Media gets thrown out of NDP Convention venue
Virgin Islands News Online learnt of the sordid affair through a radio call-in programme, where ZBVI’s Zan Lewis, related what transpired on the sidelines of the NDP Convention—an internal party affair.
According to Lewis, there was a location set aside at the lobby area of the Treasure Isle Hotel, for Delegates to be identified—for entrance into the convention area, since that activity is an internal party affair.
Good Distance Away
According to Lewis “I have no problem with that,” explaining, “we (media) sat a good distance away.”
The veteran journalist said, as he waited some distance from the lobby area, he and another journalist—also staking out the activity—were approached by Ms Penn and told to leave.
Lewis related that they had been first instructed by a party representative, claiming the directive had come from Ms Penn.
According to Lewis, after demands were made to speak directly with the hotelier, Ms Penn came out and promptly demanded the journalists “vacate the premises…the media, telling the media to vacate the premises that we are loitering.”
The ZBVI journalist said they told her, they were not in fact infringing on the private party affair, “we are not at the function; we are outside doing our jobs waiting until they come out so we could let the public know the results.”
That is Wrong
According to Lewis, Ms Penn instead, “throw us off the compound, the proprietor of the place Ms Margaret Penn, throw us off the compound, throw the media off the compound, tell us to go down to the main road and do not come into the compound because this is a private function.”
The veteran Journalist was adamant, “that is wrong.” According to Lewis, at one point in time, Ms Penn attempted to justify the request saying she did not want the place crowded but according to Lewis, “no crowd was around there and she is telling the media to get off her compound and go down to the main road.”
VIP Different
He said the journalists at no point in time, attempted to enter the NDP convention and contrasted the affair with a similar activity, held by the opposition Virgin Islands Party (VIP).
According to Lewis that function was held at the ‘Maria by the Sea Hotel’ and “we waited in the yard…we stayed there for hours with no interruption, no problems from the management.”
Lamenting the ordeal, Lewis was adamant, “that should not happen; the media is there to do a job…we should be there to report to the people and tell the people what the outcome is, I think that is wrong (what Ms Penn did).”
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29 Responses to “Media gets thrown out of NDP Convention venue ”
throw he bias ra$s out yes...he could have call funny man
At the end of the day I wonder if the news would not have been spiked up with a gentle sprinkling of sensationalism added to boost the readers' appetites.