Virgin Islands News Online turns 3
This month, March 2013, will mark the 3rd anniversary of the news site in operations. 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 site, which prides itself on being innovative, fair and balanced, was founded by the esteemed Julian Willock, a former senior government official and entrepreneur, and Angela Burns, a veteran media practitioner who has worked for several local, regional and international news agencies.
Virgin Islands News Online has distinguished itself both locally and regionally, covering a variety of local, regional and international news. It has gained popularity for most often being first and accurate with breaking news, and with providing frequent and daily updates, seven days a week, with factual details.
The news site 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 to football and even the progress being made by our local college student athletes at American and European Colleges and Universities.
One of its Founders, Ms. Burns, has since given up her role as a Director and is no longer associated with the company or the news site, however, the other founder, Mr. Willock, fills the role of 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 responsible for all editorial and story content and a Manager who is delegated with revenue and advertising.
The readership and advertisers have certainly increased some 45% from 2010, since residents are always eager to see what Virgin Islands News Online is reporting.
Preposterous attacks on news site
Despite Virgin Islands News Online cementing its popularity, creditability, stellar reputation for top rated reporting, value to the society and momentum, there have been failed attempts by a few, including other media houses and a Government Minister of the National Democratic Party, to shamefully attack the online news site.
Many have concluded that the baseless, politically motivated attacks continue to be an attempt to get at one of the site’s founders – the esteemed Julian Willock. The public has inferred that the Minister in question is simply filled with his own bias, hate and unfounded jealously, however both the news room and founder have continued to ignore the Minister.
In the coming weeks Virgin Islands News Online will be announcing some new initiatives that will be pleasing to readers and our many advertising clients.
Virgin Islands News Online has had three years filled with highs and lows, but has certainly inspired its many readers, advertisers and fans that our online news site 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 saying a big thank you to our staff, management, Board of Directors and our loyal readers and advertisers who have made this all possible.
We are pleased that we have honoured our commitment over the last three years that this online news site will not be used by anyone, including Founders, staff, commentators, bloggers or others to advance any personal goals, attack or agenda, or to settle any scores with anyone.
We pledge to report the news objectively and free of partisan politics, something our record over the past three years has already attested to.
WE THANK YOU FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF MANY MORE YEARS TO COME.
35 Responses to “Virgin Islands News Online turns 3”
Keep up the good work mr.w...k; people must talk don’t ever let that stop you; long live VINO!!!!!!!; where is the party???????
Make certain the words you speak are sweet because they will taste good when you have to eat them.
Congratulations VINO.
I must say that many topics that I have been able to comment on would not have been possible without you.
For you see, in many ways, Platinum can be biased in it's reporting-accurate reporting-of bloggers.
But you, you have allowed me to write profoundly and for this I thank you Mr.w...k.
May God continue to bless you Mr. w...k and VINO. May it continue unhindered for another century and many more to come!
Using the esteemed JW when mentioning the owner seems biased.
Gone are the days of Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather but still.....
Let me get this straight, - he wants the press to follow a "code of ethics" when he himself will not follow any code of ethics nor will he conduct himself in a Christian and ethical way whatsoever.
SHAME on he the new The Dictator
At least I can say VINO is independent and objective
The pen is indeed mightier than the sword from time immemorial and will be till the end of time. It is quite mind boggling that a simple, cheap everyday article can be so powerful to cause concern for kings, presidents and principalities.
We are quite fortunate to live in a relatively free open society with rights we consider as basic human rights as free speech and the right to protest for our voices in articles and on the blogs to be heard.
Let's never forget the other side of the coin that we should never deny others their chance to be heard as well and finally let's not forget the great responsibility we have to write, inform, criticize constructively and for the greater good as much as possible!
Anyone who wants to take away our freedom by censorship must go!
That's all Myron and Mark can do.