic and fun but we do nothing to attract investors to create jobs in the territory. When BVIslanders come to you for work you listen to every word so you can have as table talk when you hang out in the bars and restaurants after work. You like to degrade them. You do not address none of the issues of the constituents in your district. The only time they see you is during election time.
Imagine you allegedly sent buses to pick up vagrants on the road and bring friends and family from overseas to vote for you. I can tell you those same vagrants say they waiting on you next time.
Look at the photo op with you and your ministers in Virgin Gorda. I see all of you wearing nice brand name clothing yet your message to the people during Easter is about compassion and love. What love have you shown the people. How many people have you fed during Easter and I mean with your own money and not the money in the treasury. You all made sure that the greedy bill set you all up for life. To add insult to injury you all give yourself a raise ignore the pensioners do nothing to address the high cost of goods and other issues affecting people of this ailing country. The greedy bill needs to be repealed as it only attracts want to be politicians who have no love for country but want to set themselves up for life with a pension which they have not worked for. Imagine you can get money as a politician after doing photo op and reciting empty speeches for 4 years or 8 years while others in the work force have to slave for 25 years in order to get a pension and if they retire too early before they get their social security have to deal with the stress of soaring costs which the politicians fail to address. Often times in most people cannot deal with the stress and end up dying before the get to 65. That’s why there is so much tragic ending for person in this country. The greedy bill does more damage to the BVI than good and the governor needs to look into repealing it.
in 2025 spins all topics to be either helpful or divisive. Each person has to judge for themselves if the purpose of the media’s reports are valid or not.
The high paid consultant probably tell him to stop saying “its just a little mistake” replace it with not acknowledging any criticism and calling the media and critics divisive instead. For some reason actually doing better isn’t an option.
We have a leader who seem not to be able to take criticism while he stokes and rewards the yellow site for vilifying opponents of the VIP government.
@ scales: Fair points. However, I’d point out that labor (skilled or unskilled) had to be imported because of need. Without it, no growth. There’s not much in the way of vocational training offered around here. Many who try it find out that there’s a reason it’s called work, and that much of it is required to pay your dues to reach competence. Plus wages on offer are not going to encourage people in the trades.
I’ll also add that comments from the leadership that certain segments of the press are not be trusted are an entry to the path of authoritarianism. A skilled politician should put forth fact based responses to any perceived dissent instead of trying to shut them down with ad hominem attacks. You’d think that someone with a PhD would know that after having to defend their thesis. Lastly, as leadership elsewhere has shown, when someone tells you who they are, it pays to believe them.
The voters have to run this man out of office. Let him go back to where he was born and join their Political arena. Myron was born on BVI soil, not glowwanda. Myron has more rights in the BVI than glowwanda does.
I’d bet that many who leave these shores to study overseas don’t return because wages on offer here are lower than what they can earn wherever they are once they graduate. Cost of living certainly isn’t cheaper here than wherever they’re studying, neither is housing. Plus, professional opportunities are always going to be limited in a Territory on 40,000. That’s why people have been moving to urban area for centuries. Got nothing to do with negativity although the petty bickering and blame finding when things go wrong instead of finding common ground and working out solutions is not exactly an incentive to return. A way to get graduates to return is to make scholarships contingent on returning to work in the Territory (for a fair wage) for a specified time, possibly based on value of award.Those who choose not to abide have to pay back the money.
Can we get some financial reports please. We want to report on them.
A thin skinned mammal
Why after studying for a degree abroad for 4 years come back here for? to suffer? Only the ones that is related to so and so get a decent paying job. Everyone else is hog s**t or have to eat hog s**t to survive. I don’t blame the ones that is/has studied abroad that made the choice not to come back home. If the BVI Government paid for you or give you a scholarship to study abroad, upon graduation, just send them a check every month until you give them back their money but don’t come back. Stay where you are where you will be valued and appreciated.
It’s the link between politics and prominent families, with their in-house lawyers or the means to acquire them, that is feared by critics, whether they be Virgin Islanders or from elsewhere.
Hence, 99% of comments on news sites are posted under a pseudonym for fear of reprisals.
He ain’t listening
He ain’t seeing
He just loves the sound of his own voice
At least vino is still fair and accurate unlike bvi news and scandalous g berry
Hahahahahahahahahsh
Jajajajajajajajajaha
Where all his supporters are to defend him when the media and commenters and social media livestream people on his case with their divisiveness. His people got to keep quiet because they don’t got nothing to defend him with. You mean everybody just so ungrateful that you doing so much good for the bvi and nobody defends your name and your character when blows sharing?
You have got to wiggy. Nobody in their right mind would have posted what you did. We have some real nut cases in the BVI.
No offense to any of you but:
People are frustrated, tired and feelng hopeless.
They put in home a bunch of young men in hopes that their welfare would be looked after.
Instead, they see that they went to work and took care of themselves for life financially, without regards for any one else.
So yes, people are fed up, angry, discontented, disappointed, dispirited, disenchanted and shattered.
People can no longer contain their anger, even when trying to communicate with their representative.
Is that their fault?
Respect is earned not predetermined or assumed.
Message to the UK:
The earth is the mother of all people, and as such, all people should have equal rights in it.
J****n W*****k won’t be happy to read this one!