ROAD TOWN Tortola, March 1st 2011 – On March 1 2010, the now popular online news site, www.virginislandsnewsonline.com, (VINO) was launched. One year later, the company, a subsidiary of its parent company, Advance Marketing and Professional Services, has certainly made significant strides or even a splash in the local online news competitive market.
The online news, which prided itself on being innovative, fair and balanced, was founded by Julian Willock, a senior government official, and Angela Burns, a veteran media practitioner who has worked for several local, regional and international news agencies.
VINO has distinguished itself both locally and regionally, covering a variety of local, regional and international news. It has gained its popularity, for most often being first with breaking news, and with providing frequent and daily updates, seven days a week, with accurate details.
VINO remains one of the few online news with a dedicated sports reporter, covering a variety of local sports, from horse racing to cricket, basketball to sailing, track and field and even the progress being made by our local college student athletes at American and European Colleges and Universities.
Over the past year, the staff has grown from one to four, with rented office space and a new management structure, now being run by a Board of Directors, which has the final say on editorial matters. It also has obtained the services of a company Attorney via a prestigious local law firm.
One of its Founding Directors, Ms. Burns, has since given up her role as a Director, but remains available on a consultancy basis. The other founder, Julian Willock, fills the role of Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, but maintains no editorial control of the day to day operations.
The day to day operations are run by an Editor in Chief, who is also the only officer to approve or disapprove blogs, an area in which VINO has experienced a 75 percent increase. The readership has certainly increased, since most residents cannot wait until the next day to see what VINO is reporting.
Moreover, our stories usually trigger off discussions around the ‘water coolers’, talk shows, and the other media houses.
The Lows
Despite VINO’s new popularity, creditability and momentum, there has been a failed attempt by a print media to discredit the online news, its main competitor, by attacking its esteemed founder Julian Willock. Last year, a printed tabloid, falsely and maliciously accused Willock of having people work for the online news without work permits, a libelous claim which has since been refuted by the Labour Department, which in a letter stated that VINO had all of its work permits in order.
The article written by a white American, Mason Marcus, quoted disgruntled former VINO workers, also white Americans, in an attempt to substantiate claims against the highly respected Willock.
The article, which was the sole basis for Mr. Willock, the current Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Works, being sent on leave, has been described by many Virgin Islands residents as politically motivated, outrageous, racist, and a weak and deliberate attempt to undermine the good character, as well as the professional integrity of Mr. Willock. The owner of the tabloid, the BVI Beacon, Russell Harrigan, is an activist of the Opposition National Democratic Party (NDP), and former Chairman of the same party.
A Minister of Government and many residents have called for the very effective Willock to be returned to his post. The same Minister has called the article written in the tabloid about Willock “garbage” and an attempt to bring down the sitting democratically elected Virgin Islands Party Government.
Another low for VINO was having its office/apartment rent raised by the landlord; an act which occurred, shortly after the said landlord had threatened Ms. Burns and demanded that the company “get out of my building” following a VINO article about the person in question running for political office. The article turned out to be accurate.
BREAKING NEWS - NDP Candidates for 2011 elections revealed
VINO broke the news of the NDP candidates running for the 2011 General Elections on November 22, 2010.
The Highs and first
In only one year, VINO has certainly made its mark. It was the first to break the news on the NDP candidates for the 2011 general elections, being presented to their general assembly. VINO’s sources were top ranking NDP officials, even though the Party’s head, Dr. Orlando Smith, made an attempt to refute VINO’s accurate story, by going on a local radio station and claiming that he had not told anyone in the media who the NDP candidates were.
Today, it is evident that VINO’s story was spot on and some of the very candidates are actively campaigning for the 2011 general elections.
Breaking News - Neil Blyden tipped to be new BVITB Chairman
VINO was the first to reveal on December 17, 2010 that Neil Blyden will be the new Tourist Board Chairman.
VINO was the first to break the news of the appointment of a new Chairman designate of the BVI Tourist Board, Neil Blyden, after Myron Walwyn resigned. Walwyn has since switched his party alliances, and is currently running as an At-large candidate for the Opposition NDP. The full details of why he resigned from the Tourist Board are still unclear.
VINO was also first in breaking the news of a new magazine called, ‘NEWBIE’ which generated some 200 blogs. Local residents spoke out after being offended and insulted by the manner in which Virgin Islanders were being portrayed by a white expatriate writer, who had only been in the VI for less than three years.
The magazine was supposed to be a guide to visitors to the VI.
Breaking News - New magazine insulting, offensive and demeaning to local residents
VINO was the only media to report on the "controversial" tourist guide "New Bie"
Known to take on big issues, VINO was also the first to report on many vexing issues coming out of the Standing Finance Committee 2010 report that caught our readers’ interest, for example, one high public office that is divided by race.
VINO was the first to break the story that former Financial Secretary L. Allen Wheatley was running for political office and had formed his own political party, the People’s Party. We also were the first online news to do an exclusive interview with the VI’s first Premier Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal OBE, with many inside breaking news details of the stalwart leader who has earned his place in the VI history books.
It was VINO which was the only online news site to break the sad news of the death of the local BMSA President, Anthony ‘Big Red’ Decastro, and the first in the region to post the news of the untimely death of the late Barbados Prime Minister David Thompson. The late leader lost his battle with pancreatic cancer around 2:00 a.m. on October 23, 2010 and VINO posted the story of his death at 2:50 a.m., some fifty minutes after the Prime Minister was pronounced dead at home in Barbados by his doctors.
Many residents and fans look forward once a week (each Friday) to VINO’s signature feature of a ‘Young Professional’, a local resident. This is a young Virgin Islander between the age of 25 and 40 who has distinguished himself/herself in the arts, business, sports, government, education, public and social policy, media, the private sector, and remains a role model for other youths and their peers. These features have continued to receive excellent reviews, since far too often online news sites can be obsessed with the negatives, especially, about our local people.
It was not to be but we thank you
VINO through its many contacts also secured some major interviews that were not to be. For instance, VINO would have been the first regional media house to be granted an exclusive interview with the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Patrick Manning had his party the PNM won the 2010 general elections in that country.
VINO would have also secured an exclusive interview with Kenneth E. Mapp in the United States Virgin Islands, had he won the Governor’s seat in the Governor’s race of 2010. He lost therefore, it was not meant to be.
VINO also predicted victory for the Labour Party of St. Kitts/Nevis in the general elections in the federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. We also did an exclusive interview with Honourable Dr. Timothy Harris, a senior Minister in the Government there, while Harris was in the VI on private business as a guest of VINO’s founder, Julian Willock.
VINO has had a year filled with highs and lows but has certainly inspired its many readers, advertisers and fans that VINO is here to stay and will continue to take on the big issues, while maintaining high journalistic standards in a fair, balanced and objective way.
We end by staying a big thank you to our staff, management, Board of Directors and our loyal readers and advertisers who have made this all possible. You have our commitment that this online news site will not be used by anyone, including Board members, to advance any personal goals or agenda, or to settle any scores.
We pledge to report the news objectively and free of partisan politics, something our record over the past year has already attested to. WE THANK YOU FOR THE FIRST OF MANY YEARS.
Article taken from Virgin Islands News Online - http://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com
British Virgin Islands News