STATEMENT BY PREMIER AND MINISTER OF FINANCE ON FREE SPEECH AND FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS

Monday, 20^th February, 2023

As Premier of the Virgin Islands, I fully support free speech and freedom of the press which are pillars of democracy. Both should be exercised responsibly and according to high international standards.

In light of the importance of high journalistic standards to keep the public informed and recent questionable decorum by at least one person at a recent press conference, the Premier's Office is urgently calling on the press to collaborate on developing a code of conduct that would help to guide the conduct and behaviour of journalists at press conferences and also offer guidance on the handling of misconduct. The Premier's Office will be requesting a meeting with the Press Corps on the development of a policy on government press conferences. We look forward to engaging our vibrant local media partners in this endeavour.