Prime Minister Dr Natalio Wheatley

Prime Minister Dr Natalio Wheatley said he was a strong supporter of media freedom but remained concerned about what he described as “clickbait journalism”.

“Certainly we foster a very strong media corps. The media’s role is to inform the public. I sometimes worry about having more in-depth investigative stories trying to enlighten the public. As a society, I think we need to think about this form of journalism that almost feels like clickbait journalism where people are looking to get results on stories instead of keeping the public properly informed on certain issues” , Premier Wheatley explained at a press conference on October 28.

His statement on media freedom follows restrictive instructions his office issued to the local press to ask questions ahead of last week’s press conference. Members of the local press have contested, arguing that such instructions are tacit to limit press freedom in BVI.

However, at last week’s press conference, Prime Minister Wheatley said the BVI had “a very good brand of journalism” and he urged the public to be diligent in verifying the information they collect. with local media.

“But having more information to the public is something that can only make society stronger in my opinion and I am a very strong advocate for media freedom and media access to information,” said the Prime Minister Wheatley.

Freedom of the press remains a problem in the BVI.

For example, BVI News continues to encounter obstacles in getting answers from elected leaders when asked to comment on matters of national importance.

Our press center, for example, often receives no response from elected leaders when questions are submitted via WhatsApp or email.

In contrast, the governor’s office generally responds to questions submitted by BVI News.

Over the years, BVI News has experienced mixed reactions from senior officials who are asked to answer questions submitted by our news center on behalf of the general public. Some made credible efforts to respond to our survey while others hesitated to be held accountable.